A newly uncovered detail has surfaced in the tragic case involving the murder of four University of Idaho students.
Criminology graduate Bryan Kohberger is set to face trial for the murders of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, as well as 20-year-olds Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. The students were discovered deceased in their shared off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.
As the trial for the 30-year-old approaches, scheduled for July 30, a poignant detail has been revealed. It appears Madison and Kaylee considered leaving their home to grab a late-night snack, after returning from an outing with their roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.
Mortensen and Funke survived the horrific event as they were in their bedrooms during the time of the attack, unbeknownst to the perpetrator.
This information has come to light following a court order by Judge Steven Hippler. The judge approved a request from prosecutors to use text exchanges and a 911 call from the surviving roommates as evidence during the trial.
The evidence specifies that Funke, Mogen, Mortensen, and Goncalves gathered in Goncalves’ room to chat about their night. The court order notes that they “talked for a while before going to bed” around 2 a.m.
The court documents state: “The roommates debated going out to a food truck for a late snack, prompting D.M. to send text at 2:10 a.m. to an Uber driver she knew to see if he was driving.”
“Ultimately, however, the girls decided to just go to bed.”
At that time, Kernodle and her boyfriend Chapin remained out enjoying their evening.
The killings are believed to have occurred between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m., with the murderer fleeing the scene shortly thereafter. Mortensen was reportedly the only individual to see the assailant, describing him as a masked man with “bushy eyebrows.”
Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt confirmed that each of the students died from stabbing, noting they had been “butchered.”
Nearly two months elapsed before authorities apprehended and charged Kohberger, who had traveled to his parents’ home in Pennsylvania and was arrested in the Scranton area.
The trial is scheduled to commence on July 30, beginning with jury selection, and is expected to continue for three months. Court documents indicate that if Kohberger is found guilty, jurors will need time to deliberate over the possibility of the death penalty.