Bryan Kohberger Said Kaylee Goncalves’ Name During Idaho Murders: Docs

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More chilling details have come to light regarding the gruesome 2022 Idaho murders. 

Approximately a month post-conviction, where Bryan Kohberger was handed four life sentences without parole for the tragic murders of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, freshly disclosed police records provide additional insights into the fateful early hours of November 13, 2022, when these events unfolded at an off-campus residence near the University of Idaho.

In the predawn hours, [redacted] was abruptly woken up, stepped out of her room, and overheard a male voice saying, “Don’t worry Kaylee. I’m here for you,” accompanied by sobs, as indicated in a document from Idaho State Police, reported by NewsNation. Afterwards, she closed the door again. A short time later, she reopened her door to find someone around 5’10” tall, clad in black and wearing a ski mask, standing in the kitchen.

TopMob News has reached out to the Idaho State Police and has not yet heard back.

During the sentencing of Kohberger last month, survivor Dylan Mortensen – who previously came into contact with the killer when he was at the property – recently conveyed a statement on the emotional impact, explaining how his life has been irrevocably altered due to what transpired that fateful night.

He left me feeling fractured in areas I hadn’t realized could crack,” the 21-year-old explained during the sentencing on July 23. “I couldn’t bear to be by myself. I found comfort in my mother’s bed because I was too petrified to rest, fearing that if I shut my eyes, he might still be there.

In fact, Mortensen stressed that her struggles since the murders extend well beyond mere anxiety.

I find myself constantly reliving every detail, as if my body has become a time loop, refusing to acknowledge that it’s all in the past. My system, designed to protect and warn me, never received the signal that it should let go, instead clinging onto the memories of what he did to them. They label me strong, they call me a survivor, but they don’t witness the storm inside me. They don’t see the sudden bursts of fear, the constant vigilance, the deep-rooted exhaustion that I carry every day.

Initially, it was suggested by prosecutors that Kohberger purposefully spared Mortensen and his roommate Bethany Funke due to a fear that the authorities had already been notified. Later, both women showed regret for surviving the incident while their friends unfortunately perished.

In my own heartfelt testimony, I expressed an overwhelming sense of remorse and guilt for not immediately grasping the dire situation that unfolded before me. I was oblivious to the tragic events transpiring, and despite the opportunity to make a call, hours elapsed before I did so. Even if medical assistance had been mere steps away, I acknowledge it would not have altered the outcome.

Funke and Mortensen conveyed that they are committed to honoring their deceased companions by embracing life to its utmost potential.

Or, more casually:
Funke and Mortensen made it clear that they’re keeping their departed friends’ memory alive by living life to the max.

Though they were unable to continue living, I am, and this fact is not lost on me. Therefore, each day I make a conscious effort to honor their memory by living my life for them.

For more details on Kohberger’s crimes, keep reading…

The five individuals involved are: Kaylee Goncalves (aged 21), Madison Mogen (aged 21), Xana Kernodle (aged 20), Ethan Chapin (also 20), and his girlfriend. These young adults were all students at the University of Idaho, residing in an apartment located off campus.

On November 12, 2022, Goncalves and Mogen spent their evening at a sports bar nearby, while Kernodle and Chapin attended a fraternity party. It wasn’t until 2 a.m. on November 13 that the four roommates, including Chapin, returned to their three-story rental home.

Goncalves, a senior student majoring in general studies at the College of Arts and Humanities, was anticipated to graduate in December. Following graduation, she planned to move to Austin, Texas, for a job at a marketing firm, 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. It was reported by family friend Jessie Frost to The Idaho Statesman that she intended to relocate to Boise following her graduation.

Back then, Kernodle was a junior studying marketing, as the university announced. She and Chapin, who specialized in recreation, sport, and tourism management, had been dating since the spring, according to their neighbor, Ellie McKnight, who spoke to NBC News.

As an overly enthusiastic fan, I’d rephrase it like this: On that fateful night of the murders, my beloved roomies, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were right there at home with me. Text messages, finally made public on March 6, 2025, revealed that Dylan had a chilling encounter, spotting a masked stranger wandering around our house on Nov. 13. They both reached out to our roommates afterward, hoping everything was okay, 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 their roommates, encouraging them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m., she messaged Goncalves saying, “Please reply,” and later at 10:23 a.m., she asked, “Are you awake?

11:58 a.m. saw a 911 call made following the discovery of Kernodle’s unresponsive state, as detailed in extra court documentation acquired by TopMob News. In the call transcript, a woman identified as A1 shared the ongoing situation with the operator.

One of our roommates, who appears to be intoxicated from last night and hasn’t yet awoken, according to a phone call,” she explained. “It seems someone entered their residence overnight.

Bryan Kohberger, the individual charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a doctoral candidate 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.

Through DNA evidence found on a discarded knife sheath at the crime scene, authorities linked him to the murders. This information was disclosed in court documents from June 2023, as reported by NBC News.

When the DNA didn’t correspond with anyone in the FBI’s database, authorities decided to check public ancestry websites for potential suspects, as outlined in the documents. Upon discovering that Kohberger had visited his parents’ house in Monroe County, local police examined their trash and found DNA links between it and the DNA found on the sheath.

Currently, no specific reason behind the attack has been disclosed, and a court order prohibits most parties related to the case from making public statements, according to NBC News. Nevertheless, unveiled papers offer some understanding of their initial defense strategies.

In a motion obtained by TopMob News, Kohberger’s legal team requested the removal of the death penalty consideration. This is because Kohberger, who was initially facing the death sentence if found guilty on all charges, has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They argue that executing someone with ASD would contradict the Eighth Amendment’s protection against “cruel and unusual punishment.

In simpler terms, the argument of his defense was that Kohbereger shows signs of inflexible thought patterns, tends to focus excessively on certain subjects, handles information in bits rather than as a whole, has difficulty anticipating future events, and lacks self-awareness regarding his actions and feelings.

In simpler terms, the statement suggests that due to Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD), Mr. Kohberger finds it challenging to conform to standard societal behaviors, which raises concerns about him potentially being punished for his disability instead of his actions, should he face execution.

At first, the judge entered a plea of not guilty for Kohberger on murder charges, as he did not speak during his court appearance in May 2023. His trial was scheduled for October 2, 2023, but in August 2023, Kohberger opted to forgo his right to a quick trial.

In the first person: My trial, initially slated for Ada County, some 300 miles away from Latah County, where the tragic incidents occurred, was scheduled to commence on August 11, 2025.

In September 2024, Latah County Judge John Judge granted a motion by Brian Kohberger’s defense team due to concerns about potential bias, or presumed prejudice, if the trial continued in Latah County.

As a devoted admirer, let me share with you that in this captivating tale, yours truly, Judge Steven Hippler of Ada County, firmly declined the defense’s plea to conceal crucial DNA findings and additional evidence such as cell phone and email logs, CCTV footage, past Amazon transactions, and DNA samples. This decision ensures that justice will be served in the most comprehensive manner possible.

On June 30, 2025, the murder trial of Kohberger was unexpectedly halted when he accepted a plea bargain from the prosecutors. By accepting this agreement, Kohberger consented to admit guilt for four counts of murder and one count of burglary. He also relinquished his right to appeal and requested a lighter prison term.

On July 2, 2025, he admitted his guilt in court when prompted by the judge, answering “yes” to confirming that he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditation and ill will, took the lives of all four victims.

A selfie that Kohberger took the day after the murders occurred was presented in March 2025. This picture, where he stands before a shower with a thumbs up, seems to match the description “D.M.” provided in court documents, who noted that the suspect had thick eyebrows.

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

According to Gonclaves, he is aware of the sequence of events. It appears that the individual had recently revisited the crime scene, and upon his return, a realization struck him: no one had dialed emergency services (911).

In a nutshell, he was saying, “For him, that’s his small token of success, signaling ‘I managed to get away with it, no one is after me.’

2025 Dateline documentary on the murders featured a former classmate of Kohberger’s who recounted an “odd” message she got from him following their encounter at a party.

Holly stated that she felt somewhat compelled to talk to him, as he appeared a bit uneasy, which seemed fitting for a doctoral student who was unfamiliar with others at the gathering and perhaps attempting his best to interact socially and form connections.

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. I absolutely love this outdoor adventure, so if you could fill me in, I’d be most grateful!” (July 10, 2022, 1:19 p.m., Bryan’s text as per Dateline)

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

At a court hearing held on July 2, 2025, in Idaho, Brian Kohberger confessed his guilt for the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin, as well as one charge of burglary, after previously agreeing to a plea bargain that prevented him from receiving the death penalty.

During the questioning by Judge Hippler, Kohberger was asked whether he had intentionally, illegally, and deliberately taken the lives of each victim with premeditation and malice, and he responded affirmatively to each inquiry, stating a clear “Yes”.

Through accepting the plea deal, Kolberg relinquishes 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 strong opposition to the agreement that eliminated the possibility of the death penalty, Keith Kohlberg was formally sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison on July 23, 2025.

As an over-eager admirer putting this in my own words, let me share that the honorable Judge Hippler handed down a chilling verdict to Kohberger. He was sentenced to serve four life terms, all without the hope of parole, for each charge of first-degree murder. For every count, he also received a $50,000 fine and was ordered to pay a $5,000 civil penalty to each of the victim’s families.

On top of that, Kohberger was given a 10-year sentence along with a $50,000 fine for the burglary charge as well. So, it’s safe to say, Kohberger will be behind bars for quite some time, and his wallet will be feeling the strain too!

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2025-08-15 21:19