Idaho murders – update: Bryan Kohberger case gag order fought by victim Kaylee Goncalves’ family
The family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves is fighting back against a unusually restrictive gag order placed on the case.
A gag order was issued in early January following the arrest and charging of Bryan Kohberger with the quadruple homicide of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
On 18 January, the gag order was broadly expanded to also ban any attorneys representing survivors, witnesses or the victims’ family members from talking or writing about the case.
In an appeal filed in court on Friday, the Goncalves’ family attorney Shanon Gray asked the judge to pull back the scope of the order, describing it as unconstitutional and “facially overbroad and vague”.
The judge is yet to rule on the motion.
This comes after the FBI pushed back on a report that its surveillance team “lost” Mr Kohberger during his cross-country drive from Washington State University to his family home in Pennsylvania in mid-December.
An FBI spokesperson denied the shocking account calling it “false information” which “is not helpful to the case against Kohberger or to the American public”.
Key points
FBI denies claim it lost Kohberger during surveillance operation
Bryan Kohberger attorneys receive trove of evidence in case
Kohberger’s attorney has ties to second victim’s family
Xana Kernodle’s mom feels ‘betrayed’ by attorney who dropped her for daughter’s alleged killer
Bryan Kohberger met local police chief and sent him gushing email – months before murders
Chilling online comments from suspect as teen revealed
Hit-and-run unfolded outside Bryan Kohberger’s home on night of Idaho college murders
07:30 , Andrea Blanco
A hit-and-run unfolded outside of Bryan Kohberger’s home on the same night that he allegedly murdered four University of Idaho students, it has been revealed.
At around 11.40pm on the night of 12 November, police were called to a report of a crash in front of an apartment complex on the Washington State University (WSU) campus, in Pullman, Washington state, according to authorities.
The apartment complex, which houses mainly graduate or PhD students, had been home to Mr Kohberger since August when he relocated from his home state of Pennsylvania to start a PhD program in criminal justice at the university.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found two pedestrians – a male WSU student and a woman – with injuries after being struck by a car.
The driver had already fled the scene.
Witness Turner Gardner told Business Insider the incident was “horrifying” and the two victims were taken to hospital for treatment for serious injuries.
Hours later, 19-year-old student Carmen Fernandez was arrested and charged with DUI, felony vehicular assault and hit-and-run, the Pullman Police Department said at the time.
It is not clear if Mr Kohberger witnessed the hit-and-run which took place within the eyeline of his apartment.
However, investigators were reportedly still on the scene of the crash at the housing complex when the 28-year-old allegedly left his home in the early hours of 13 November and travelled to Moscow to carry out the murders.
What forensic experts say about evidence seized from Bryan Kohberger’s home in the Idaho murders case
06:00 , Andrea Blanco
A search warrant was executed at Mr Kohberger’s apartment in Pullman, Washington, on 30 December, the same day he was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania on charges for the 13 November stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
A record of evidence recovered during the apartment search was unsealed last month, revealing the seizure of 15 items including hairs, receipts, a computer tower, a disposable glove and items with peculiar stains.
The record reignited a frenzy of speculation online - despite its simplicity and lack of conjecture.
But what significance, if any, can actually be gleaned from the list? The Independent spoke to two experts - Dr Monte Miller, a former crime scene investigator and forensic expert for the Texas Department of Public Safety; and former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer - for their takes on each item.
What forensic experts say about evidence seized from Bryan Kohberger’s home
Bryan Kohberger was interviewed by local police chief for internship months before Idaho murders
04:30 , Andrea Blanco
A criminology PhD student accused of murdering four University of Idaho students was interviewed by a local police department for an internship position months before the slayings.
Emails obtained by The New York Times show a brief exchange between Washington State University student Bryan Kohberger and the then-chief of Pullman Police Department Gary Jenkins regarding Mr Kohberger’s interview process for the research assistantship for public safety position in April 2022.
Mr Kohberger, 28, is facing four murder charges in the brutal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November. Mr Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania on 30 December before he was extradited to Idaho on 5 January.
In his email to Mr Jenkins, Mr Kohberger wrote that “it was a great pleasure to meet with you today and share [his] thoughts and excitement.” Mr Jenkins replied that it was “great to meet and talk with you as well.”
It is not clear whether Mr Kohberger was offered a position with the department.
Computer, hair, glove and stained items seized from Idaho murders suspect’s home
03:00 , Andrea Blanco
Police investigating the murder of four Idaho students seized a string of items from suspect Bryan Kohberger’s apartment, including possible hair strands, a disposable glove, items with red and brown stains and a computer, according to a newly unsealed search warrant.
Investigators stated in the search warrant application that they hoped to find hair strands that could link the suspect to the scene of the horrific November crime in Moscow, Idaho. They said in the application that this could be either through the four victims or through a dog that was at the rental house at the time of the slayings, reported The New York Times.
Police said that one of the items found at the suspect’s apartment at nearby Washington State University was a “possible animal hair strand.”
In the documents, investigators said one item had a “collection of dark red” spotting, and that a pillow had a “reddish/brown stain” on it.
The application also stated that the murder scene near the University of Idaho campus where the victims were discovered had a large amount of the victims’ blood “including spatter and castoff” blood.
Investigators also searched the Washington State University office used by the suspect, a graduate student and teaching assistant in criminology, but did not seize any items.
FBI denies claim agents ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
01:30 , Andrea Blanco
The FBI has denied claims that its agents “lost” accused mass killer Bryan Kohberger while he was under surveillance for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
Surveillance teams had been tasked with keeping eyes on the 28-year-old criminology PhD student after he became a “person of interest” in the 13 November murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
But, law enforcement sources told Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two” that in the early hours of 13 December, Mr Kohberger set off on a cross-country drive with his father from Washington State University (WSU) to his family home in Pennsylvania and the surveillance team “lost” him.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
FBI denies claim agents ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
ICYMI: Possible animal hair found at Bryan Kohberger’s home after Kaylee Goncalves’ dog spared in Idaho murders
00:00 , Andrea Blanco
A “possible animal hair” was among the evidence seized from the home of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger - sparking speculation that it could belong to victim Kaylee Goncalves’ dog.
Records of evidence recovered from Mr Kohberger’s home were unsealed last month, nearly three weeks after his arrest for the 13 November stabbings of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
Included on the list of seizures was a “possible animal hair strand”. While Mr Kohberger is not believed to have a pet, one of the victims he is accused of killing, Goncalves, had a dog who was at home at the time of the murders.
The dog called Murphy became the target of substantial attention in the case after investigators revealed that the pet was found unscathed in the room where Goncalves and Mogen were stabbed to death in the former student’s bed.
Potential reason why Kaylee Goncalves called ex-boyfriend before Idaho murders
Tuesday 7 February 2023 22:30 , Andrea Blanco
The Goncalves’ family has shed light on why she might have been calling her ex-boyfriend Jack DuCoeur in the hours before she was brutally attacked.
In a sit-down interview with the YouTube channel Chronicles of Olivia aired last month — and filmed two days before Mr Kohberger’s arrest– the Goncalves said their daughter broke up with Mr DuCoeur ahead of her post-graduation move to Texas, but had later voiced concerns that she “might not ever find another Jack” and was considering getting back together with him.
Kaylee’s father Steve Goncalves said that the couple had remained friends and the slain student was looking “for every excuse for [Mr DuCoeur] to pick up the phone.” The family noted that they were not just blindly sticking up for Mr DuCoeur, and that they had done their due diligence by looking out for scratches on his body, and potential evidence on his shoes and inside his car.
“Even logically, I think a lot of people assume that we’re blinded by this individual but contrary to that, we’re very capable of removing our emotions for Jack —which is absolute love — and just looking at the situation logically,” Alivea Goncalves, Goncalves’ sister, said on the interview released on Friday.
“Looking at this individual logically, looking at a pattern of behaviours of him that we have seen throughout five, six years ... In our hearts and in our heads and in every sense of the word, it’s just not [plausible that he committed the crime].”
Mr DuCoeur was never considered a suspect in the quadruple murder, but was targeted by online armchair detectives baselessly linking him to the crimes before an arrest was made last month.
Could Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger get a plea deal?
Tuesday 7 February 2023 21:03 , Andrea Blanco
If convicted of the four murders, Bryan Kohberger faces the possibility of lethal injection, should the prosecution seek the death penalty.
In the state of Idaho, the maximum sentence for first-degree murder is death and the suspect is facing four counts of this charge.
While the Latah County prosecutor has not yet confirmed whether or not he plans to seek the death penalty in the case and he is unlikely to show his hand over the coming weeks due to the gag order now in place.
Kaylee Goncalves’ parents have already said that they want their daughter’s killer to be sentenced to death saying he “has to pay” for what he has done.
“If you want to play god’s role, you’re gonna have to go answer to him,” Steve Goncalves told NewsNation in early-January.
According to prominent attorney Duncan Levin, in a death penalty case, the only possible plea deal would be for the suspect to be given life in prison instead.
However, he said it is “too early” to tell whether this is likely in this case.
“At this point, it is too early for the two sides to have a discussion about a plea deal,” he told The Independent.
“On a death penalty case, the only plea on the table is life in prison but both sides have too much investigating ahead of them to discuss that at this time.”
Kaylee Goncalves’ family fight gag order in Idaho murders case
Tuesday 7 February 2023 19:00 , Andrea Blanco
The family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves are fighting back against an unusually restrictive gag order placed on the case against her accused killer.
In an appeal filed in court on Friday, the Goncalves’ family attorney Shanon Gray called on the judge to pull back the scope of the gag order, describing it as unconstitutional and “facially overbroad and vague”.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Kaylee Goncalves’ family fight gag order in Idaho murders case
University of Idaho students claim they saw Bryan Kohberger ‘staring’ on campus
Tuesday 7 February 2023 18:00 , Andrea Blanco
Several students have recalled seeing Bryan Kohberger – a PhD student at Washington State University – on the University of Idaho campus in the weeks before the murders.
Three separate students told People that they believe they saw him in the Student Union building, with one saying he was sitting “staring” at people.
“It was really early in the semester,” sophomore student Chelsea said. “He was at the food court, drinking water. He sat by himself.”
“He was the type to stare. He wouldn’t look away if you caught him staring. Like he wanted you to notice that he was looking at you. He didn’t smile, didn’t nod, didn’t say anything. Just stared.”
Chelsea said that his behaviour prompted her to point him out to a friend.
“I told my friend to not be suspicious but to look at him, because the eye contact was making me uncomfortable,” she said. “It was so weird that we ended up leaving and eating outside, because we wanted to get away from him.”
Another student told the outlet she recognised Mr Kohberger after his arrest as she had seen him often around the campus – despite the fact that he did not go to UI.
“It’s not a huge school; it’s like a small town,” she said.
“So you start seeing the same faces again and again. They become familiar, like you know that you’ve seen them in class or around campus. I definitely saw him more than once. He was just really quiet and really intense, staring. He made me uncomfortable.”
Their accounts support comments previously made by a law enforcement source to People that the suspect spent some time on the UI campus before the 13 November killings.
No connection is yet known between the suspect and the victims.
ICYMI: The unique facial feature that may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
Tuesday 7 February 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco
Bryan Kohberger’s distinct eyebrows may have been among the first in a string of details that linked him to the Idaho murders, according to a new report.
Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two” offers a vivid description of the Moscow police hunt for evidence that would ultimately materialise in Mr Kohberger’s arrest for the murders of four University of Idaho students, based on an affidavit released earlier this month and sources close to the investigation,
According to the report, a lead investigator first had an inkling that Mr Kohberger would become a suspect in the crime after he ran the Washington State University PhD student’s licence plate and noticed his “bushy eyebrows”.
One of the surviving roommates at the 1122 King Road home had recounted how she unknowingly saw her friends’ killer leaving the scene before going back into her room in a state of shock. The woman said the killer was wearing a mask, but his “bushy eyebrows” stood out to her.
Andrea Blanco has more:
One unique facial feature may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
BTK killer Dennis Rader expresses sympathy for Bryan Kohberger as he awaits trial in the Idaho murders
Tuesday 7 February 2023 16:00 , Andrea Blanco
Serial killer Dennis Rader has expressed sympathy for Bryan Kohberger as he awaits trial in the Idaho murders.
Rader —who gave himself the title of the BTK killer because he bound and tortured his victims before killing them — is serving ten consecutive life sentences in a maximum security prison in Kansas after he confessed in 2005 to killing 10 people over a span of three decades.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Rader said he understands how Mr Kohberger must feel while in solitary confinement at Latah County Jail ahead of his preliminary hearing on 26 June.
“Since I spent from February 2005 to April 2005 in a cell by myself, I know how he feels. Very lonely,” Rader told the outlet, adding that his situation improved when he was allowed to receive mail. “And soon letters started to come in ... [I] read a lot of the Bible and wrote poetry.”
Andrea Blanco has the story:
BTK killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger
Ethan Chapin’s mother shares how family are adjusting to ‘new normal’
Tuesday 7 February 2023 15:00 , Rachel Sharp
The mother of slain University of Idaho Ethan Chapin has opened up about finding “the little victories” in her grief journey.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Stacy Chapin said she and her husband had visited her two surviving triplets, Mazie and Hunter, at the University of Idaho over the weekend. The Chapin triplets were all enrolled at the college in the town of Moscow when Ethan was killed on 13 November.
Speaking out about life after losing her son, Ms Chapin said she had early on agreed with her husband that Maizie and Hunter would be returning to school for the spring semester. The mother-of-three said that she wanted to keep her family close but also allow her children “to heal at their own pace.”
Read the full story here:
Ethan Chapin’s mom speaks about adjusting to ‘new normal’ after Idaho murders
Kaylee Goncalves’ family creates Facebook page for ‘tips’
Tuesday 7 February 2023 14:00 , Rachel Sharp
Kaylee Goncalves’ family has created a new Facebook page for the public to send in “tips” and “leads” about the murders case.
The page, “Idaho Murders- The Goncalves Family Page”, was launched last week and has already reached 18,000 followers.
“This page is for the public to reach out if you have any tips/leads that could be helpful,” the page description reads.
In an update on Sunday, the family shared an update thanking the public for their support.
“We want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us throughout this tragedy. To the people who send us condolences and prayers, all the way to the (always 100% anonymous) individuals sending in multiple new leads,” they wrote.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you all for the unwavering support and outpouring of love.”
Kaylee Goncalves’ family fights gag order in Idaho murders’ case
Tuesday 7 February 2023 13:00 , Rachel Sharp
The family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves is fighting back against a unusually restrictive gag order placed on the case against her accused killer.
In an appeal filed in court on Friday, the Goncalves’ family attorney Shanon Gray called on the judge to pull back the scope of the gag order, describing it as unconstitutional and “facially overbroad and vague”.
A gag order was first issued in the case on 3 January, just days after Bryan Kohberger was arrested and charged with the quadruple homicide of Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
Read the full story here:
Kaylee Goncalves’ family fight gag order in Idaho murders case
Bryan Kohberger’s attorney says defence has no evidence to hand to state
Tuesday 7 February 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp
Court filings show the suspect’s defence attorney’s has now responded to the state’s request for discovery in the case.
In a court filing on 30 January, public defender Anne Taylor writes that the defence so far has no evidence to turn over such as books, documents, papers and photos.
There are also no results or reports of mental or physical exams or tests, the documents state.
This comes after prosecutors handed over a trove of documents, photos and video files in the case.
Survivor of 1992 attack speaks out in defence of Idaho roommates
Tuesday 7 February 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp
There are many chilling similarities between the murders of four Idaho students in November and a 1992 attack at a student home in Buffalo – none more so than the experiences of the roommates who survived.
Alanna Zabel tells The Independent’s Rachel Sharp why she feels the need to defend the surviving roommate in Idaho and how she understands the way trauma can shape reactions to such horrifying events:
She slept through an attack in her home - and has a message about the Idaho murders
Could Bryan Kohberger get a plea deal?
Tuesday 7 February 2023 10:00 , Rachel Sharp
If convicted of the four murders, Bryan Kohberger faces the possibility of lethal injection, should the prosecution seek the death penalty.
In the state of Idaho, the maximum sentence for first-degree murder is death and the suspect is facing four counts of this charge.
While the Latah County prosecutor has not yet confirmed whether or not he plans to seek the death penalty in the case and he is unlikely to show his hand over the coming weeks due to the gag order now in place.
Kaylee Goncalves’ parents have already said that they want their daughter’s killer to be sentenced to death saying he “has to pay” for what he has done.
“If you want to play god’s role, you’re gonna have to go answer to him,” Steve Goncalves told NewsNation in early-January.
According to prominent attorney Duncan Levin, in a death penalty case, the only possible plea deal would be for the suspect to be given life in prison instead.
However, he said it is “too early” to tell whether this is likely in this case.
“At this point, it is too early for the two sides to have a discussion about a plea deal,” he told The Independent.
“On a death penalty case, the only plea on the table is life in prison but both sides have too much investigating ahead of them to discuss that at this time.”
VOICES: The eerie online fascination with the Idaho murders case
Tuesday 7 February 2023 09:00 , Rachel Sharp
“They were killed in a drug deal gone wrong.
“It was revenge for bullying another student found dead months earlier.
“A disgruntled student blamed them for him being kicked out of a fraternity.
“A gang of frat boys decided to carry on a fight that broke out at a party earlier that night.
“The list goes on and on. These make up only a handful of the countless rumours and conspiracy theories circulating online in the weeks after four University of Idaho students were found butchered to death in the small college town of Moscow.”
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp delves into the eerie online fascination with the case:
The eerie online world of the Idaho murders case
Mad Greek owner denies suspect dined there
Tuesday 7 February 2023 08:00 , Rachel Sharp
A former employee at the Mad Greek restaurant, where Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle worked, told People last week that Bryan Kohberger had visited the eatery in the weeks before the murders.
The suspect, who is vegan, popped in at least twice for some vegan pizza, the employee said.
An investigator with knowledge of the case told People that investigators knew about the visits to the restaurant, and had seized footage from it and interviewed both the staff and owners.
However, this was almost instantly refuted by the owner of the Mad Greek, who denied Mr Kohberger had ever been there.
Jackie Fischer slammed the article as “completely fabricated information” in a Facebook post on Friday and urged the public and the media to “please allow us to grieve the loss of our friends and co-worker”.
Officials have not addressed the speculation about the restaurant visit or the Instagram account and are unlikely to do so, due to a gag order preventing law enforcement officials and the defence and prosecution teams from speaking out about the high-profile case.
“The news/media should really do their due diligence before running a story with completely fabricated information. This will be my only response to this story from People… It is not true. This person who wants their 5 minutes of fame has now caused a whole bunch of extra work for myself and the investigators,” the owner wrote.
“To all media/reporters/internet sleuths, etc.. please allow us to grieve the loss of our friends and co workers. This has been incredibly hard on us. With our phones ringing off the hook, reporters banging on my door at my private residence and “hunting” down employees as well as showing up constantly at the restaurant, we have not been afforded the time to grieve. Please stop calling, messaging, knocking and showing up. I personally will not be doing any interviews or entertaining wild accusations at this time. My employees also feel the same!”
What forensic experts say about evidence seized from Bryan Kohberger’s home in the Idaho murders case
Tuesday 7 February 2023 06:00 , Rachel Sharp
Authorities have lifted the lid on alleged evidence found in the home of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger, marking the latest development in a horror case that has gripped the nation for two months.
A search warrant was executed at Mr Kohberger’s apartment in Pullman, Washington, on 30 December, the same day he was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania on charges for the 13 November stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
A record of evidence recovered during the apartment search was unsealed on Wednesday, revealing the seizure of 15 items including hairs, receipts, a computer tower, a disposable glove and items with peculiar stains.
The record reignited a frenzy of speculation online - despite its simplicity and lack of conjecture.
But what significance, if any, can actually be gleaned from the list? The Independent‘s Andrea Blanco spoke to two experts - Dr Monte Miller, a former crime scene investigator and forensic expert for the Texas Department of Public Safety; and former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer - for their takes on each item.
What forensic experts say about evidence seized from Bryan Kohberger’s home
Why is there a six month gap before the preliminary hearing?
Tuesday 7 February 2023 04:00 , Rachel Sharp
At his status hearing in Latah County Courthouse on 12 January, Bryan Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial - which would have set his preliminary hearing within 14 days.
Instead, his attorney asked that the next court date instead be delayed until the summer, to give defence more time to review all the evidence in the case.
The prosecution agreed with the request and the judge scheduled the preliminary hearing for the week beginning 26 June, setting aside the entire week for the hearing.
Now, the victims’ families and the public will have to wait another six months to learn further details about the murders and the case against Mr Kohberger.
Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office who has no official connection to the Idaho murders case, told The Independent that a six-month time gap between a status hearing and preliminary hearing is “somewhat unusual” but it’s a marker of the complexity of the case.
“It is somewhat unusual to see such a long gap but then again nothing is normal in this case,” he said.
“Death penalty cases do mean that everything will take longer and be done a little bit differently than one might expect to see on a typical case.”
The six-month delay is a benefit to both sides, he added.
“The defence wants as much time as possible to conduct their own investigations before they have the opportunity to cross-examine the state’s witnesses. So they’re eager to have more information in their hands before any testimony is heard in the preliminary hearing,” he said.
“Similarly, the prosecution needs time to conduct further investigations. For example they will be likely doing a forensic examination of Kohberger’s automobile and residence. And they are still yet to uncover a motive. They have a lot of work yet to do.”
He added: “Both sides really need more time to review evidence and develop their cases.”
Bryan Kohberger’s trial for the Idaho murders is months away. How strong is the case against him?
Tuesday 7 February 2023 02:00 , Rachel Sharp
It will be another six months before Bryan Kohberger and the families of his alleged victims come face to face in court again, after his preliminary hearing was postponed until the summer.
For more than six weeks, the murders remained a mystery and left the small college town racked by fear.
Then, on 30 December, Mr Kohberger was arrested 2,500 miles away at his family home in Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of murder and one charge of burglary.
Details about the murders and his alleged role in them were laid out in the damning probable cause affidavit released earlier this month.
But just how strong is the case against him? What can we expect next from the defence and the prosecution? And why has Mr Kohberger’s attorney requested evidence about a co-defendant?
Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office who has no official connection to the Idaho murders case, speaks to The Independent’s Rachel Sharp about the strength of the criminal case and what to expect next as it makes it way through the courts.
How strong is the case against Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger?
Expert debunks speculation about a ‘co-defendant'
Tuesday 7 February 2023 00:00 , Rachel Sharp
Bryan Kohberger’s attorney Ann Taylor filed a discovery request in the case last month, asking the judge to order the prosecution to hand over all discovery in the case within 14 days.
Among the discovery requests were witness statements, digital media and police reports about the case.
It also included a request for information about a “co-defendant” in the case.
“Statements of co-defendant. Any written or recorded statements by a codefendant, and the substance of any relevant oral statement made by a co-defendant whether before or after arrest in response to interrogation by any person known by the codefendant to be a peace officer or agent of the prosecuting attorney, or which are otherwise relevant to the offense charged,” the filing reads.
The request has prompted speculation of evidence suggesting that Mr Kohberger may have had an accomplice – or that the defence could seek to argue that as part of their case.
However, Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office, told The Independent that this is just part of the standard requests for discovery in a case.
“These are just very standard requests as part of the defence’s discovery request,” he said.
While ruling out other individuals as possible suspects will likely form part of the state’s case against Mr Kohberger, he said that this does not indicate that there are other suspects.
The probable cause affidavit makes no mention of a co-defendant and law enforcement officials have previously insisted that they believe the suspect acted alone.
The request making mention of a co-defendant is also just one of 18 discovery requests made in the court filing.
“I don’t think I would make much hay of that,” Mr Levin said of the discovery request.
Xana Kernodle’s mom says she feels ‘betrayed’ by attorney
Monday 6 February 2023 23:00 , Rachel Sharp
The mother of slain University of Idaho student Xana Kernodle has claimed that she gave her power of attorney to the public defender now representing her daughter’s alleged killer.
Anne Taylor, the chief of the Kootenai public defender’s office, filed on 5 January to recuse herself from representing Xana Kernodle’s mother Cara Denise Northington in order to become the lead defence attorney for Bryan Kohberger.
Mr Kohberger is accused of brutally stabbing Kernodle, her boyfriend Ethan Chapin and roommates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen on 13 November in the college town of Moscow. He was arrested on 30 December at his parent’s home in Pennsylvania before he was extradited to Idaho earlier this month.
Read more here:
Idaho murder victim’s mom says she gave Bryan Kohberger lawyer power of attorney
Bryan Kohberger’s attorney has ties to family of second victim
Monday 6 February 2023 22:00 , Rachel Sharp
The attorney representing Bryan Kohberger has ties to the family of a second victim of the University of Idaho murders, it has been revealed.
Public defender Anne Taylor previously represented the father and stepmother of Madison Mogen in now closed criminal cases, according to court records seen by Inside Edition Digital.
The connection comes after it emerged that Ms Taylor was representing Xana Kernodle’s mother Cara Northington on drugs charges at the time of Mr Kohberger’s arrest.
Court documents, filed on 5 January, showed that the attorney then dropped her as a client – the same day that she took on Mr Kohberger’s case and represented him in court in Moscow for the first time on charges of murdering Kernodle, Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves.
The ties to the victims’ families has raised some concerns about a possible conflict of interest in the case.
BTK Killer’s daughter speaks out about sensing her father in the Idaho murders
Monday 6 February 2023 21:00 , Rachel Sharp
Kerri Rawson had a ‘nagging’ sense as she followed every development in the Idaho murders case.
After the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, she tells The Independent’s Bevan Hurley how her ‘stomach sank’ when she realised a link between the suspect and her father, notorious serial killer Dennis Rader:
My father is the BTK Killer. The arrest in the Idaho murders took my breath away
Kaylee Goncalves’ family creates Facebook page for ‘tips’
Monday 6 February 2023 20:32 , Rachel Sharp
Kaylee Goncalves’ family has created a new Facebook page for the public to send in “tips” and “leads” about the murders case.
The page, “Idaho Murders- The Goncalves Family Page”, was launched last week and has already reached 18,000 followers.
“This page is for the public to reach out if you have any tips/leads that could be helpful,” the page description reads.
In an update on Sunday, the family shared an update thanking the public for their support.
“We want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported us throughout this tragedy. To the people who send us condolences and prayers, all the way to the (always 100% anonymous) individuals sending in multiple new leads,” they wrote.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you all for the unwavering support and outpouring of love.”
One unique facial feature may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
Monday 6 February 2023 19:30 , Rachel Sharp
Bryan Kohberger’s distinct eyebrows may have been among the first in a string of details that linked him to the Idaho murders, according to a new report.
Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two” offers a vivid description of the Moscow police hunt for evidence that would ultimately materialise in Mr Kohberger’s arrest for the murders of four University of Idaho students, based on an affidavit released earlier this month and sources close to the investigation,
According to the report, a lead investigator first had an inkling that Mr Kohberger would become a suspect in the crime after he ran the Washington State University PhD student’s licence plate and noticed his “bushy eyebrows”.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more:
One unique facial feature may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
Kaylee Goncalves’ family fights gag order in Idaho murders’ case
Monday 6 February 2023 18:30 , Rachel Sharp
The family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves is fighting back against a unusually restrictive gag order placed on the case against her accused killer.
In an appeal filed in court on Friday, the Goncalves’ family attorney Shanon Gray called on the judge to pull back the scope of the gag order, describing it as unconstitutional and “facially overbroad and vague”.
A gag order was first issued in the case on 3 January, just days after Bryan Kohberger was arrested and charged with the quadruple homicide of Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
Read the full story here:
Kaylee Goncalves’ family fight gag order in Idaho murders case
BTK killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger
Monday 6 February 2023 17:30 , Rachel Sharp
Serial killer Dennis Rader has expressed sympathy for Bryan Kohberger as he awaits trial in the Idaho murders.
Rader —who gave himself the title of the BTK killer because he bound and tortured his victims before killing them — is serving ten consecutive life sentences in a maximum security prison in Kansas after he confessed in 2005 to killing 10 people over a span of three decades.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Rader said he understands how Mr Kohberger must feel while in solitary confinement at Latah County Jail ahead of his preliminary hearing on 26 June.
“Since I spent from February 2005 to April 2005 in a cell by myself, I know how he feels. Very lonely,” Rader told the outlet, adding that his situation improved when he was allowed to receive mail. “And soon letters started to come in ... [I] read a lot of the Bible and wrote poetry.”
Read the full story here:
BTK killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger
WSU student found dead after ‘inhumane and cruel’ hazing
Monday 6 February 2023 16:30 , Rachel Sharp
A Washington State University student was found dead in his dorm last month.
WSU made national headlines in December when criminology PhD student Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the murders of four University of Idaho students.
The university and its Greek life have now come under scrutiny after 19-year-old freshman Luke Tyler was found dead on 22 January at the Pullman campus.
A group of Tyler’s friends have since claimed that his sudden death followed “a long and cruel pledging process allowed by his fraternity,” Theta Chi, The Spokesman-Review reported. In a Change.org petition, they demanded that the fraternity is disbanded.
“Their inhumane and cruel hazing forced Luke, and many others to do things nobody should ever be forced to do,” the description read. “We demand that Theta Chi be investigated, shut down and the fraternity’s president, as well as pledge masters and others with power in the fraternity be investigated for their involvement with the death of Luke Tyler.”
More than 9,000 people have signed the petition.
A spokesman for the university said that no details about Tyler’s death will be released pending the investigation by law enforcement.
FBI denies claim agents ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Monday 6 February 2023 15:30 , Rachel Sharp
The FBI has denied claims that its agents “lost” accused mass killer Bryan Kohberger while he was under surveillance for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
Surveillance teams had been tasked with keeping eyes on the 28-year-old criminology PhD student after he became a “person of interest” in the 13 November murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
But, law enforcement sources told Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two” that in the early hours of 13 December, Mr Kohberger set off on a cross-country drive with his father from Washington State University (WSU) to his family home in Pennsylvania and the surveillance team “lost” him.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
FBI denies claim agents ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Idaho students recall seeing Bryan Kohberger ‘staring’ on campus
Monday 6 February 2023 14:30 , Rachel Sharp
Several students have recalled seeing Bryan Kohberger – a PhD student at Washington State University – on the University of Idaho campus in the weeks before the murders.
Three separate students told People that they believe they saw him in the Student Union building, with one saying he was sitting “staring” at people.
“It was really early in the semester,” sophomore student Chelsea said. “He was at the food court, drinking water. He sat by himself.”
“He was the type to stare. He wouldn’t look away if you caught him staring. Like he wanted you to notice that he was looking at you. He didn’t smile, didn’t nod, didn’t say anything. Just stared.”
Chelsea said that his behaviour prompted her to point him out to a friend.
“I told my friend to not be suspicious but to look at him, because the eye contact was making me uncomfortable,” she said. “It was so weird that we ended up leaving and eating outside, because we wanted to get away from him.”
Another student told the outlet she recognised Mr Kohberger after his arrest as she had seen him often around the campus – despite the fact that he did not go to UI.
“It’s not a huge school; it’s like a small town,” she said.
“So you start seeing the same faces again and again. They become familiar, like you know that you’ve seen them in class or around campus. I definitely saw him more than once. He was just really quiet and really intense, staring. He made me uncomfortable.”
Their accounts support comments previously made by a law enforcement source to People that the suspect spent some time on the UI campus before the 13 November killings.
No connection is yet known between the suspect and the victims.
ICYMI: Bryan Kohberger was interviewed by local police chief for internship months before Idaho murders
Monday 6 February 2023 13:36 , Rachel Sharp
A criminology PhD student accused of murdering four University of Idaho students was interviewed by a local police department for an internship position months before the slayings.
New emails show a brief exchange between Washington State University student Bryan Kohberger and the then-chief of Pullman Police Department Gary Jenkins regarding Mr Kohberger’s interview process for the research assistantship for public safety position in April 2022.
In his email to Mr Jenkins, Mr Kohberger wrote that “it was a great pleasure to meet with you today and share [his] thoughts and excitement.” Mr Jenkins replied that it was “great to meet and talk with you as well.”
Read the full story here:
Bryan Kohberger was interviewed by police chief for internship months before murders
Why we should defend the surviving roommate in the Idaho murders
Monday 6 February 2023 10:01 , Megan Sheets
There are many chilling similarities between the murders of four Idaho students in November and a 1992 attack at a student home in Buffalo – none more so than the experiences of the roommates who survived.
Alanna Zabel tells The Independent’s Rachel Sharp why she feels the need to defend the surviving roommate in Idaho and how she understands the way trauma can shape reactions to such horrifying events:
She slept through an attack in her home - and has a message about the Idaho murders
BTK killer’s daughter sensed her father in the Idaho murders
Monday 6 February 2023 07:01 , Megan Sheets
Kerri Rawson had a ‘nagging’ sense as she followed every development in the Idaho murders case. After the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, she tells Bevan Hurley how her ‘stomach sank’ when she realised a link between the suspect and her father, notorious serial killer Dennis Rader.
My father is the BTK Killer. The arrest in the Idaho murders took my breath away
These were the items seized from Bryan Kohberger’s Washington state home:
Monday 6 February 2023 04:01 , Megan Sheets
An unsealed search warrant revealed the evidence that was seized from Bryan Kohberger’s apartment in Pullman and his office at Washington State University (WSU) during searches in late December.
- one nitrite type black glove
- one Walmart receipt with one Dickie’s tag
- two Marshalls receipts
- dust container from a vacuum
- multiple possible hair and hair strands
- one possible animal hair strands
- two cuttings from uncased pillow of reddish/brown stain
- two top and bottom mattress cover with multiple stains
- items with a ‘dark red spot’
- a computer tower
- a Fire TV stick
No items were seized from his office which he shared with other PhD students.
Xana Kernodle’s mother slams ‘betrayal’ by Bryan Kohberger’s lawyer
Monday 6 February 2023 01:00 , Megan Sheets
The mother of slain University of Idaho student Xana Kernodle has claimed that she gave her power of attorney to the public defender now representing her daughter’s alleged killer.
Anne Taylor, the chief of the Kootenai public defender’s office, filed on 5 January to recuse herself from representing Xana Kernodle’s mother Cara Denise Northington in order to become the lead defence attorney for Bryan Kohberger.
In an interview with NewsNation on Wednesday night, Ms Northington spoke out over the sense of “betrayal” she feels after her attorney stepped down from her case, saying she had given Ms Taylor power of attorney over her.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the full story:
Idaho murder victim’s mom says she gave Bryan Kohberger lawyer power of attorney
The unique facial feature that may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
Sunday 5 February 2023 22:01 , Megan Sheets
Bryan Kohberger’s distinct eyebrows may have been among the first in a string of details that linked him to the Idaho murders, according to a new report.
Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two” offers a vivid description of the Moscow police hunt for evidence that would ultimately materialise in Mr Kohberger’s arrest for the murders of four University of Idaho students, based on an affidavit released earlier this month and sources close to the investigation,
According to the report, a lead investigator first had an inkling that Mr Kohberger would become a suspect in the crime after he ran the Washington State University PhD student’s licence plate and noticed his “bushy eyebrows”.
One of the surviving roommates at the 1122 King Road home had recounted how she unknowingly saw her friends’ killer leaving the scene before going back into her room in a state of shock. The woman said the killer was wearing a mask, but his “bushy eyebrows” stood out to her.
Andrea Blanco has more:
One unique facial feature may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
FBI denies claim it ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Sunday 5 February 2023 19:01 , Megan Sheets
The FBI has denied claims that it “lost” accused mass killer Bryan Kohberger while he was under surveillance for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
Surveillance teams had been tasked with keeping eyes on the 28-year-old criminology PhD student after he became a “person of interest” in the 13 November murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
But, law enforcement sources told Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two”, that in the early hours of 13 December, Mr Kohberger set off on a cross-country drive with his father from Washington State University (WSU) to his family home in Pennsylvania and the surveillance team “lost” him.
However, on Thursday an FBI spokesperson denied the shocking account calling it “false information” which “is not helpful to the case against Kohberger or to the American public”.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
FBI denies claim agents ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Bryan Kohberger’s trial for the Idaho murders is months away. How strong is the case against him?
Sunday 5 February 2023 16:01 , Megan Sheets
It will be another six months before Bryan Kohberger and the families of his alleged victims come face to face in court again, after his preliminary hearing was postponed until the summer.
The 28-year-old criminology PhD student could face the death penalty if convicted when he eventually goes on trial for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin – the four students who were found violently stabbed to death in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
For more than six weeks, the murders remained a mystery and left the small college town racked by fear.
Then, on 30 December, Mr Kohberger was arrested 2,500 miles away at his family home in Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of murder and one charge of burglary.
Details about the murders and his alleged role in them were laid out in the damning probable cause affidavit released earlier this month.
But just how strong is the case against him? What can we expect next from the defence and the prosecution? And why has Mr Kohberger’s attorney requested evidence about a co-defendant?
Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office who has no official connection to the Idaho murders case, speaks to The Independent about the strength of the criminal case and what to expect next as it makes it way through the courts:
How strong is the case against Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger?
BTK killer Dennis Rader says Bryan Kohberger is ‘very lonely'
Sunday 5 February 2023 13:01 , Megan Sheets
Serial killer Dennis Rader has expressed sympathy for Bryan Kohberger as he awaits trial in the Idaho murders.
Rader —who gave himself the title of the BTK killer because he bound and tortured his victims before killing them — is serving ten consecutive life sentences in a maximum security prison in Kansas after he confessed in 2005 to killing 10 people over a span of three decades.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Rader said he understands how Mr Kohberger must feel while in solitary confinement at Latah County Jail ahead of his preliminary hearing on 26 June.
“Since I spent from February 2005 to April 2005 in a cell by myself, I know how he feels. Very lonely,” Rader told the outlet, adding that his situation improved when he was allowed to receive mail. “And soon letters started to come in ... [I] read a lot of the Bible and wrote poetry.”
Andrea Blanco has the story:
BTK killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger
Why police aren’t sharing more information on the case
Sunday 5 February 2023 09:00 , Megan Sheets
A court in Idaho recently extended a gag order prohibiting law enforcement officials from revealing information about the murders of four University of Idaho students and the arrest of their accused killer Bryan Kohberger.
The order, issued by the Latah County Chief Magistrate on 4 January, was extended on 19 January and will remain in place throughout court proceedings until a verdict has been reached or unless the mandate is modified by the court.
The earlier court order banned investigators, law enforcement personnel, attorneys, and members of both the prosecution and the defence from sharing any new information about the investigation or the suspect before a verdict is reached at trial.
As a result Moscow Police Department, which had been sharing updates on the investigation, said in a statement that it will no longer be communicating with the public or the media regarding the case.
The order both extends and expands the earlier measure.
According to court documents “any attorney representing witness, victim, or victim‘s family, as well as the parties to the above-entitled action, including but not limited to investigators, law enforcement personnel, and agents for the prosecuting attorney or defense attorney, are prohibited from making extrajudicial statements (written or oral) concerning this case”.
Defence team receives thousands of documents and photos as evidence in Idaho murders case
Sunday 5 February 2023 05:01 , Megan Sheets
Attorneys representing Bryan Kohberger this week received thousands of documents and photos as evidence in the University of Idaho murders case.
Court filings reveal that prosecutors in Moscow, Idaho, handed over the huge trove of evidence to lawyers for the 28-year-old suspected mass killer last week, including 995 pages of documents, one audio/video file, and 1,865 photos.
The evidence – which shows what led investigators to arrest the criminology PhD student for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin – came in response to the defence’s discovery request in the case.
However, the state objected to handing over some information in the case, including the identity of potential informants.
“The State objects to requests by the Defendant for anything not otherwise addressed above on the grounds that such requests are outside the scope of I.C.R. 16 and/or are not subject to disclosure under ICR 16(g) (work product and informants),” prosecutors wrote in the court filings.
Students launch fundraiser selling bracelets in victims’ honour
Sunday 5 February 2023 02:01 , Megan Sheets
University of Idaho students have launched a fundraiser selling bracelets in honour of the four murder victims.
The Vandal Strong bracelets are black silicon bands featuring the names of Ethan, Maddie, Xana and Kaylee.
They are for sale on the UI website with funds from the sales set to go towards a memorial for the victims.
“Student fundraiser organized by @ASUIDAHO selling #vandalstrong bracelets to raise money towards building a permanent memorial on @uidaho campus for Xana, Ethan, Madison, and Kaylee. A way for us to honor and remember them forever,” tweeted Xana Kernodle’s family member Sheldon Kernodle.
Bryan Kohberger’s attorney has ties to family of second Idaho murders victim
Saturday 4 February 2023 22:00 , Megan Sheets
Bryan Kohberger’s public defender once represented a relative of not one but two Idaho murders victims.
Court records obtained by Inside Edition reportedly show that Chief of the Kootenai Public Defender’s Office Anne Taylor was the attorney for slain University of Idaho student Madison Mogen’s stepmother as recently as June 2022.
Earlier this week, the Idaho Statesman revealed that Ms Taylor also represented Cara Denise Northington — Xana Kernodle’s mother — before recusing herself to take on Mr Kohberger’s quadruple murder case.
Mr Kohberger is accused of brutally stabbing Kernodle, Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Ethan Chapin on 13 November in the college town of Moscow.
He was arrested on 30 December at his parent’s home in Pennsylvania before he was extradited to Idaho on 5 January.
The records also reveal that Ms Taylor was Benjamin Mogen’s legal counsel in late 2020, and represented his wife Korie Hatrock in the summer of 2022.
Mr Mogen pleaded guilty to drug charges at the time and received a three-month prison sentence. Ms Hatrock pleaded guilty to one charge of felony drug but it is unclear whether she served any time in prison, per Inside.
In an interview with NewsNation on Wednesday night, Ms Northington spoke out over the sense of “betrayal” she feels after her attorney stepped down from her case, saying she had given Ms Taylor power of attorney over her.
“I’d already signed over power of attorney so that she could help me with getting into rehab and whatnot,” said Ms Northington, who has a long history of brushes with the law. “I trusted her. She pretended that she was wanting to help me. And to find out that she’s representing him – I can’t even convey how betrayed I feel.”
Read more from Andrea Blanco:
Bryan Kohberger’s attorney has ties to family of second Idaho murders victim
Idaho students recall seeing Bryan Kohberger ‘staring’ on campus
Saturday 4 February 2023 19:00 , Megan Sheets
Several students have recalled seeing Bryan Kohberger – a PhD student at Washington State University – on the University of Idaho campus in the weeks before the murders.
Three separate students told People that they believe they saw him in the Student Union building, with one saying he was sitting “staring” at people.
“It was really early in the semester,” sophomore student Chelsea said. “He was at the food court, drinking water. He sat by himself.”
“He was the type to stare. He wouldn’t look away if you caught him staring. Like he wanted you to notice that he was looking at you. He didn’t smile, didn’t nod, didn’t say anything. Just stared.”
Chelsea said that his behaviour prompted her to point him out to a friend.
“I told my friend to not be suspicious but to look at him, because the eye contact was making me uncomfortable,” she said. “It was so weird that we ended up leaving and eating outside, because we wanted to get away from him.”
Another student told the outlet she recognised Mr Kohberger after his arrest as she had seen him often around the campus – despite the fact that he did not go to UI.
“It’s not a huge school; it’s like a small town,” she said.
“So you start seeing the same faces again and again. They become familiar, like you know that you’ve seen them in class or around campus. I definitely saw him more than once. He was just really quiet and really intense, staring. He made me uncomfortable.”
Their accounts support comments previously made by a law enforcement source to People that the suspect spent some time on the UI campus before the 13 November killings.
No connection is yet known between the suspect and the victims.
The unique facial feature that may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
Saturday 4 February 2023 16:01 , Megan Sheets
Bryan Kohberger’s distinct eyebrows may have been among the first in a string of details that linked him to the Idaho murders, according to a new report.
Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two” offers a vivid description of the Moscow police hunt for evidence that would ultimately materialise in Mr Kohberger’s arrest for the murders of four University of Idaho students, based on an affidavit released earlier this month and sources close to the investigation,
According to the report, a lead investigator first had an inkling that Mr Kohberger would become a suspect in the crime after he ran the Washington State University PhD student’s licence plate and noticed his “bushy eyebrows”.
One of the surviving roommates at the 1122 King Road home had recounted how she unknowingly saw her friends’ killer leaving the scene before going back into her room in a state of shock. The woman said the killer was wearing a mask, but his “bushy eyebrows” stood out to her.
Andrea Blanco has more:
One unique facial feature may have linked Bryan Kohberger to the Idaho murders
FBI denies claim it ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Saturday 4 February 2023 13:01 , Megan Sheets
The FBI has denied claims that it “lost” accused mass killer Bryan Kohberger while he was under surveillance for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
Surveillance teams had been tasked with keeping eyes on the 28-year-old criminology PhD student after he became a “person of interest” in the 13 November murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
But, law enforcement sources told Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two”, that in the early hours of 13 December, Mr Kohberger set off on a cross-country drive with his father from Washington State University (WSU) to his family home in Pennsylvania and the surveillance team “lost” him.
However, on Thursday an FBI spokesperson denied the shocking account calling it “false information” which “is not helpful to the case against Kohberger or to the American public”.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
FBI denies claim agents ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Bryan Kohberger allegedly followed the three female victims on Instagram
Saturday 4 February 2023 09:00 , Megan Sheets
Bryan Kohberger is believed to have followed all three slain female University of Idaho victims on Instagram and “repeatedly” messaged one of them prior to the brutal stabbings, according to a report.
An investigator familiar with the case told People that the 28-year-old criminology PhD student followed the accounts of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle but neither of them followed him back.
Then, in late-October – around two weeks before the 13 November slayings – Mr Kohberger allegedly messaged one of the victims “repeatedly” on the social media platform, the source said.
It is unclear which of the three female students was the recipient or if she even saw the messages.
However, the source said that the victim did not respond to Mr Kohberger’s messages.
“He slid into one of the girls’ DMs several times but she didn’t respond,” the investigator said.
“Basically, it was just him saying, ‘Hey, how are you?’ But he did it again and again.”
A survivor is defending the surviving roommates in the Idaho murders
Saturday 4 February 2023 05:01 , Megan Sheets
There are many chilling similarities between the murders of four Idaho students in November and a 1992 attack at a student home in Buffalo – none more so than the experiences of the roommates who survived.
Alanna Zabel tells The Independent’s Rachel Sharp why she feels the need to defend the surviving roommate in Idaho and how she understands the way trauma can shape reactions to such horrifying events:
She slept through an attack in her home - and has a message about the Idaho murders
Bryan Kohberger’s trial for the Idaho murders is months away. How strong is the case against him?
Saturday 4 February 2023 02:01 , Megan Sheets
It will be another six months before Bryan Kohberger and the families of his alleged victims come face to face in court again, after his preliminary hearing was postponed until the summer.
The 28-year-old criminology PhD student could face the death penalty if convicted when he eventually goes on trial for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin – the four students who were found violently stabbed to death in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
For more than six weeks, the murders remained a mystery and left the small college town racked by fear.
Then, on 30 December, Mr Kohberger was arrested 2,500 miles away at his family home in Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of murder and one charge of burglary.
Details about the murders and his alleged role in them were laid out in the damning probable cause affidavit released earlier this month.
But just how strong is the case against him? What can we expect next from the defence and the prosecution? And why has Mr Kohberger’s attorney requested evidence about a co-defendant?
Duncan Levin, a former assistant district attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office who has no official connection to the Idaho murders case, speaks to The Independent about the strength of the criminal case and what to expect next as it makes it way through the courts:
How strong is the case against Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger?
BTK killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Bryan Kohberger
Friday 3 February 2023 22:01 , Megan Sheets
Serial killer Dennis Rader has expressed sympathy for Bryan Kohberger as he awaits trial in the Idaho murders.
Rader —who gave himself the title of the BTK killer because he bound and tortured his victims before killing them — is serving ten consecutive life sentences in a maximum security prison in Kansas after he confessed in 2005 to killing 10 people over a span of three decades.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Rader said he understands how Mr Kohberger must feel while in solitary confinement at Latah County Jail ahead of his preliminary hearing on 26 June.
“Since I spent from February 2005 to April 2005 in a cell by myself, I know how he feels. Very lonely,” Rader told the outlet, adding that his situation improved when he was allowed to receive mail. “And soon letters started to come in ... [I] read a lot of the Bible and wrote poetry.”
Andrea Blanco has the story:
BTK killer Dennis Rader shares sympathy for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger
These were the items seized from Bryan Kohberger’s Washington state home:
Friday 3 February 2023 20:11 , Megan Sheets
An unsealed search warrant revealed the evidence that was seized from Bryan Kohberger’s apartment in Pullman and his office at Washington State University (WSU) during searches in late December.
- one nitrite type black glove
- one Walmart receipt with one Dickie’s tag
- two Marshalls receipts
- dust container from a vacuum
- multiple possible hair and hair strands
- one possible animal hair strands
- two cuttings from uncased pillow of reddish/brown stain
- two top and bottom mattress cover with multiple stains
- items with a ‘dark red spot’
- a computer tower
- a Fire TV stick
No items were seized from his office which he shared with other PhD students.
FBI denies claim it ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
Friday 3 February 2023 18:00 , Rachel Sharp
The FBI has denied claims that it “lost” accused mass killer Bryan Kohberger while he was under surveillance for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
Surveillance teams had been tasked with keeping eyes on the 28-year-old criminology PhD student after he became a “person of interest” in the 13 November murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow, Idaho.
But, law enforcement sources told Air Mail’s “The Eyes of a Killer: Part Two”, that in the early hours of 13 December, Mr Kohberger set off on a cross-country drive with his father from Washington State University (WSU) to his family home in Pennsylvania and the surveillance team “lost” him.
However, on Thursday an FBI spokesperson denied the shocking account calling it “false information” which “is not helpful to the case against Kohberger or to the American public”.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
FBI denies claim it ‘lost’ Bryan Kohberger before Idaho college murders arrest
