BOISE, Idaho — Bryan Christopher Kohberger is being held without bail in the Latah County Jail after being formally arraigned on murder charges for the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. Kohberger is also charged with Burglary and faces the death penalty or life in prison if found guilty of the charges against him.
Kohberger was taken into custody on December 30, in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania at his family's home by a tactical response team.
Newly unsealed court documents outline what lead investigators to Kohberger and the arrest warrant.
The biggest developments outline a "tan leather knife sheath" found at the crime scene on the bed where victims Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were located. Investigators found male DNA on the knife sheath which they later closely matched to a family member's DNA found in the trash at the family's home in Pennsylvania.
The 19-page document released many new details about the case. You can read it in full at the bottom of this article.
The document clarifies the time window during which investigators believe the four victims were murdered - now between 4:00 and 4:25 a.m. the morning of November 13.
Cell phone data obtained by investigators shows Bryan Kohberger's cell phone pinged near the King Road home on 12 occasions prior to the murders, mostly late at night and early in the morning. Cell data also shows him near the home on the morning of November 13 between 9:12 and 9:21 a.m. which was about five hours after the victims were killed, and before police were called to the scene.
The court documents say Kohberger's phone did not ping at the King Road location during the time of the murders, but data shows it may have been turned off or "put on airplane mode" between 2:47 and 4:48 a.m. on the morning of November 13.
"This is done by subjects in an effort to avoid alerting law enforcement that a cellular device associated with them was in a particular area where a crime is committed. I also know that on numerous occasions, subjects will surveil an area where they intend to commit a crime prior to the date of the crime," the document states.
Documents state the suspect's white Hyundai Elantra was seen on surveillance footage circling the residence between 3:30 and 4:20 a.m.
This explains the Hyundai Elantra. Video cameras in the area show the car circling between 3:29 and 4:20am.
— Karen Lehr (@KarenLehr) January 5, 2023
The car is seen driving away quickly at 4:20 am. pic.twitter.com/ASHtkgn7qN
Investigators quickly tracked the car to Pullman and WSU where it was seen on surveillance leaving the area around 2:53 am and returning around 5:25 am. Within two weeks, they linked the car to Kohberger who they learned matched the surviving roommate's description.
The documents also release new details about what a surviving roommate saw and heard during the murders.
The roommate told investigators she woke up around 4:00 a.m. "by what she stated sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the upstairs bedrooms." She says she later heard Goncalves say something to the effect of, "there's someone here." She looked out of her bedroom at that time but did not see anything.
The roommate said she opened her door again when she thought she heard crying from Kernodle's room. She says she heard a male voice say something to the effect of "it's ok, I'm going to help you."
A few minutes later, the roommate opened her door for a third time and saw "a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her." She described the figure as 5' 10" or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows. She did not recognize him.
The male walked past the roommate as she stood in a "frozen shock phase." The suspect then walked towards the back sliding glass door and the surviving roommate locked herself in her bedroom.
The document also confirms information previously reported, including that Kernodle and Chapin were found dead on the second floor and Goncalves and Mogen were found in Mogen's room on the third floor.
Goncalves's dog was found after the crimes unharmed in her third-floor bedroom. The court document says the dog can be heard barking in surveillance footage around 4:17 a.m.
In court on Wednesday, Kohberger was appointed a public defender. His next status hearing will be on January 12 in Latah County at 10:00 a.m.
New details are being added to this article, continue checking back for more information.
Read the unsealed documents below:
