New documents have been released in the case of four University of Idaho students who were stabbed to death in November 2022.
After Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, he was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
The Moscow Police department created a web page to house documents related to the case. Hundreds of pages of redacted records reveal the sea of tips and information investigators navigated, even after Kohberger's arrest.
In the documents, Brett Payne, Moscow’s lead detective, noted a phone conversation with a woman who worked as a dancer at a club in Pennsylvania. After seeing Kohberger’s face on the news, she recalled him coming to the club on a slow day, and talking about “wanting to kill people.” She told the bouncers to keep an eye on him after that.
She said she offered him a private dance, and said the man she thought was Kohberger told her to look directly in his eyes the entire time, while he asked her questions about where she lived and what kind of car she drove.
The documents also revealed victims Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle had extensive defensive knife wounds, with some of the victims stabbed more than 30 times.
Kohberger declined to speak about the murders at the sentencing hearing. Judge Steven Hippler, the presiding judge in the case, said he will be reviewing more documents to decide what else can be made public in the future.
At a press conference after the sentencing, detectives said Kohberger had no social media connection to the victims. Questions remain about the motive for the killings, and the murder weapon has still not been found.
Families of the victims have created ways for the legacies of the four students to be honored, and to help others.
The Chapin family created the Ethan’s Smile Foundation which provides scholarships to Northwest students. The Made With Kindness Foundation, in memory of Maddie, Kaylee and Xana, provides scholarship opportunities for programs and workshops addressing student safety.
“From the very beginning, this case was about four young lives lost too soon. We never lost sight of that. I’m proud of the work our officers have done and grateful for the support of our local, state, and federal partners,” said Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger in a press release after Kohberger was sentenced. “Our community showed strength and resolve, and we hope the conclusion of this case provides some measure of peace for the families and the City of Moscow.”
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