Bryan Kohberger: The Idaho Four murders
It’s been nearly three years since the brutal stabbings of four University of Idaho students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, shocked the nation. What began as a 'very complex' case for local law enforcement ultimately ended with Bryan Kohberger’s conviction and sentencing.
Following an intense investigation and vast media coverage of the unsolved murders, the FBI received thousands of tips. Speculation was rife, and the community was on edge, but seven weeks later, the police announced the arrest in Pennsylvania of a 28-year-old criminology doctoral student named Bryan Kohberger.
This article will take a deep dive into the details of the investigation, the eventual arrest of Kohberger, and the trial.
The night of the murders
On 12th November 2022, at around 9:00pm, Xana and Ethan, who were dating, were seen partying at Ethan’s fraternity, Sigma Chi, just a short walk from the apartment. That night, Kaylee uploaded a final picture to Instagram with the caption, ‘one lucky girl to be surrounded by these ppl everyday’. At 10:00pm, Kaylee and Madison went to a local sports bar named The Corner Club.
During the early hours of 13th November, Kaylee and Madison were captured on video ordering food from a local food truck. Investigators stated that Xana and Ethan arrived home at 1:45am, whilst Kaylee and Madison returned at 1:56am. The two other roommates in the apartment also went out that evening and returned at 1:00am.
At 11:58am, one of the surviving two housemates called 911 to report an ‘unconscious person’.
The investigation
In the weeks after the killings, Moscow police faced mounting public pressure. Four young lives had been taken in the most brutal circumstances, yet answers seemed painfully slow to emerge. Behind the scenes, however, detectives and the FBI were piecing together a complex puzzle.
With help from the WSU campus police, the owner of a white Hyundai Elantra was identified as Bryan Kohberger, a student at the university. The car was seen circling the crime scene between 3:20am and 4:20am.
Further evidence placed him in the victims’ orbit. Mobile phone data showed Kohberger’s device in the vicinity of the house on a dozen separate occasions in the months leading up to the crime, suggesting a pattern of surveillance.
His internet records revealed searches for combat knives, and investigators believe he purchased a military-style Ka-Bar knife, consistent with the weapon used in the attacks.
A DNA match
Despite having strong circumstantial evidence linking Kohberger and his car to the crime, the breakthrough came from DNA discovered on an empty knife sheath. Investigators turned to a groundbreaking technique known as genetic matching. By using DNA from Kohberger’s father obtained from rubbish at their home, a definitive DNA match was found.
On 30th December, 2022, Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ home. The charges, four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, were met with a mixture of relief and disbelief.
Here was a man who had been studying criminal behaviour in an academic setting, now accused of one of the most shocking crimes in modern American memory.
Who was Bryan Kohberger?
Bryan Kohberger’s arrest shocked many who knew him. Born in 1994 in Pennsylvania, he grew up in a fairly ordinary suburban setting. As a teenager, he was described as quiet, sometimes awkward, and later battled issues with weight and self-image.
Those who encountered him in school years often remembered him as intelligent but socially distant.
Kohberger went on to study psychology and later criminology, eventually enrolling as a PhD student at Washington State University. His academic interests focused heavily on criminal behaviour and the psychology of offenders. He had even conducted surveys asking participants about their thoughts and emotions while committing crimes.
Research that now reads in an unsettling new light.
In the months before Kohberger’s arrest, he was issued a warning from a local bar in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It was reported that Kohberger was warned about his interactions with women working and frequenting the Seven Siren Brewing Company.
The trial and sentencing
On 23rd July 2025, the court reached what many saw as the end of a nightmare: Bryan Kohberger was formally sentenced for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
In a sombre session at the Ada County Courthouse, Judge Steven Hippler delivered the sentence that closed the case – for good.
Kohberger received four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, one for each victim, plus an additional 10 years for the burglary charge. The judge also imposed significant financial penalties: $270,000 in fines and restitution, a sum intended to reflect the weight of his crimes and the suffering inflicted upon the families.
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