Photos have surfaced showing the harrowing evidence left behind by Bryan Kohberger after he brutally murdered four University of Idaho students.
On November 13, 2022, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves were brutally murdered in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
At around 4AM, Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University, is believed to have entered the home through a sliding door, making his way up to the second floor, where he killed Mogen and Goncalves, both 21, in their shared bedroom.
Afterward, he encountered Kernodle, 20, who had returned to her room after a food delivery, and killed her. He then made his way to her bedroom, where he found 20-year-old Chapin sleeping and murdered him.
Kohberger left behind a bloody crime scene and several pieces of evidence that would eventually lead authorities to him.
Newly Released Photos Reveal Crucial Evidence
In a recent release of previously withheld evidence, photos have emerged showing some of the most damning items left behind by the killer at the crime scene.
Among the most critical pieces of evidence was a size 13 shoeprint leading from the back door of the house into the snow, as well as a knife sheath found in Mogen’s room, covered in blood-soaked sheets.
The sheath, which was for a KA-BAR-style combat knife, matched the weapon used in the brutal stabbings.
The weapon, found on Mogen’s bed, was a crucial piece of evidence that connected Kohberger to the murders, as his DNA traces were on it.
While authorities initially thought the sheath was left behind to mislead the investigation, further analysis indicated it was likely dropped in a panic during the attack.
In addition to this, investigators also discovered Kohberger had purchased a set of knives months earlier, linking the weapon used in the killings to him.
The graphic images from the crime scene provided the closest look yet at the gruesome aftermath of the murders.
However, following public requests and privacy concerns, the Idaho State Police temporarily removed the photos from their website for further review.
“Following adjudication of the criminal case, the Idaho State Police received a large volume of public records requests seeking the photographs,” a spokesperson for the department said in a statement.
“In making the redactions, the Idaho State Police also chose to follow Judge Marshall’s permanent injunction, which required the City of Moscow to redact areas of the photographs depicting ‘any portion of the bodies of the decedents or the blood immediately surrounding them.’”
”After questions were raised, the records were temporarily removed for further review to ensure the appropriate balance between privacy concerns and public transparency was struck," they added, per The New York Post.
Kohberger’s Arrest and Plea Deal
Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 at his family home in Pennsylvania. After being charged with the murders of the four students, he pleaded guilty to all counts in a controversial plea deal that spared him the death penalty.
In July 2023, he was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
In the aftermath of his arrest, Kohberger's sister, Mel Kohberger, spoke out about her brother's troubled past and shared the pain and confusion she felt after learning of his involvement in the killings.
She revealed that her brother spent Christmas with the family just days before his arrest, participating in holiday activities and enjoying time with loved ones.
She also shared that she never suspected he was capable of such violence, explaining: “I have always been a person who has spoken up for what was right, if I ever had a reason to believe my brother did anything, I would have turned him in," per the New York Times.
Mel also told the outlet that Kohberger had struggled with addiction in the past, battling heroin use after being severely bullied in high school.
He ended up undergoing treatment and then pursued a career in criminology, eventually earning a Ph.D. from Washington State University.
His family had hoped for a successful future for him, but those hopes were shattered when his crimes were revealed.
The Black Heart Symbol and Public Scrutiny
Kohberger was seen drawing a black heart during his sentencing hearing, a symbol that sparked online speculation about his dark nature.
Mel later explained that she had drawn the heart herself as a gesture of support for her brother.
Despite the public's scrutiny and the widespread online investigation into the case, she has insisted that she had no idea what her brother had done until the FBI arrested him.
“It’s confusing it’s painful. It’s like being victimized but not really being a victim,” she said.