University Of Idaho Students: A Tragic Killing Spree

On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. The victims were housemates Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20. The killings sparked weeks of speculation and thousands of tips before culminating in the arrest of Bryan Christopher Kohberger, a 28-year-old graduate student studying criminal justice, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Kohberger was indicted in May 2023 and is currently awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin on August 11, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.

The victims

On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. The victims were Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20. They were found slaughtered inside their shared home, with no signs of forced entry or damage.

Goncalves and Mogen were best friends since the sixth grade and had attended high school together before enrolling at the University of Idaho. They lived together in an off-campus residence with three other female students, including Kernodle. On the night of November 12, Goncalves and Mogen went to a downtown bar and ordered food from a late-night food truck at around 1:41 am. They got a ride home from a private party at about 1:56 am.

Meanwhile, Kernodle and Chapin attended a party on campus. They are believed to have returned home around 1:45 am. One of the surviving roommates, identified as "D.M.", reported hearing crying in the house and a voice saying, "it's ok, I'm going to help you." Later that morning, the two uninjured roommates woke up and called friends to the house, believing that one of the victims had passed out. A 911 call was made just before noon, and officers arrived to find the door to the residence open and the bodies of the four victims inside.

Autopsies revealed that all four victims had been stabbed multiple times with a large knife, with fatal wounds to the chest and upper body. At least one of the victims had defensive stab wounds on her hands, indicating that they may have tried to fend off their attacker. The victims may have been sleeping when the attack occurred. No weapon was recovered at the scene, but police believe a fixed-blade knife was used. The killings shocked the small college town of Moscow and sparked fear in the community.

The suspect

Prosecutors claim they have DNA evidence tying Kohberger to the crime scene and are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted. However, Kohberger's attorneys have questioned the accuracy of the DNA testing and have asked for the death penalty to be taken off the table, in part because Kohberger has autism spectrum disorder.

Kohberger's lawyers have filed an alibi defense, stating that cellphone tower data will show he liked to take late-night drives along the Washington-Idaho border and was miles away when the victims were killed. They intend to rely on testimony from cell tower data expert Sy Ray at the trial.

On February 24, 2023, the house where the killings occurred was donated to the university and was demolished 10 months later, on December 28. The trial is currently scheduled to begin on August 11, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, with Judge Steven Hippler presiding.

The investigation

The four victims, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, were found stabbed to death inside their shared rental home on November 13, 2022. There were no signs of forced entry or damage, and the victims were not tied or gagged. Autopsies revealed that all four had been stabbed multiple times with a large knife, with fatal wounds to the chest and upper body. At least one victim had defensive stab wounds on her hands, indicating that they had tried to fend off their attacker.

Investigators initially said that there was no risk to the community, but three days later, Moscow Police Chief James Fry stated that they could not rule out a potential threat. The killings sparked fear in the local community, with many students and residents choosing to leave the area early for the Thanksgiving holiday. A candlelight vigil was held on November 30, and the families of the victims expressed frustration at the limited flow of information from the police and university.

Kohberger was indicted in May 2023 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty and have DNA evidence tying Kohberger to the crime scene. However, Kohberger's attorneys have questioned the accuracy of the DNA testing and are arguing against the death penalty, citing his autism spectrum disorder. The trial is currently scheduled to begin on August 11, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.

The trial

Prosecutors claim they have DNA evidence tying Kohberger to the crime scene and are seeking the death penalty. However, Kohberger's attorneys have questioned the accuracy of the DNA testing and are pushing back against the death penalty, citing their client's autism spectrum disorder as a mitigating factor.

The case has been described as ["very complex"] by the Moscow Police Chief, and the investigation involved almost 130 members of law enforcement from the Moscow Police Department, the Idaho State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The victims, four University of Idaho students, were found stabbed to death in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.

The impact

The killings also had a significant impact on the investigation and law enforcement. The Moscow Police Department, supported by the Idaho State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, deployed almost 130 members across the three agencies to work on the case. The complexity of the case and the slow pace of the investigation caused frustration among the victims' families. The police faced scrutiny and speculation, with community members on edge and unsure if a mass killer was still at large. The case also attracted widespread media attention, with thousands of tips being sent to the FBI.

The University of Idaho itself was deeply affected by the tragedy. The house where the killings occurred was donated to the university and later demolished. The university held a vigil on campus, and the victims, who were close friends, were posthumously awarded degrees. The impact extended to the personal lives of those connected to the victims. One of the fathers of the victims, Steven Goncalves, shared the close bond his daughter shared with her best friend since childhood, Mogen, and how they had gone through high school, college, and apartment living together, only to meet their end together.

The suspect, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, a 28-year-old graduate student studying criminal justice, was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, while Kohberger's defence team has questioned the accuracy of the DNA evidence and asked for the death penalty to be removed as an option. The trial has been scheduled for August 11, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, with jury selection set to begin on July 30, 2025.

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