Bryan Kohberger’s Fellow Inmate Details His Unusual Behavior in Jail

by

One of Bryan Kohberger’s neighbors in jail is sharing insight into his life behind bars.

Prior to the 30-year-old admitting guilt for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in November 2022 – a crime that earned him four consecutive life sentences – an inmate who shared quarters with him from August to September 2024 reported his peculiar conduct within the prison, as detailed in documents from the Moscow Police Department obtained by TopMob News.

In the publicly available documents released in July, Corporal Brett Payne remembered conversing with an inmate who shared a cell with Kohberger at Latah County Jail. According to Payne, this unnamed inmate found Kohberger irritating due to certain behaviors, such as washing his hands frequently throughout the day (multiple times daily) and spending a considerable amount of time (between 45 minutes to an hour) in the shower.

Following Payne, the main investigator in the murder case, had later inquired about Kohberger’s sleep patterns from the imprisoned individual. He reported that the now-imprisoned killer typically stayed awake most of the night and could frequently be heard moving around during those hours, according to the documents.

The inmate characterized Kohberger as generally intelligent and polite, but noted that he had occasionally lost his temper. As recounted by Payne, one day while watching sports, the inmate shouted at a player, prompting Kohberger to quickly rise and demand angrily whether the comment was directed towards him or his mother.

Simultaneously, the inmate shared with Payne that Kohberger never brought up his suspected crimes at all. Instead, he frequently asked the inmate about his past offenses and inquired about his accommodation in the high-security section of the prison.

In other parts of the records, Payne detailed his first police chat with Kohberger following his December 2022 arrest. After exchanging casual chit-chat about sports and academics, Payne stated that the discussion then shifted towards the University of Idaho’s murder case, during which Kohberger frequently requested to consult a lawyer.

In his report, Payne stated that Kohberger inquired about the specific topic of discussion and the reasoning behind it. I responded by informing Kohberger that he was exercising his Fifth Amendment rights and that we would not be asking him any more questions.

For more details on Kohberger’s victims and the aftermath of the tragedy, keep reading.

The following individuals – Kaylee Goncalves (age 21), Madison Mogen (also 21), Xana Kernodle (just turned 20), and Ethan Chapin (also 20) – were students at the University of Idaho, residing in an off-campus apartment together.

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

Goncalves, a senior student majoring in general studies at the College of Arts and Humanities, was due to graduate in December. Before moving to Austin, Texas for work 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. According to family friend Jessie Frost, she intends to relocate to Boise following graduation. This information was made public in The Idaho Statesman.

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

Two residents, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were at home during the reported murders. Text messages, unsealed on March 6, 2025, showed that Mortensen and Funke reached out to their fellow roommates on November 13, after Mortensen spotted a masked individual moving within their shared 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 persistently contacted her roommates, encouraging them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m., she messaged Goncalves saying, “Please reply,” and again at 10:23 a.m., asking, “Are you awake?

Around 11:58 a.m., someone made a 911 call following the discovery of Kernodle being unresponsive. This detail was revealed in an additional motion acquired by TopMob News. In the transcript, a woman identified as A1 explained the current situation to the operator.

She stated over the phone, “One of our flatmates appears to be under the influence from last night and hasn’t yet awoken. They spotted a stranger inside their home last night.

Bryan Kohberger, who currently faces charges for four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a doctoral student at Washington State University. Exactly one month after the deaths of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin were discovered, Kohberger was apprehended on December 30 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was transferred to Idaho on January 4, 2023.

In what manner were they able to link him to the murders? DNA traces discovered on a knife sheath abandoned at the crime scene were disclosed in court documents by prosecutors in June 2023, according to NBC News.

When the DNA didn’t correspond with anyone in the FBI database, authorities decided to search public ancestry websites to generate a list of possible suspects, as stated in the documents. Once they discovered Kohberger had visited his parents’ home in Monroe County, local officials examined their trash and found DNA that linked him to the DNA found on the sheath.

Currently, no specific reason for the attack has been disclosed, as a court order prohibits most parties involved in the case from discussing it openly. Nevertheless, some details have emerged through the release of related documents, offering a glimpse into their original defense strategies.

In a motion acquired by TopMob News, Kohberger’s legal team requested to dismiss the possibility of capital punishment. This is because, if found guilty on all charges, Kohberger could potentially face execution. However, they argue that Kohberger has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They assert that imposing the death penalty on him would contradict the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “inhumane and excessive punishment.

In simpler terms, the defense claimed that Kohbergeger tends to think in a very rigid manner, repeatedly focuses on certain subjects, handles information in small chunks at a time, finds it challenging to anticipate future events, and has limited understanding of his own actions and feelings.

The statement stated that due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Mr. Kohberger’s behavior may not meet societal norms, which poses a grave concern as it might lead to him being punished for his disability instead of his actions.

Initially, the judge entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on behalf of Kohberger for first-degree murder charges as he remained silent during his May 2023 arraignment. Despite his trial being scheduled for October 2, 2023, Kohberger chose to forego a speedy trial in August 2023.

The commencement of his trial, initially planned for Ada County, over 300 miles away from Latah County where the crimes occurred, was fixed for August 11, 2025.

In September 2024, Judge John Judge from Latah County previously decided to grant the motion for transfer by Brian Kohberger’s legal team, citing potential bias or prejudice that might arise if the trial took place within Latah County.

In the 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 proof.

On June 30, 2025, the trial for Kohberger’s murder case was unexpectedly halted when he accepted a plea bargain offered by prosecutors. By accepting this deal, Kohberger consented to admit guilt on 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 when asked if he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with prior planning, caused the deaths of all four victims with a malicious intent.

A selfie taken by Kohberger on the day following the murders was presented in March 2025. This picture shows him standing in front of a shower with a thumbs up gesture, and it aligns with the description provided by witness “D.M.” in court documents. The person identified as the perpetrator had distinctive bushy eyebrows according to this description.

In a subsequent interview with Fox and Friends, Steve Gonclaves, Kaylee’s father, referred to the image as a “trophy.

According to Goncalves, he was aware of the sequence of events. Specifically, he understood that the person in question had revisited the crime scene soon after his return, and it dawned on him that no one had contacted emergency services.

In simpler terms, he described it as, “For him, that’s a small token to remind him, ‘I managed to get away, no one’s after me.’

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

Holly admitted that she felt slightly obliged to talk to him, as he appeared somewhat uncomfortable. This seemed typical of a PhD student who was unfamiliar with everyone at the gathering and was probably making an effort to socialize and make new connections.

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

Hey there, it seems we discussed hiking trips yesterday. I love going on those, so do let me know if we’re still planning on it. Cheers!

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

At a court hearing held on July 2, 2025, Kohberger admitted guilt for the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin, as well as one charge of burglary, after having previously agreed to a plea bargain that would prevent him from receiving the death penalty.

In the courtroom, Judge Hippler asked Kohberger whether he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditated malice killed each victim, to which he responded affirmatively for all inquiries.

By accepting the plea agreement, Kohberger relinquishes his ability to challenge the verdict or request a less strict prison term, as stated by Hippler.

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

Judge Hippler ordered Kohberger to serve four consecutive life sentences without parole for every first-degree murder charge, in addition to a $50,000 fine and a $5,000 civil penalty for each family of the victims. For the burglary charge, he was given ten years and fined $50,000 as well.

Read More

2025-07-28 23:19