Bryan Kohberger was planning to accuse other people of committing his horrific murders.
Six days prior to the ex-criminology student admitting guilt for the 2022 murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves (age 21), Madison Mogen (also 21), Xana Kernodle (20), and Ethan Chapin (20), Ada County District Court Judge Steven Hippler rejected his proposal to present potential new suspects as possible alternate offenders of the crimes, based on records obtained by TopMob News.
In the filing, the judge noted that three out of the four names provided by Kohberger had a significant link to the victims. He explained that each of these individuals had some form of social interaction with one or more of the victims before the crime, attended social gatherings with them in the hours leading up to the homicide, lived close enough to walk to the crime scene, and were acquainted with the layout of the victims’ home due to previous social events.
The petition filed by Kohberger mentions that all four individuals involved willingly assisted the police – even offering DNA and fingerprints. However, as stated in the documents, this contradicts the investigation’s conclusion that the culprit drove a vehicle to the crime scene, which was located near the demolished King Road house where the three friends resided. This was within walking distance, according to the court documents.
Although no potential new suspects linked to Kohberger were explicitly named in the court documents, papers acquired by TopMob News from the Moscow Police Department hinted at the possibility that Goncalves’ former boyfriend might have been involved.
Based on the official report, it was planned for an individual known as J.D. to give his fingerprints to the police on May 29, which was 13 days following the filing of Bryan Kohberger’s motion that potentially included new suspects, as detailed in the documents.
During a November 2022 interview with the police, a friend of Goncalves referred to J.D. as an ex-boyfriend with whom she had no apparent disputes, as reported by TopMob News from police records. Additionally, these records indicate that Goncalves co-owned her dog Murphy with this same ex-boyfriend.
After the judge refused the defense’s suggestion of other potential suspects, Brian Kohberger admitted guilt for all four murders as part of a plea agreement and received a life sentence without the chance of parole on July 23.
Read on for more details from the Idaho murders case.
The following individuals – Kaylee Goncalves (aged 21), Madison Mogen (also 21), Xana Kernodle (20 years old), and Ethan Chapin (who was 20) – were all students at the University of Idaho, residing in an apartment off-campus.
On November 12, 2022, Goncalves and Mogen visited a sports bar nearby, while Kernodle and Chapin attended a fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on November 13, all four roommates, including Chapin, returned to their shared three-story rental house.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that as follows: I, myself, am a senior studying general studies at the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. I’m on track to graduate in December and have an exciting opportunity awaiting me in Austin, Texas, where I’ve secured a job at a marketing firm. My friend, Jordyn Quesnell, shared this news with The New York Times.
As a dedicated student of marketing, I’ve been close friends with Goncalves since our days in the sixth grade. After my graduation, I had plans to relocate to Boise, which I shared with The Idaho Statesman through a family friend, Jessie Frost.
Back then, I was a passionate junior student, majoring in Marketing at our beloved university. The captivating Chapin, who specialized in Recreation, Sport and Tourism Management, had been my significant other since the bloom of spring, as our neighbor, Ellie McKnight, shared with NBC News.
On the day of the murders, two housemates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were present at home. Text messages that were made public on March 6, 2025, reveal that Mortensen and Funke attempted to reach their roommates after Mortensen spotted a masked individual moving around their residence on November 13th. This information is derived from documents acquired by TopMob News.
“No one is answering,” Mortensen texted Funke at 4:22 a.m. “I’m rlly confused rn.”
She persistently contacted their roommates, encouraging them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m. and later at 10:23 a.m., she messaged Goncalves, asking, “Can you respond?” and then again, “Are you awake?
At 11:58 am, a 911 call was made following the discovery of Kernodle being unresponsive. This information was gathered from further court proceedings and reported by TopMob News. In the call transcript, a woman identified as A1 detailed the ongoing situation to the operator.
She mentioned over the phone, “One of the roommates who got extremely intoxicated last night and hasn’t come to yet. They spotted a stranger inside their home yesterday evening.
Bryan Kohberger, accused of committing four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a student pursuing his doctoral degree at Washington State University. About a month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin were found, Kohberger was arrested on December 30 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was transported to Idaho on January 4, 2023.
It was DNA evidence found on a discarded knife sheath at the crime scene that tied him to the murders, according to court documents released in June 2023 by prosecutors, as reported by NBC News.
When the DNA didn’t find a match in the FBI database, authorities decided to search public ancestry websites for potential suspects, as stated in the documents. Once they discovered that Kohberger had visited his parents’ home in Monroe County, local investigators examined their trash and found DNA that linked him to the DNA found on the sheath.
Currently, no clear reason behind the attack has been disclosed as a gag order restricts several individuals connected to the case from making public statements. Nonetheless, unveiled court documents offer some understanding of their opening arguments. (NBC News reported this.)
As an ardent follower, I’d rephrase it like this: In a bid to challenge the death penalty, Kohberger’s legal team, through exclusive reports from TopMob News, has put forth a motion. The essence of this motion is to dismiss the death sentence due to Kohberger’s diagnosis with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They argue that carrying out the death penalty on someone with ASD would contradict the Eighth Amendment’s principle against inflicting “cruel and unusual punishment.
As a devoted supporter, I would articulate it this way: I’ve often noticed that Kohbereger tends to think in a very structured manner, frequently dwelling on particular subjects, and he seems to process information bit by bit rather than considering the whole picture. He also struggles with forward planning and appears to have limited self-awareness regarding his own actions and emotions.
Mr. Kohberger’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevents him from behaving in ways society considers typical. This raises serious concerns that he might face capital punishment not due to his actions, but because of his disability.
At first, Judge Kohberger entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on his behalf since he chose not to speak at his May 2023 court appearance regarding the first-degree murder charges. However, despite the initial scheduled trial date of October 2, 2023, Kohberger opted to forgo a swift trial in August 2023.
The start of his trial, initially planned for Ada County over 300 miles away from Latah County, the location of the murders, was scheduled for August 11, 2025.
In September 2024, Judge John Judge, of Latah County, decided to grant the transfer request submitted by Kohberger’s legal team earlier, citing potential bias or prejudice that could arise if the trial took place within Latah County itself.
In a recent ruling, Judge Steven Hippler of Ada County refused the defense’s petition to exclude crucial DNA evidence, as well as cell phone and email records, security camera footage, purchase history from Amazon, and DNA samples, during the upcoming trial.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it like this: “On June 30, 2025, unexpectedly, the high-profile Kohberger murder trial was halted due to a plea deal reached between him and prosecutors. In agreeing to this arrangement, Kohberger chose to admit guilt for four counts of murder and one count of burglary, relinquishing his right to appeal, and requesting a more lenient prison term.
On July 2, 2025, he admitted his guilt in court, affirmatively responding “yes” when the judge questioned whether he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditated malice, took the lives of all four victims.
On March 2025, a selfie taken by Kohberger the day after the murders was presented. In this photo, he stands before a shower with a thumbs up, potentially matching the description provided by a witness known as “D.M.” in court documents. This witness stated that the suspect had distinctive “bushy eyebrows.
Steve Gonclaves, who is Kaylee’s father, subsequently commented on the image, labeling it as a “trophy,” during his interview with Fox and Friends.
In simpler terms, Gonclaves stated, “I’m aware of the sequence of events. He arrived back at the crime scene shortly after returning, and it occurred to him that no one had yet contacted emergency services.
In simpler terms, the person seems to view this as a personal memento, signifying something like, “I managed to escape unnoticed.
In a 2025 Dateline documentary on the murders, a one-time classmate of Kohberger’s shared an account of a “strange” message she got from him following their encounter at a gathering.
Holly shared that she felt slightly compelled to talk with him, as he appeared a bit uneasy. This, she said, was typical of a PhD student who was new to the gathering, perhaps making an effort to socialize and forge friendships.
The following day, Holly said she received a text from him, which she described as overly formal.
Hey there, I believe we discussed hiking trips yesterday,” Bryan wrote on July 10th, 2022 at 1:19 p.m., as reported by Dateline. “I love going on hikes, so if you’ve got any plans, do let me know! Thanks!
In a different part of the “Dateline” documentary, it was discovered that Kohberger’s online history contained inquiries about Ted Bundy, Britney Spears’ song “Criminal,” and the phrase “Idaho University Murders.
After reaching an agreement that would avoid capital punishment for him, Brian Kohberger entered a guilty plea on July 2, 2025, during a court hearing in Idaho, admitting to the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin, as well as one charge of burglary.
During the questioning by Judge Hippler, Kohberger was asked if he intentionally, illegally, purposefully, and with premeditation and malice forethought killed each victim. He responded affirmatively to each query with a clear “Yes”.
Through accepting the plea deal, Kohberger relinquished his option to challenge the verdict or request a less severe prison term, as stated by Hippler.
Despite both the Goncalves and Kernodle families expressing their disapproval of the plea bargain that removed the possibility of the death penalty, Knabberger was formally sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison on July 23, 2025.
Judge Hippler handed down four life sentences for Kohberger, all served one after another, with no chance of parole for each murder charge. For every murder charge, he also fined Kohberger $50,000 and imposed a $5,000 civil penalty on the victims’ families. On top of that, he added an additional 10 years in prison and another $50,000 fine for the burglary charge.
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Wrestler Marcus “Buff” Bagwell Undergoes Leg Amputation
- PS5’s ChinaJoy Booth Needs to Be Seen to Be Believed
- Microsoft is on track to become the second $4 trillion company by market cap, following NVIDIA — and mass layoffs
- AI-powered malware eludes Microsoft Defender’s security checks 8% of the time — with just 3 months of training and “reinforcement learning” for around $1,600
- ENA PREDICTION. ENA cryptocurrency
- xAI’s $300/month Grok 4, billed as a “maximally truth-seeking AI” — seemingly solicits Elon Musk’s opinion on controversial topics
- Anime’s Greatest Summer 2024 Shonen Hit Drops New Look Ahead of Season 2
- Lewis Capaldi Details “Mental Episode” That Led to Him “Convulsing”
- Minecraft lets you get the Lava Chicken song in-game — but it’s absurdly rare
2025-08-09 05:17