Mysterious Car Spotted Near Murder Scene: New Evidence Links Kohberger

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New information ties Bryan Kohberger more closely to the University of Idaho killings, it appears.

Approximately three years following the tragic murder of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Kaylee Goncalves at an off-campus residence of the University of Idaho in November 2022, a video obtained from a neighbor’s home security system shows a car resembling Kohberger’s making several loops around the crime scene on the night of the incident.

In the footage from Dateline, a white vehicle is seen circling around the neighborhood where the victims lived at dawn for approximately 13 minutes. Later, this car sped off. Investigators suspect, as reported by NBC News, that the vehicle in the recording was a Hyundai Elantra, which matches the car that Kohberger drove.

TopMob News attempted to get a comment from Brian Kohberger’s legal representatives regarding the recent Dateline episode, but they have yet to respond.

The newly-released car video provides additional proof tying Kohberger to the location where the crime occurred.

Before his arrest in December 2022, investigators discovered a knife sheath at the Idaho residence where the murders took place, and matched DNA found on it to Kohberger. Additionally, they tracked Kohberger’s mobile phone activity to cell towers close to the murder scene in Idaho.

Lately, intriguing insights about Kohberger’s actions before the murders have come to light, such as an account shared by a student named Holly who attended a party with him on a previous occasion, as discussed in Dateline‘s “The Terrible Night on King Road.

In her conversation with Keith Morrison on Dateline’s special, she shared that she found herself engaging and chatting with a man, who mentioned to me that he had recently relocated and was embarking on his doctoral studies.

Kohberger, pursuing his doctorate in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University, was characterized by Holly as “much like a PhD candidate who hadn’t known anyone at the gathering, perhaps attempting to break out of his shell and mingle while also trying to forge friendships.

Later on, Holly clarified that the message from Kohberger was excessively formal which she received the next day.

Or

Holly explained that the communication from Kohberger the next day was overly formal in nature.

Both sentences convey the same meaning as your original sentence but with a slightly different choice of words and structure to make them more natural and easy to read.

Hi there, it seems we discussed hiking trips yesterday according to the information from Dateline. I love going on these kinds of outings, so if we’re still planning, do keep me in the loop and thanks for letting me know!

In reflecting on Kohberger’s letters, Holly noted that “the choice of words seems unusual.

For more on the Idaho murders and Kohberger’s upcoming August trial, keep reading… 

The individuals in question – Kaylee Goncalves (aged 21), Madison Mogen (also 21), Xana Kernodle (at 20 years old), and Ethan Chapin (who was 20 as well) – were students at the University of Idaho. They resided in an apartment located off campus.

On November 12, 2022, Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin (who were roommates) spent their evening differently: Goncalves and Mogen were at a nearby sports bar, while Kernodle was at Chapin’s fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on November 13, they all returned to their three-story rental house where they lived together.

Goncalves, a senior student majoring in multi-disciplinary studies, was about to graduate from the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. It was reported by her friend, Jordyn Quesnell, to The New York Times that she was planning to move to Austin, Texas for a job at a marketing company following her graduation in December.

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 reported by The Idaho Statesman.

At the given time, Kernodle was a junior student specializing in marketing. As for Chapin, who studied recreation, sport, and tourism management, they 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, reveal that Mortensen and Funke attempted to reach their fellow roommates on November 13th, as Mortensen had spotted a masked individual moving around their shared house, according to information acquired 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. and later at 10:23 a.m., she sent messages to Goncalves asking for an answer. “Can you respond?”, she inquired in her texts.

11:58 a.m. saw a 911 call being made, as reported by TopMob News from additional motion details, following the discovery of Kernodle’s unresponsive state. In the transcript, a woman identified as A1 explained the current situation to the operator.

She mentioned over the phone that one of the roommates, who had been heavily intoxicated the previous night and hasn’t regained consciousness yet, as of now. They also reported observing a stranger in their residence last night.

Bryan Kohberger, currently facing four charges for first-degree murder, was a doctoral student at Washington State University. Exactly one month following the discovery of the bodies belonging to Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin, Kohberger was arrested on December 30 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was subsequently transported to Idaho on January 4.

The authorities linked him to the murders due to the discovery of his DNA on a knife sheath abandoned at the crime scene, as detailed in court documents from 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 compile a list of possible suspects, as stated in the court filings. Upon discovering that Kohberger had visited his parents’ home in Monroe County, local officials examined their trash and identified DNA links between it and the one found on the sheath.

Currently, no specific reason for the attack has been disclosed, as a court order is in place prohibiting those directly connected to the case from making public statements. Nevertheless, some information about their arguments has been revealed through unsealed documents. (NBC News report)

In a motion obtained by TopMob News, Kohberger’s legal team is asking for the removal of the death penalty option. This request comes as Kohberger could potentially receive this sentence if found guilty on all charges, which was ruled in November 2024. The defense argues that Kohberger has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and executing him would contradict the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “cruel and unusual punishment,” as it may constitute an unjustly harsh or inhumane penalty for a person with ASD.

In simpler terms, the defense contends that Kohbereger tends to think in a very fixed manner, repeatedly focuses on certain subjects, handles information bit by bit rather than as a whole, finds it challenging to make plans for the future, and shows minimal self-awareness regarding his actions and feelings.

The statement indicates that due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Mr. Kohberger struggles to behave in ways society deems normal. This could potentially lead to him being punished for his disability instead of his actions, posing an unjustifiable risk of execution.

At his court appearance in May 2023, a judge entered a “not guilty” plea on Brian Kohberger’s behalf as he chose not to speak during the proceedings. Originally scheduled for October 2, 2023, Kohberger decided to relinquish his right to a swift trial in August 2023.

The commencement of his upcoming trial, which is scheduled for August 11, 2025, will be in Ada County, over 300 miles away from Latah County where the crimes occurred.

In September 2024, Judge John Judge, of Latah County, granted a motion from Brian Kohberger’s legal team to relocate the trial due to concerns about potential bias in Latah County.

In my role as a lifestyle advisor, I find myself frequently discussing legal matters with clients, and in this specific scenario, Judge Steven Hippler, who is currently overseeing the case, has made a decision that’s worth mentioning. He denied the defense’s plea to exclude crucial DNA evidence, cell phone and email records, surveillance footage, past Amazon purchases, and DNA evidence from the trial. In simpler terms, he allowed these pieces of evidence to be presented in court.

In the midst of 2025, a selfie I took the day after the tragic events unfolded was presented. This snapshot, featuring me in front of a shower with a thumbs-up gesture, aligns remarkably well with the description provided by a witness identified as “D.M.” in court documents. Notably, this individual noted that the suspect had distinctive bushy eyebrows, which I appear to share in this photograph.

In an interview with Fox and Friends, Steve Goncalves, who is the father of the victim Kaylee, subsequently commented on the image, referring to it as a “memento” or “souvenir”.

According to Goncalves, he was aware of the sequence of events. Specifically, it was known that he had recently revisited the crime scene, and upon his return, he noticed that no one had dialed 911 for help.

In his own words, “For him, that’s like a small token, signaling ‘I managed to get away with it, no one’s catching me.’

In a 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 shared that she felt somewhat compelled to converse with him, as he appeared a bit uneasy, which is typical for someone like a PhD student who was unfamiliar with others at the gathering, possibly making an effort to socialize and make 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,” Bryan’s text from July 10, 2022 at 1:19 p.m., indicated as per Dateline. “I really love going on those trips, so do share more details if you planned anything. Thanks!

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

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2025-05-12 22:49