Sleuth Intuition LLC

Investigative Journalist

The Idaho College Murders

Overview of the Idaho College Murders

On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen (21), Kaylee Goncalves (21), Xana Kernodle (20), and Ethan Chapin (20)—were fatally stabbed in an off-campus rental home at 1122 King Road, Moscow, Idaho. The case shocked the small college town, which hadn’t seen a murder since 2015, and garnered national attention due to its brutality, the lack of immediate suspects, and the complex investigation. Bryan Christopher Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University (WSU), was arrested on December 30, 2022, and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. His trial is set for August 11, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.

Key Details of the Case
Victims

  • Madison Mogen: From Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a senior majoring in marketing. Worked at a local restaurant with Xana Kernodle. Lifelong best friend of Kaylee Goncalves, found dead in the same bed.

     

     

  • Kaylee Goncalves: From Rathdrum, Idaho, a senior majoring in general studies. Had recently moved out of the King Road house but returned to show Madison her new car. Her father, Steve Goncalves, has been vocal about seeking justice.

     

     

  • Xana Kernodle: From Avondale, Arizona, a junior majoring in marketing. Grew up in Idaho but spent time in Arizona. Described as strong-willed, she reportedly fought her attacker, per her father and the coroner.

     

     

  • Ethan Chapin: From Conway, Washington, a freshman majoring in recreation and tourism. Xana’s boyfriend, sleeping over that night. A triplet, his siblings Hunter and Maizie also attend UI. Described as kind and joyful.

     

     

Timeline of Events (November 12–13, 2022)
  • Evening Activities:
    • 8:00 PM–1:45 AM: Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin attended a party at the Sigma Chi fraternity, returning home around 1:45 AM.
       
    • 10:00 PM–1:30 AM: Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves went to The Corner Club, a downtown bar, leaving at 1:30 AM.
       
  • Murders (Approx. 4:00–4:20 AM):
    • The four victims were stabbed with a large fixed-blade knife (likely a Ka-Bar military-style knife) on the second and third floors. No signs of forced entry.
       
       
    • Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen woke around 4:00 AM to noises, thought she heard Kaylee say, “There’s someone here,” and a male voice say, “It’s ok, I’m going to help you.” She saw a masked man with “bushy eyebrows” leaving but locked herself in her room.
       
       
  • Discovery (November 13, Noon):
    • Roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke used social media and texted family between 4:22–8:00 AM but didn’t call 911 until noon, reporting an “unconscious” person (Xana). Police found the four victims dead.
       
       
  • Weapon: A tan leather knife sheath with male DNA was found next to Madison Mogen’s body. No murder weapon was recovered.
     
     
Investigation and Arrest
  • Initial Response: Moscow police received thousands of tips, collected 113 pieces of evidence, and investigated a white Hyundai Elantra seen on surveillance footage near the crime scene around 3:29–4:20 AM.
     
     
  • Suspect Identification: DNA on the knife sheath, genetic genealogy, and phone records led to Bryan Kohberger, a WSU Ph.D. student living 8 miles away in Pullman, Washington. His white 2015 Hyundai Elantra matched the vehicle description.
     
     
  • Arrest (December 30, 2022): Kohberger was apprehended at his parents’ home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, after a cross-country drive with his father. DNA from trash at the family home matched the crime scene sample. He was extradited to Idaho on January 4, 2023.
     
     
  • Key Evidence:
    • DNA: A “statistical match” between Kohberger’s DNA and the knife sheath.
       
    • Phone Records: Kohberger’s phone connected to a cell tower near the crime scene multiple times before the murders, including 12 trips to Moscow in 2022.
       
    • Amazon Purchases: Kohberger bought a Ka-Bar knife, sheath, and sharpener in 2022.
       
    • Selfie: A smiling selfie taken at 10:31 AM on November 13, 2022, may be used to corroborate the “bushy eyebrows” description.
       
       
    • Vehicle: Surveillance captured his Elantra near the crime scene, and he changed his license plate five days after the murders.
       
       
Key Details from the Probable Cause Affidavit
The probable cause affidavit, released on January 5, 2023, outlines the evidence used to arrest Bryan Kohberger for the November 13, 2022, murders of four University of Idaho students: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The affidavit, written by Moscow Police Department Corporal Brett Payne, includes evidence from DNA, cell phone records, vehicle surveillance, and a surviving roommate’s account. Here are the main points:
  1. DNA Evidence:
    • A tan leather knife sheath with “Ka-bar” and “USMC” markings was found on the bed next to Madison Mogen. Forensic analysts identified a single source of male DNA on the sheath’s button snap.
    • On December 27, 2022, Pennsylvania agents recovered trash from the Kohberger family residence in Albrightsville, PA. The Idaho State Lab tested this evidence and reported: “A DNA profile obtained from the trash and the DNA profile obtained from the sheath, identified a male as not being excluded as the biological father of Suspect Profile. At least 99.9998% of the male population would be expected to be excluded from the possibility of being the suspect’s biological father.”
       
       
       
  2. Surviving Roommate’s Account:
    • A surviving roommate, identified as D.M., reported hearing crying and a male voice saying, “It’s ok, I’m going to help you,” on the morning of the murders. She later saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask covering the mouth and nose walking toward her. The affidavit states: “D.M. described the figure as 5’ 10” or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows.” She stood in a “frozen shock phase” as the figure walked past her toward the back sliding glass door.
       
       
  3. Vehicle Surveillance:
    • On November 25, 2022, Moscow Police asked law enforcement to look for white Hyundai Elantras. On November 29, WSU Police Officer Daniel Tiengo identified a 2015 white Hyundai Elantra registered to Kohberger with Pennsylvania plate LFZ-8649.
       
       
    • Surveillance footage from the King Road neighborhood showed a white Elantra making three passes by the victims’ home between 3:29 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. on November 13, 2022, before leaving at high speed. The affidavit notes: “A review of footage from multiple videos obtained from the King Road Neighborhood showed multiple sightings of Suspect Vehicle 1 starting at 3:29 a.m. and ending at 4:20 a.m.”
       
       
    • Kohberger changed his vehicle’s registration from Pennsylvania to Washington on November 18, 2022, five days after the murders.
       
       
  4. Cell Phone Records:
    • Kohberger provided his phone number (ending in 8458) during an August 2022 traffic stop. A search warrant for AT&T records showed the phone was near the victims’ home on at least 12 occasions since June 2022, mostly in late evening or early morning hours.
       
       
    • On November 13, 2022, the phone stopped reporting to the network from 5:36 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., which the affidavit notes is “consistent with Kohberger attempting to conceal his location during the quadruple homicide.”
       
  5. Additional Details:
    • The affidavit suggests Kohberger may have surveilled the victims’ home, as his phone was detected near the residence multiple times before the murders.
       
       
    • Kohberger, a PhD student in criminal justice at Washington State University, applied for an internship with the Pullman Police Department in 2022, expressing interest in analyzing technological data for law enforcement.
       
       
    • No motive is specified in the affidavit, leaving questions about why the murders occurred.