College killings in Idaho: Chronological account of happenings
In a shocking turn of events, Bryan Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, has pleaded guilty to the gruesome murders of four University of Idaho students. The murders took place on the night of November 12, 2022, at a house on King Road, leaving the community in mourning and authorities scrambling for answers.
On the fateful night, just after 4 a.m., Kohberger entered the house through the kitchen sliding door, fatally stabbing Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves on the third floor. Shortly after, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were also brutally murdered.
Authorities traced the car's travel that night back to Pullman, Washington, where Kohberger lived. Surveillance video showed Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra going by the victims' house three times, before entering the area for a fourth time at 4:04 a.m. The phone associated with the car was near the victims' house at least 12 times before the murders, with the phone being off from 2:47 a.m. to 4:48 a.m., suggesting an attempt to conceal his location during the quadruple homicide.
As police in Idaho searched for answers, Kohberger was stopped by Indiana police on Dec. 15 for traffic violations. He was later extradited from Pennsylvania to Idaho on Jan. 4.
The scene of the crime was demolished on Dec. 28, 2023, after the property owner donated the home to the school. The charges against Kohberger made him eligible for the death penalty, but he chose to "stand silent" during his arraignment on May 22, 2023, allowing the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.
However, just weeks before his trial was set to begin in August 2023, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to all charges. He will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count.
The details of Kohberger's interactions or surveillance in the days leading up to the murder remain unclear. There is no publicly disclosed information about him being in contact with the victims. One of the roommates, however, told authorities in the middle of the night that she saw a man in black clothes and a mask walking past her in the house.
The grieving families and classmates gathered at the University of Idaho on Nov. 30 for a candlelight vigil. Classes resumed at the university on Jan. 11, 2023, for the first time since Kohberger's arrest.
The trial was originally scheduled for June 2025, but was pushed back to August 2025 due to unspecified reasons. A judge ruled that the trial would be moved from Latah County to the capital city of Boise, agreeing with the defense who argued that Latah County was tainted by pretrial publicity.
Thompson, the prosecutor, stated that Kohberger killed Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin after encountering them in the house. A motive for the murders is still not known.
On Dec. 7, police announced to the public that they were looking to speak with the driver of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was seen near the victims' house early on Nov. 13. Just before 4:30 a.m., a security camera picked up sounds of Goncalves' barking dog and "distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud."
As the case unfolds, the community continues to mourn the loss of Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), Ethan Chapin (20), and Xana Kernodle (20), four promising young lives cut short in a senseless act of violence.
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