Bryan Kohberger Case: Police Reveal Gruesome Blood Detail

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The gruesome details of the crime committed by Bryan Kohberger against four Idaho college students are gradually becoming clearer.

Upon the initial entry of the Moscow, Idaho residence where Kohberger confessed to the killings of Kaylee Goncalves (age 21), Madison Mogen (age 21), Xana Kernodle (age 20), and Ethan Chapin (age 20) on November 13, 2022, nothing appeared unusual.

Darren Gilbertson, the lead investigator in this case, shared with ABC News on July 25th that the scene resembled what one would anticipate from a house inhabited by college students.

Upon reaching Kernodle’s upstairs bedroom, where Chapin had stayed overnight, Gilbertson explained, Chapin was found on the floor while Gilbertson himself was in the bed.

Investigators soon discovered that Chapin’s blood had leaked from the room and was visible on the outside of the house, as stated by the detective. Kernodle had suffered over 50 stab wounds, according to an autopsy report obtained by TopMob News, and her injuries were characterized as largely defensive in nature.

While moving through the house, Gilbertson mentioned that there was blood visible on the staircase leading to the third floor.

The bodies of Goncalves and Mogen were found in Mogen’s bed on the third floor.

Bill Thompson, the prosecutor for Latah County, shared with ABC News that although the motivation behind Kohberger’s actions still remains a mystery, his suspicion is that the perpetrator deliberately focused on one of the two females residing on the third floor of the house.

According to police reports, the knife sheath that investigators connected to Kohberger via DNA analysis was discovered on Mogen’s bed, and it was empty.

As an overly enthusiastic fan, I can’t help but share my thoughts on a fascinating revelation. When he stumbled upon Xana and the rest, whether it was orchestrated or not remains a mystery – it could have been fate or a well-kept secret. However, given the circumstances, it seems more plausible that Dylan Mortensen, along with Betheny Funke, weren’t anticipating an encounter with Xana and the others in their active state, considering they were all unharmed physically at the time.

The police report depicted Goncalves’ visage as badly deformed, and Gilbertson told ABC News that she sustained wounds arranged horizontally; the source of these injuries remains unknown.

The detective remarked, “None of us anticipated it was four blameless, very young children. How does one prepare for such an occurrence?

Originally maintaining innocence, Brian Kohberger reached an agreement with the prosecution to evade the potential capital punishment during trial. In this arrangement, he admitted guilt for four charges of first-degree murder and one charge of burglary instead.

Kohberger was sentenced July 23 to four consecutive life terms, plus 10 years.

Thompson informed ABC News, “The individual convicted of murder is now under the supervision of the Department of Corrections. There’s no chance of his release from there until he’s deceased.

Read on for a complete timeline of the case:

The following individuals – Kaylee Goncalves (aged 21), Madison Mogen (also 21), Xana Kernodle (only 20 years old), and Ethan Chapin (also 20) – were all students at the University of Idaho, residing in an off-campus apartment 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, all four roommates and Chapin returned to the three-story rental house they shared.

Goncalves was a senior studying general studies at the College of Arts and Humanities. It was anticipated that she would graduate in December, after which she planned to move to Austin, Texas for work at a marketing company, as her friend Jordyn Quesnell shared with The New York Times.

Mogen, a marketing student, has been close friends with Goncalves since the 6th grade. As per family friend Jessie Frost, she intends to relocate to Boise following graduation. This information was made public through The Idaho Statesman.

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

As a dedicated follower recounting events, let me share that on the days of the tragic murders, my roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were present at home. In text messages, unsealed on March 6, 2025, we attempted to reach out to our other housemates after Dylan noticed a masked individual prowling around our house on November 13th, as per the documents obtained by TopMob News.

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

She persistently contacted her roommates, encouraging them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m., she messaged Goncalves saying, “Please reply,” and followed up again at 10:23 a.m. asking, “Are you awake?

Around 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made following the discovery of Kernodle being unresponsive, as revealed in extra court documents obtained by TopMob News. In the call transcript, a woman identified as A1 detailed the present circumstances to the operator.

I, being an overly enthusiastic fan, shared a living space with someone who got hammered the previous night and is still unconscious. Over the phone, I mentioned this to someone else, saying, ‘She’s not responding yet.’ Additionally, there was talk of an unknown man spotted in our residence last night.

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

It was discovered that DNA matching him was present on a knife sheath abandoned at the crime scene, according to court documents unveiled by NBC News in June 2023. This connection to the killings was subsequently made by authorities.

When the DNA didn’t correspond with anyone in the FBI’s database, authorities decided to cross-check it against public genealogy platforms to generate a pool of possible culprits, as stated in the documents. Upon discovering that Kohberger had visited his parents’ residence in Monroe County, local law enforcement then sifted through their trash and identified DNA links between what they found there and the DNA on the sheath.

Currently, no clear reason for the attack is being disclosed, as a court order restricts those closely associated with the case from making public statements, according to NBC News. Nevertheless, some understanding of their initial defense strategies can be gained from the unveiled court records.

Lawyers for Kohberger asked a court, as reported by TopMob News, to disregard the death penalty option because he has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They claim that executing him would contradict the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “unusual and cruel punishment.

His defense contended that Kohbereger shows an exceptionally inflexible mindset, tends to fixate on certain subjects, approaches data fragmentarily, has difficulties in forward planning, and exhibits limited self-awareness regarding his actions and feelings.

As a devoted admirer, I find it crucial to express my thoughts on Mr. Kohberger’s unique circumstances. You see, his Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) makes it challenging for him to conform to the typical standards of societal behavior. This predicament raises profound concerns that he might face capital punishment due to his condition, rather than his accountability for the actions at hand.

As your trusted lifestyle guide, I’d like to share an update on a recent development in the legal landscape: In my earlier proceedings, a judge entered a not-guilty plea on my behalf as I chose to remain silent during my May 2023 arraignment. Initially scheduled for October 2, 2023, my trial was postponed due to a decision I made in August 2023 – the relinquishment of my right to a speedy trial.

The start of his trial, initially planned for Ada County (over 300 miles away from Latah County, where the murders occurred), is scheduled for August 11, 2025.

Previously, Judge John Judge from Latah County decided to grant the motion for transfer submitted by Kohberger’s legal team back in September 2024, due to concerns that a fair trial might not be possible in Latah County because of potential bias.

In the upcoming trial, Judge Steven Hippler of Ada County refused the defense’s plea to exclude crucial DNA evidence, cell phone and email records, security camera footage, purchase history from Amazon, and DNA evidence.

The trial for Kohberger’s murder case was unexpectedly halted on June 30, 2025, when he chose to accept a plea bargain from the prosecutors. By accepting this deal, Kohberger consented to admit his guilt in four murder charges and one burglary charge. Additionally, he waived his right to appeal and requested a lighter prison sentence.

On July 2, 2025, he admitted his guilt in court when asked if he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditated cruelty, took the lives of all four victims.

On March 2025, a selfie taken by Kohberger was presented, which he took the day after the murders. This picture, where he’s standing before a shower with a thumbs up gesture, aligns visually with the description given by a witness named “D.M.” in court documents. The witness had noted that the suspect might have “bushy eyebrows.

Steve Gonclaves, Kaylee’s father, later commented on the photo by referring to it as a “trophy,” during his interview with Fox and Friends.

According to Gonclaves, he was aware of the sequence of events. Specifically, it was known that he had gone back to the crime scene shortly after returning, and at this point, he noticed that no one had dialed 911 for help.

In his words, “That’s a small victory symbol for him, signifying ‘I managed to slip through unnoticed.’

In a 2025 Dateline documentary concerning the murders, a previous classmate of Kohberger’s shared an account of an “odd” message she got from him following their encounter at a gathering.

Holly stated that she felt somewhat compelled to talk to him, as he appeared a bit uneasy, which is typical, perhaps, for a PhD student who was alone at the gathering and was likely making an effort to interact socially and form friendships.

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

Lo and behold, it seems we discussed hiking trips yesterday, Bryan’s message from July 10, 2022 at 1:19 p.m., stated as reported by Dateline. I absolutely love that kind of adventure, so do keep me posted! Cheers!

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

Following a bargain where he was spared from capital punishment, Kohberger admitted his guilt for the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin, as well as one charge of burglary, at a court hearing on July 2, 2025 in Idaho.

When Judge Hippler asked Kohberger if he had intentionally, illegally, purposefully, and after careful planning, with malicious intent, killed each victim, he answered affirmatively for all the questions, stating “Yes” on every occasion.

As an overjoyed admirer, I can’t help but share the news: Kohberger, in accepting the plea deal, has relinquished his opportunity to contest the verdict or plead for a lighter prison term, as per Hippler’s reports.

Despite both the Goncalves and Kernodle families expressing their disapproval of the plea deal that removed the possibility of capital punishment, Thomas Kohberger was formally sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison on July 23, 2025.

The judge handed down four life sentences to Kohberger for each first-degree murder charge, with no chance of parole. Each sentence comes with a $50,000 fine and a $5,000 payment to the families of the victims as civil penalties. Additionally, he was given an extra 10 years and fined $50,000 for the burglary charge.

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2025-07-26 23:17