Bryan Kohberger’s Odd Text Before Idaho Murders Revealed

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More details about Bryan Kohberger are coming to light.

A University of Idaho student disclosed a supposed text conversation she had with the 30-year-old individual, who stands accused of murdering four college students – Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin. This alleged interaction took place at a pool party in the summer of 2022, a few months prior to the tragic incidents.

Holly, a graduate student, mentioned that her initial interaction with Bryan at the party was somewhat uncomfortable or uneasy when they first met.

She shared with host Keith Morrison during a sneak peek of the “The Terrible Night on King Road” TV special, airing May 9 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, that she found herself conversing and getting acquainted with someone, and he mentioned he had recently relocated and was embarking on his PhD studies.

Holly mentioned, “I felt somewhat compelled to speak with him, as he appeared a bit uneasy to me. This is typical behavior one might expect from a PhD student who was unfamiliar with anyone at the gathering and was perhaps making an effort to network and forge friendships.

In their discussion, the student studying plant science mentioned that she belonged to a hiking group and shared this information with Bryan. As a result, they swapped phone numbers. The following day, Bryan is said to have reached out via text, following up on their earlier conversation.

Hey there! I believe we discussed hiking trips yesterday. I absolutely love going on those, so if you’re still up for it, do let me know. Cheers!

Looking back, Holly now reads Bryan’s message with more critical eyes. 

Reflecting upon the text now, it strikes me as rather formal. I believe a more casual approach would be preferable. In essence, I’m expressing my appreciation for that activity. Could we perhaps revisit this topic at a later time and discuss it further?

In August, Bryan, who has pleaded innocent regarding the case, is scheduled to begin his trial for the murders that took place in Idaho. Should he be found guilty, he may be sentenced to capital punishment.

In preparation for his upcoming trial, Judge Steven Hippler partially allowed the defense’s appeal to prevent Bryan’s autism spectrum disorder diagnosis from being used as evidence against him. However, the judge indicated that this ruling might be reconsidered if Bryan decides to testify, based on court documents obtained by NBC News.

Read on for more key details about the Idaho murders case.

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

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

Goncalves, who was near graduation with a major in general studies from the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, was on track to receive her degree in December. According to her friend, Jordyn Quesnell, she planned to leave for Austin, Texas after graduation to start a job at a marketing firm, as reported by The New York Times.

From the sixth grade onwards, Mogen, who was pursuing marketing studies, was inseparable from Goncalves. Following her graduation, it was reported by family friend Jessie Frost to The Idaho Statesman that she intended to relocate to Boise.

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 the spring, according to their neighbor, Ellie McKnight, as shared with NBC News.

On the day of the murders, two housemates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were present at home. Text messages, which became public on March 6, 2025, showed that Mortensen and Funke attempted to reach their fellow roommates on November 13, after Mortensen spotted a masked individual wandering through the 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 reply. At 4:32 a.m., she messaged Goncalves, “Pls respond,” and later on at 10:23 a.m., “Are you awake??

At 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made following the discovery of an unresponsive individual named Kernodle, as revealed by new information acquired by TopMob News. In the transcript, a woman identified as A1 explained the current state of affairs to the operator.

She mentioned on the phone that one of the roommates, who had been heavily intoxicated the previous night, is still unconscious and won’t wake up. They reported seeing a strange man inside their home last night.

Bryan Kohberger, now facing four counts of first-degree murder, was a doctoral student at Washington State University. Exactly one month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin were found, Kohberger was apprehended on December 30 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. On January 4, he was transported to Idaho for trial.

The connection between him and the murders was established by finding his DNA on a knife sheath abandoned at the crime scene, as reported in court papers from June 2023 by 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. Upon discovering that Kohberger had traveled to his parents’ residence in Monroe County, local officials then scoured through their trash and identified DNA links between it and the one found on the sheath.

Currently, the specific reason behind the attack remains undisclosed due to a gag order. This restriction prevents those connected with the case from discussing it openly in public, as reported by NBC News. Nevertheless, some details about their arguments have been revealed through unsealed documents.

Defense lawyers for Kohberger have requested to dismiss the possibility of capital punishment in court documents, obtained by TopMob News. This is due to the fact that if found guilty on all charges, Kohberger (who may face the death penalty according to a ruling made in November 2024) is believed to have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They argue that executing someone with ASD would infringe upon the Eighth Amendment’s protection against “cruel and unusual punishment.

As a devoted supporter, I’d articulate that in my perspective, the individual in question exhibits an unusually inflexible thought pattern, tends to fixate on certain subjects, approaches information fragmentarily, finds it challenging to plan for future events, and shows limited understanding of his own actions and feelings.

The statement indicates that Mr. Kohberger struggles to conform to typical social norms due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This situation raises concerns that he might face the death penalty not because of his wrongdoings, but due to his disability.

At his court appearance in May 2023, the judge entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on behalf of Kohberger for the first-degree murder charges due to his silence during the arraignment. Originally scheduled to start on October 2, 2023, Kohberger voluntarily relinquished his right to a prompt trial in August 2023.

The commencement of his fresh trial, scheduled for August 11, 2025, will occur in Ada County, approximately 300 miles away from Latah County where the crimes were committed.

In September 2024, Judge John Judge of Latah County granted Kohberger’s legal team’s motion for a change of venue due to the presumption of bias if the trial continued in Latah County. However, Judge Steven Hippler, who is now overseeing the case in Ada County, rejected the defense’s attempt to exclude crucial DNA evidence, cell phone and email records, surveillance footage, past Amazon purchases, and DNA evidence from the trial proceedings.

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2025-05-09 03:17