Police Records Reveal Chilling Activity Before Idaho Student Murders/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Just hours after Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison, police released documents detailing unsettling incidents that occurred at the victims’ home in the weeks before the murders. The newly unsealed records describe suspicious behavior, potential sightings of Kohberger, and exhaustive steps taken by law enforcement during the investigation. While the motive remains unknown, the documents shed new light on the lead-up to the November 2022 University of Idaho stabbings.
Idaho Murder Case Quick Looks
- Eerie sightings before the killings: Victims noticed a strange man watching them weeks before
- Unlocked door incident: Roommates found home door ajar just days before murders
- Brutal crime scene described: Police noted blood-soaked rooms and signs of struggle
- Tips and leads flooded in: Public sightings, shopping records, and DNA all scrutinized
- Possible Kohberger sighting in yard: Woman nearby claimed she saw him weeks earlier
- DNA evidence cracked the case: Knife sheath with DNA led police to Kohberger
- No clear motive found: Despite intense investigation, why he killed remains unknown
- Kohberger asked about his dog during arrest: Showed awareness but quickly asked for lawyer
- Odd jail behavior reported: Inmate described Kohberger’s obsessive routines behind bars
- Investigation included dating apps and Uber records: Police chased every digital and physical trail
Deep Look: Police Unseal Eerie Pre-Murder Events Following Kohberger Sentencing
BOISE, Idaho — Just hours after Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, newly unsealed police records have revealed chilling details of what transpired in the weeks leading up to the crime.
The documents, released by law enforcement late Wednesday, portray a house on edge. With unnerving encounters and unexplained disturbances reported by the victims before the Nov. 13, 2022, killings, investigators now confirm that these events were part of a wider set of clues that led them to Kohberger.
Victims Reported Suspicious Activity Before the Murders
According to statements from Bethany Funke, one of the two surviving roommates, Kaylee Goncalves reported seeing a man staring at her from a distance while taking her dog outside. The figure stood “above their house to the south,” she said. Goncalves immediately alerted her roommates, deeply disturbed by the encounter.
Just nine days before the murders, Funke recalled another unsettling moment: the group returned home to find their front door wide open and loose on its hinges. The wind was blowing through the home, and the roommates—alarmed—armed themselves with golf clubs. Xana Kernodle’s father later came to fix the door.
These incidents now appear as potential early signs of the horror that would follow.
Forensic Evidence and Lead Chasing
The November crime scene stunned investigators. According to police notes, blood was found soaked into bed linens, splattered on walls, and pooling on the floor. Kernodle, one of the victims, had deep defensive wounds—evidence of a violent struggle.
The newly released files document the intense police work that followed. Officers chased down dozens of tips, from a white male buying a ski mask at Walmart to people spotted on food truck livestreams. They examined known bar patrons, an Uber driver the victims used regularly, and even a neighbor’s report of a nervous-looking man in their yard months earlier—possibly Kohberger himself.
The Digital Trail to Kohberger
Kohberger, a Ph.D. student in criminology at nearby Washington State University, was eventually linked to the crime through DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left at the scene. Investigators also tracked his cellphone data, shopping records, and vehicle movements. Surveillance placed a white Hyundai Elantra near the victims’ residence several times before the murders.
Police even served warrants on dating apps like Tinder, trying to identify any connections Kohberger might have had with the victims through digital platforms. No meaningful ties were uncovered, leaving the motive for the killings a mystery.
His Arrest and Brief Interaction with Police
Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 at his parents’ Pennsylvania home, six weeks after the murders. During a post-arrest interview, he engaged in small talk with law enforcement about college football, criminology, and his doctoral goals.
When officers pivoted to the killings, Kohberger seemed aware of their intent, saying, “Of course” when asked if he knew what had happened in Moscow. When asked if he wanted to talk about it, he replied, “Well, I think I would need a lawyer.”
Though invoking his right to remain silent, Kohberger continued the conversation briefly, asking about his parents and his dog before the session ended.
Unsettling Behavior Behind Bars
Details from his time in jail paint a picture of strange, compulsive behavior. An inmate once housed next to Kohberger told police that he washed his hands dozens of times daily, spent nearly an hour in the shower, and kept odd hours—awake most of the night and sleeping by day.
The man described Kohberger as inquisitive and irritating, frequently asking about other inmates’ crimes and prison protocols.
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