By Greg Rivera
Nearly six weeks after finding four University of Idaho students stabbed to death inside their off-campus rental home, authorities have taken a suspect into custody. Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police at his parent’s home in Chestnuthill Township, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles north of Philadelphia. Kohberger is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University, a short drive across the state line from the University of Idaho. Investigators believe that Kohberger broke into the students’ home in the early morning hours of Nov. 13 and attacked Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), Xana Kernodle (20) and Ethan Chapin (20) while they slept. For weeks, Police in the small farming community of Moscow, Iowa, faced harsh criticism and outside pressure due to the lack of details shared about the case and failure to make a quick arrest. However, the investigation picked up steam after authorities asked the public to help identify a white Hyundai Elantra sedan seen near the scene around the time of the killings. After more than 12,000 tips and 22,000 vehicles were examined, police were able to identify the suspect vehicle. After his arrest in Pennsylvania, Kohberger waived an extradition hearing. Instead, he was transported back to Idaho on Jan. 4 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary. A review of the unsealed probable cause affidavit revealed several critical pieces of evidence. Among them, traces of DNA matching the suspect were found on the button of a leather knife sheath recovered from the crime scene. In addition, investigators found a knife with a U.S. Marine Corps emblem. It is essential to point out that no record of Kohberger ever serving in the military exists. One of the most shocking revelations involved a woman living at the house. The witness told Police that she awoke to the sound of crying during the attack and opened her bedroom door to find a masked man dressed in black. She stood in “frozen shock” as the man, whom she didn’t recognize, walked past her and toward a glass sliding door. She then went back into her room and locked the door. Lastly, a search of Kohberger’s cellphone records showed that he had traveled to the area around the victims’ residence at least 12 times between late June and the night of the killings, authorities said. Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive or whether they think Kohberger knew any of the victims. While the investigation continues, next for the accused killer is a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 26, 2023.
