Bryan Kohberger Case: Idaho Murder Victims’ Families Sue His College

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The university where Bryan Kohberger studied criminal justice before the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students is now being sued in a civil case.

On January 7th, the families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – the four students who were murdered – filed a lawsuit against Washington State University. They allege the university was grossly negligent and responsible for the students’ deaths.

According to a complaint reported by the Idaho Statesman, the families are claiming Washington State University violated Title IX – the federal law protecting students from sex-based discrimination. They allege the university failed to act despite being aware of repeated instances of discrimination, sexual harassment, and stalking committed by Bryan Kohberger while he was a student.

As someone who’s been following this case closely, I was shocked to learn, through the New York Times, that the lawsuit claims professors at the university knew Bryan Kohberger – while he was a Ph.D. student and teaching assistant – had a pattern of concerning behavior. Apparently, he’d developed a reputation for being discriminatory, harassing, and even stalking people before the tragic murders. It’s just unbelievable that these concerns weren’t addressed sooner.

According to the Statesman, the families believe the school failed to take appropriate action against the convicted killer, which they say eventually led to him stalking and murdering the victims.

As a longtime supporter of WSU, it breaks my heart to see the pain this tragedy has caused the families and friends involved. I understand the university isn’t able to discuss the lawsuit publicly right now, and I respect their need to handle it through the legal process, but I want everyone affected to know my thoughts are with them.

Bryan Kohberger, age 31, is spending the rest of his life in prison for the first-degree murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. He admitted to the killings in exchange for a plea deal that prevented prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.

As a lifestyle expert who follows these cases closely, what really struck me after Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing was the information released by investigators. The families’ lawyers felt it painted a truly unsettling picture – it seemed like there were repeated warnings about potential dangers that, sadly, weren’t adequately addressed. It’s a deeply concerning detail that highlights a potential breakdown in systems meant to protect people.

As a long-time follower of this case, I was really struck by what their lawyers told the New York Times recently. It wasn’t about a lack of power or safety measures, they explained – the real issue was that people didn’t take responsibility when it mattered most, and no one was truly held accountable for key decisions.

For more details about the case, read on.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were all University of Idaho students, aged 20 and 21, who shared an apartment near campus.

On the evening of November 12, 2022, the night before they were discovered, Goncalves and Mogen had been at a local sports bar. Meanwhile, Kernodle and Chapin were at a party hosted by Chapin’s fraternity. By 2 a.m. on November 13, all four roommates, along with Chapin, had returned to the house they were renting.

Goncalves was a senior at the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, studying general studies. She was on track to graduate in December and had accepted a job at a marketing firm in Austin, Texas, according to her friend Jordyn Quesnell, who spoke with The New York Times.

Mogen, a marketing student, and Goncalves have been close friends since the sixth grade. According to Jessie Frost, a family friend, Mogen planned to move to Boise after graduating, as reported by The Idaho Statesman.

According to the University, Kernodle was a marketing student, and Chapin studied recreation, sport, and tourism management. Their roommate’s neighbor, Ellie McKnight, shared with NBC News that the two had been dating since the spring.

Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, two roommates, were home when the murders happened. According to documents obtained by TopMob News, after Mortensen saw a masked person inside the house on November 13th, she and Funke tried to reach their other roommates via text message. These messages were released publicly on March 6, 2025.

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

She kept trying to contact their roommates, repeatedly asking for a response. She texted Goncalves at 4:32 a.m., saying “Please answer,” and again at 10:23 a.m., asking “Are you up?”

Oh my god, I just read the police report… it’s terrifying. Apparently, someone called 911 at 11:58 a.m. because they found him unresponsive. The transcript showed a woman – they’re calling her A1 – was the one on the phone, desperately trying to explain what was happening to the operator. It’s just… heartbreaking to think about.

She told me one of her roommates was unconscious and appeared to be still intoxicated from the night before, and wouldn’t wake up. She also said someone had been in their house last night.

Bryan Kohberger, a doctoral student at Washington State University, was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. He was taken into custody on December 30th in Pennsylvania, more than a month after the bodies of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were found. Kohberger was then brought to Idaho on January 4, 2023, to face the charges.

Prosecutors said in June 2023 that DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene linked the suspect to the killings, according to NBC News.

Investigators checked the DNA against FBI records but didn’t find a match. They then used public genealogy websites to identify possible suspects. After discovering Kohberger drove to his parents’ house, police searched their trash and found DNA evidence linking him to the knife sheath found at the crime scene.

Investigators haven’t yet revealed why the attack happened, and those connected to the case are largely prohibited from discussing it publicly, according to NBC News. However, newly released documents offer some clues about the first disagreements between those involved.

Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers filed a motion with the court asking the judge to remove the possibility of the death penalty in his case. They argued that Kohberger has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and because of this, executing him would be considered a cruel and unusual punishment, which is prohibited by the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The defense team stated that Kohbereger shows inflexible thought patterns, gets stuck on certain subjects, analyzes information in small, disconnected parts, has difficulty with future planning, and lacks self-awareness regarding his actions and feelings.

The legal filing argues that because of his autism, Mr. Kohberger struggles to behave in ways that most people consider normal. This raises serious concerns that he could be put to death not because of what he did, but because of his disability.

Bryan Kohberger didn’t enter a plea himself at his May 2023 court appearance for the murder charges, so the judge entered a not-guilty plea for him. While a trial was scheduled to begin on October 2, 2023, Kohberger decided to give up his right to a speedy trial in August of that year.

The trial was scheduled to start on August 11, 2025, and would be held in Ada County, over 300 miles away from where the crimes happened in Latah County.

In September 2024, Latah County Judge John Judge approved a request from Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers to move the trial location. He believed it would be difficult to find an unbiased jury in Latah County, where the alleged crime occurred.

As a close follower of this case, I was really interested to learn that Judge Steven Hippler ruled against the defense’s attempt to keep crucial evidence out of the trial. This means the prosecution can now use things like DNA evidence, cell phone and email records, surveillance footage, and even past purchases the defendant made on Amazon. It’s a significant development, and I think it will really impact how the trial proceeds.

Bryan Kohberger’s murder trial was cancelled unexpectedly when he accepted a plea deal on June 30, 2025. By taking the deal, he admitted guilt to four counts of murder and one count of burglary, and gave up his right to appeal the conviction or ask for a lighter sentence.

On July 2, 2025, he admitted to his guilt, directly confirming to the judge that he intentionally and deliberately killed all four victims.

As a dedicated follower of this case, I was really struck by a selfie of Bryan Kohberger that came out in March 2025. It was taken the morning after the tragic murders, and he’s giving a thumbs up in front of a shower. What really caught my attention was how much he resembled the description a witness – identified as ‘D.M.’ in court documents – gave of the suspect. They specifically mentioned ‘bushy eyebrows,’ and you can definitely see that in the photo. It’s a chilling detail, and it made a strong impression on me.

Kaylee’s father, Steve Gonclaves, described the image as a “trophy” during an interview with Fox and Friends.

According to Gonclaves, the suspect returned to the scene of the crime and realized that no one had yet called for help.

He described it as a personal reward, a way for the person to feel like they’d successfully gotten away with something without being caught or questioned.

A former classmate of Bryan Kohberger shared a strange text message he sent her after they met at a party, as featured in a 2025 Dateline documentary about the murders.

Holly said she felt a bit obliged to talk to him, as he seemed a little uncomfortable. She described him as a PhD student who probably didn’t know anyone at the party and was trying to be friendly and meet people.

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

According to Dateline, Bryan texted on July 10, 2022, at 1:19 p.m., saying, “I think we talked about hiking yesterday. I love it, so let me know if you’re interested. Thanks!”

The Dateline documentary also revealed that Bryan Kohberger had searched online for topics like Ted Bundy, the song “Criminal” by Britney Spears, and information about the “University of Idaho Murders.”

Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, along with one charge of burglary. This plea came after he agreed to a deal with prosecutors that removed the possibility of the death penalty. He entered the guilty plea at a court hearing in Idaho on July 2, 2025.

Judge Hippler asked Bryan Kohberger if he intentionally and maliciously killed each victim, confirming whether the acts were done willingly, unlawfully, deliberately, and with premeditation. Kohberger responded with a clear “Yes” to each question.

By accepting the plea agreement, Kohberger gives up his right to challenge the conviction or request a shorter prison term, explained Hippler.

Despite strong objections from the families of the victims, Goncalves and Kernodle, Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison on July 23, 2025, after a plea deal eliminated the possibility of the death penalty.

Judge Hippler sentenced Bryan Kohberger to four life sentences without parole for each of the four counts of first-degree murder. He also ordered Kohberger to pay a $50,000 fine for each murder conviction, plus an additional $5,000 to each of the victims’ families. Additionally, Kohberger received a 10-year sentence and a $50,000 fine for the burglary charge.

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2026-01-10 03:48