A large collection of disturbing documents has come to light, revealing the horrifying and bloody details of the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, which were committed by convicted killer Bryan Kohberger nearly three years ago.
The 30-year-old killer, who was sentenced to four consecutive life terms on Wednesday, is believed to have used a Ka-Bar-style knife with extreme force to brutally murder Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin at their off-campus home in Moscow on November 13, 2022. Chilling new documents released by Moscow police Wednesday evening detail the gruesome crime scene and how Kohberger may have killed his four victims on that night.
Killed Them Mercilessly
Kernodle, 20, sustained over 50 stab wounds, including two that pierced her heart, according to the files. Investigators believe she tried to resist the attacker in a blood-soaked second-floor bedroom before tragically dying.
She was found lying on her back, dressed in a blood-soaked shirt and underwear, according to police. She had defensive wounds on her hand, including a severe cut between her left thumb and index finger, suggesting she tried to fend off the attacker.
"I looked inside the bedroom Xana was lying in and it was obvious an intense struggle had occurred," police described the horrifying scene. Nearby, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin was also found dead, partially covered by a blanket, with "arterial blood spray" visible near his head.
Kohberger viciously stabbed Goncalves over 20 times, leaving the 21-year-old so brutally mutilated that she was "unrecognizable," lying in a pool of blood on the bed in a third-floor bedroom, police said. Her body was found next to that of 21-year-old Mogen, who was covered with a pink blanket drenched in blood.
"Kaylee was unrecognizable, as her facial structure was extremely damaged," according to the harrowing police records. She had also suffered blunt force trauma and signs of asphyxiation, with the sharp, single-edged knife penetrating her lung, liver, and several arteries.
Detectives also noted in the newly unsealed documents that Goncalves' Goldendoodle, Murphy, was found inside the house unharmed but visibly "frightened" when officers arrived.
According to the court documents, Mortenson, one of the roommates who survived, told a friend that she didn't call 911 after seeing a masked man at the horrific scene because she was "intoxicated and didn't want to believe what was going on."
She later asked the friend to come over to "check the house because she was too scared" to do it herself. Around 4:30 a.m., she locked herself in a room with fellow survivor Bethany Funke.
The friend, who never went to the crime scene, later shared the grim details with police after the four victims were found dead.
Although the sheath for a Ka-Bar knife was recovered at the scene, the actual weapon used in the killings has never been found.
Weird Mindset
The disturbing documents also included police interviews with Kohberger's friends and former fellow inmates. One prisoner from a maximum-security facility referred to him as "a f–king weirdo." Another inmate, who was held in a cell next to the accused killer at Latah County Jail, described Kohberger's bizarre and irritating behavior — such as obsessively washing his hands dozens of times a day and taking unusually long showers lasting 45 minutes to an hour.
"Kohberger would be awake almost all night and would only take a nap during the day," the detective wrote, and would video chat with his mother "for hours each day."
A teaching assistant who worked with Kohberger at Washington State University told investigators that around the time of the brutal killings, he had noticeable marks that looked like "fingernail scratches" on his face and hands.
When questioned about the injuries, Kohberger casually claimed he had been in a car accident and dismissed the concern, even as his behavior became increasingly strange, according to the documents.
Earlier this month, Kohberger agreed to a plea deal that resulted in four consecutive life sentences without the chance of parole. He was not obligated to provide a reason for the murders — and remained silent about his actions during Wednesday's sentencing.
When Judge Steven Hippler gave him the chance to speak after seeing his victims' families for the first time, Kohberger responded with just three chilling words: "I respectfully decline."
It was the longest statement he had made in court since his arrest in 2022.
