Bryan Kohberger and the Idaho Murders: A Full Timeline of the Case

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The sentencing of Bryan Kohberger for the 2022 murders of the University of Idaho students does not signal an ending to the grief and suffering that the victims’ families continue to experience.

However, the court hearing on July 23, where loved ones of Kaylee Goncalves (age 21), Madison Mogen (age 21), Xana Kernodle (age 20), and Ethan Chapin (age 20) shared their feelings about their losses, marks the conclusion of this tragic and complex legal case.

Ahead of his upcoming trial, 30-year-old Kohberger chose to admit guilt for murder and burglary charges, relinquishing his chance to appeal, in a bargain with the prosecution that prevented the prospect of receiving the death penalty if found guilty by a jury.

Instead, he’ll serve life in prison, per the terms of the deal.

It’s still unclear what drove Kohberger to commit the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin. During a court appearance on July 2, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson admitted that while Kohberger’s phone was detected near the crime scene on 23 occasions between July 9, 2022, and the date of the murders on Nov. 13, 2022, investigators have not yet been able to establish a direct link between him and any of the victims.

However, during the court proceedings, Kohberger admitted to the murders as he affirmed that he did, indeed, intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditated malice, take the lives of the students in question.

At autopsy, it was determined that all four deaths resulted from numerous stabbing injuries. Some of the victims showed evidence of defensive wounds, suggesting they tried to protect themselves during the attack.

Today, we’re here to complete what you initiated, Kaylee’s father, Steve Goncalves, expressed to Kohberger in court on July 23, as reported by NBC News. In essence, we are here to demonstrate to the world that you chose the wrong families, the wrong state, the wrong law enforcement officers, and the wrong community.

Trace the chronology of the murder investigation that culminated in Kohberger’s apprehension and subsequent guilty plea:

1. The brutal murders of four University of Idaho students occurred on November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho.
2. A suspect, Brian Kohberger, was identified through DNA evidence found at the crime scene.
3. On January 30, 2023, Kohberger was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
4. Over the following months, investigators built a strong case against Kohberger, presenting compelling evidence during preliminary hearings.
5. In May 2023, Kohberger’s attorney entered a guilty plea on his behalf in exchange for avoiding a trial and receiving life imprisonment without parole.
6. On June 8, 2023, the judge accepted the guilty plea, and Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The following individuals – Kaylee Goncalves (age 21), Madison Mogen (age 21), Xana Kernodle (age 20), and Ethan Chapin (her boyfriend, age 20) – were all students at the University of Idaho. They resided in an apartment off campus together.

On November 12, 2022, Goncalves and Mogen spent their evening at a sports bar nearby, while Kernodle and Chapin attended Chapin’s fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on November 13, the four roommates along with Chapin had returned to their shared three-story rental house.

Goncalves, who was studying in a general program at the College of Arts and Humanities, was due to graduate in December. Her friend, Jordyn Quesnell, shared that she would be moving to Austin, Texas for work at a marketing company, as reported by The New York Times.

Mogen, a marketing student, had been close friends with Goncalves since the 6th grade. As per The Idaho Statesman, family acquaintance Jessie Frost revealed that Mogen intended to relocate to Boise after graduation.

At that point, Kernodle was a junior studying marketing, as reported. Kernodle and Chapin, who specialized in recreation, sport, and tourism management, had been together since spring, according to their neighbor Ellie McKnight, as shared with NBC News.

Two residents, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were present in their shared home during the reported murders. Text messages, unsealed on March 6, 2025, indicate that Mortensen and Funke attempted to reach their fellow roommates following an incident on Nov. 13, after Mortensen spotted a masked figure wandering within their house, as suggested by documents obtained by TopMob News.

“No one is answering,” Mortensen texted Funke at 4:22 a.m. “I’m rlly confused rn.”

She persisted in contacting her roommates, encouraging them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m. and later at 10:23 a.m., she sent messages to Goncalves asking for a reply. “Can you respond?”, she asked in the first message and followed up with “Are you awake?” in the second.

In the afternoon at around 11:58, I made a 911 call as I found Kernodle unconscious. This information was gathered from extra documents we acquired at TopMob News. The person identified as A1 in the transcript gave the emergency operator an update on the current situation.

She mentioned over the phone, “One of our flatmates is still unconscious from being intoxicated last night, and she doesn’t seem to be coming around.” Additionally, they reported seeing a stranger in their home overnight.

Bryan Kohberger, who is now facing charges for four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a Ph.D. student at Washington State University. Approximately a month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin were found, Kohberger was apprehended on December 30 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was transported to Idaho on January 4, 2023.

According to reports by NBC News, it was DNA evidence found on a discarded knife sheath at the crime scene that allegedly linked him to the murders, as detailed in court papers submitted in June 2023.

When the DNA didn’t correspond with anyone in the FBI database, authorities cross-referenced it against public genealogy sites to generate a pool of possible suspects, as stated in court documents. Upon discovering that Kohberger had visited his parents’ residence in Monroe County, local authorities subsequently searched through their garbage and identified DNA links between the discovered evidence and what was found on the sheath.

Currently, no clear reason for the attack has been disclosed, as a court order prohibits most parties connected to the case from making public statements. Nevertheless, some information regarding their initial defense strategies can be found in the unsealed records. (NBC News report)

Kohberger’s legal team, through a motion acquired by TopMob News, requested to dismiss the death penalty option. This is because Kohberger, who was initially facing capital punishment if found guilty on all charges, has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They argue that executing him would infringe upon the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “unusual and excessive punishment.

In simpler terms, the defense contends that Kohbereger tends to think in a very fixed manner, repeatedly focuses on certain subjects, approaches information fragmentedly, finds it challenging to anticipate future events, and shows minimal self-awareness regarding his actions and feelings.

As a fervent admirer, I must express my concern about Mr. Kohberger’s situation. Given his Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it’s challenging for him to adapt to societal norms in the way most people do. This predicament poses an alarming risk that he might face capital punishment due to his disability, rather than his actions and accountability.

To start with, Judge entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of Kohberger for the first-degree murder charges since he remained silent during his May 2023 arraignment. Initially scheduled for October 2, 2023, Kohberger voluntarily relinquished his right to a prompt trial in August 2023.

The commencement of his trial, originally planned for Ada County (over 300 miles away from Latah County, where the crimes occurred), has been scheduled for August 11, 2025.

In September 2024, Judge John Judge, of Latah County, had earlier granted the motion for transfer filed by Michael Kohberger’s defense team due to a potential bias, referred to as “presumed prejudice,” if the trial were to proceed in Latah County.

In the upcoming trial, Judge Steven Hippler of Ada County refused the defense’s plea to exclude crucial pieces of DNA evidence, mobile and email data, security camera footage, previous Amazon purchase history, and DNA findings from being presented as evidence.

On June 30, 2025, Kohberger’s trial for murder was suddenly halted when he opted for a plea bargain proposed by the prosecution. By accepting this offer, Kohberger consented to admit guilt for four counts of murder and one count of burglary, relinquish his right to appeal, and request a less severe prison term.

On July 2, 2025, he admitted his guilt in court, answering affirmatively when the judge inquired whether he had intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditated malice taken the lives of all four victims.

On March 2025, a selfie taken by Kohberger the day after the murders was presented. In this picture, he stands before a shower and gives a thumbs up, resembling the physical characteristics a witness named “D.M.” described in court filings as having “bushy eyebrows.

Steve Gonclaves, the father of victim Kaylee, later commented on the photo, referring to it as a “trophy,” during an interview on Fox and Friends.

Gonclaves stated, “I’m aware of the sequence of events. He arrived back at the crime scene right after returning, and it occurred to him that no one had dialed 911.

In simpler terms, he explained that for him, that’s a small memento signifying, ‘I managed to escape unnoticed, no one’s after me.’

In a 2025 Dateline documentary on the murders, a one-time classmate of Kohberger’s shared an account of an “unusual” message she got from him following their encounter at a gathering.

Holly expressed that she felt somewhat compelled to talk to him, as he appeared a bit uncomfortable to her. It seemed to her that this individual, being a PhD student, might have been unfamiliar with the party guests and was perhaps making an effort to socialize and form connections.

The following day, Holly said she received a text from him, which she described as overly formal. 

Bryan’s message on July 10, 2022 at 1:19 p.m., as reported by Dateline, said, ‘Hey, I believe we discussed hiking trips yesterday. I love going on those, so do tell if we’re planning one! Cheers!’

In another part of the “Dateline” documentary, it was discovered that Kohberger’s internet history contained searches about Ted Bundy, Britney Spears’ song titled “Criminal,” and the phrase “Murders at the University of Idaho.

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2025-07-23 20:17