Chilling Idaho murder details finally emerge from 'motive' to horrific injuries

In the early hours of Sunday, November 13, 2022, horror came to the University of Idaho.

PhD student Bryan Kohberger broke into an off-campus rental property in the close-knit college town of Moscow, Idaho, where he ruthlessly murdered Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Xana's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20.

Two other housemates were also present when the slaughter unfolded, but escaped unharmed. For years, the community has had to continue on in the shadow of an unthinkable tragedy. Number 1122 King Road, the house where the killings took place, has since been demolished, but memories of this terrible time continue to linger.

Until recently, details of the shocking case have been kept under wraps to ensure that Kohberger could undergo a fair trial, leaving loved ones with many questions.

Now - after taking a plea deal to avoid a death sentence - the 30-year-old has been handed four life sentences without the possibility of parole, following more than two hours of heart-wrenching statements from bereaved families. Handing down sentencing on July 23, Judge Steven Hippler said: "I'm unable to find anything redeemable about Mr Kohberger. His actions have made him the worst of the worst."

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Warped 'motive'

In their book The Idaho Murders, extracts of which have been published in the Mail Online, writers James Patterson and Vicky Ward offer an insight into the warped mind of Kohberger.

Nicknamed "the ghost" by classmates at DeSales University, anti-social Kohberger was known for his fascination with killers, in particular, Elliot Rodger.

Regarded as an early influence on incel culture, Rodger, 22, went on a shooting rampage in 2014 as revenge against rejection by women, detailing his frustrations in a lengthy manifesto. The wealthy student killed six, before turning the gun on himself.

Drawing parallels between Kohberger and Rodger, Patterson and Ward detailed how Kohberger had a hatred of women, and was infuriated by attractive girls he perceived as "Stacys" who would date handsome "Chads".

One day in class, Kohberger was apparently caught unprepared by a question posed by female lecturer Dr Hillary Mellinger, a specialist in the field of gender-based violence. Humiliated and red-faced with rage, misogynist Kohberger is said to have later gone for an evening drive and headed to a restaurant he'd heard about online, the Mad Greek.

It was here that Madison "Maddie" Mogen, one of the four Idaho victims, worked part-time alongside her studies. Marketing major Maddie was blonde, pretty, and interested in fashion and beauty products. In Kohberger's twisted view of the world, she was a 'Stacy' - the book claimed - and he did not take kindly when she spurned his awkward advances.

In The Idaho Murders, which will be published July 31, Patterson and Ward detailed the apparent interaction that unfolded. They wrote: "Maddie wipes down a table and turns to get fresh cutlery to seat new customers. Then she notices him. Unusual-looking. Intense bulging eyes. Thin, almost emaciated. And pale, almost ghost white. He’s staring at her intently. Maddie is used to male attention, but this time it feels uncomfortable. ‘I’m Bryan,’ he says. ‘What’s your name?’ Maddie hesitates, then tells him. Why wouldn’t she? Everyone here knows it.

"He asks, ‘Would you like to go out sometime?’ This is an easy one, Maddie thinks. The idea of going out with this strange-looking guy is surreal. Maddie is anything but easy, even for guys she likes. And she doesn’t know or like this one. She flicks back her hair. ‘Uh, no,’ she says. She smiles, laughs a bit. It’s a nervous habit she has, especially with guys she turns down. She doesn’t mean anything rude by it.

"But this guy looks at her strangely, like he doesn’t believe what he’s hearing. He gets up slowly, still staring at her, and walks out. Maddie shakes her head and goes about her business. She doesn’t see the guy walk to his car, a white Hyundai Elantra, sit in the driver’s seat, and type her name into his phone."

Stalking campaign

Newly released police records suggest that Kohberger carried out a practice run one month before the murders.

From July 2022 right through to November 13, 2022, Kohberger’s phone pinged in the vicinity of the three-storey student house at least 23 times, with the timings indicating that he mostly visited under the cover of darkness.

Chillingly, housemates would reportedly make "lighthearted talk and jokes" about a potential stalker, but "were slightly nervous about it being a fact". There were also a few incidents which stood out as being strange.

It's understood that victim Kaylee had confided in at least two friends about having spotted a man watching her from the trees just outside the house where she would be ruthlessly murdered.

Meanwhile, survivor Dylan Mortensen spoke of how Kaylee had described seeing the ‘shadow’ while taking her pet dog Murphy outside. Dylan also opened up about how, just two or three weeks before the tragedy, Kaylee had mentioned being followed by someone.

These accounts were supported by another unnamed friend, who told officers that Kaylee had seen a dark figure staring at her from the trees while she was outside with Murphy.

Devastating injuries

Officers responding to the terrible scene noted that there was so much blood that it was initially difficult to determine what injuries some of the victims had suffered. In a police report seen by the Idaho Statesman, one officer said: “I was unable to comprehend exactly what I was looking at while trying to discern the nature of the injuries." The recent Amazon Prime series, One Night In Idaho, showed blood seeping through the outside walls of the property.

Kaylee and Madison were found together in the latter's bedroom on the third floor, lying on a single bed covered with a blood-soaked pink blanket.

Discussing how her daughter had been "trapped" during the attack, Kristi said: “The side where Kaylee was, was up against the wall. And if you can imagine, Kaylee in an upright sort of position – up in the corner – slumped. I mean she was trapped. The bed was the entire room. You could barely open up the door without swiping the foot of the bed - and it was wall. The headboard was up against the wall.”

It's been theorised that evil Kohberger had only intended to target Madison, and hadn't expected to find her close friend Kaylee in her bed. It was noted that Madison had a wound to her face, as well as lacerations to her upper body, with fatal injuries to her liver and left lung.

During an appearance on the Today show, Kaylee's father, Steve Goncalves, described the stabbing injuries his daughter suffered as comparable to "drowning". Appearing alongside Kaylee's mother, Kristi Goncalves, Steve shared: “She had definitely been stabbed multiple times, and they kind of described it as a drowning that can occur. But she did say gagging; [Kohberger] struck her in the face.”

Kristi also detailed how Kaylee had sustained a broken nose, septal hematomas, asphyxial injuries and defence wounds to her arms during the attack. She said: "She [was] stabbed many, many times. But how many, we don’t know."

As explained in a police report obtained by ABC News, Kaylee's injuries had “made her unrecognisable." The report asserted: "Madison appeared to be laying up against Kaylee. Madison had what appeared to be wounds to her forearm and hands. Madison had a gash under her right eye, which appeared to go from the corner of her eye to her nose. Kaylee was unrecognisable as her facial structure was extremely damaged."

Xana and Ethan, who were in a relationship, were found in Xana’s bedroom. It was determined that Ethan suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck, severing his jugular vein, subclavian vein and artery. Xana, who was stabbed more than 50 times, died from lacerations to the heart and lungs. The medical examiner concluded that the majority of her wounds were defensive, sustained while fighting off the killer.

Faulty lock

Known as a party house, it reportedly wasn't unusual for students to pop in and out of Number 1122 King Road at all hours. Friends of the housemates knew that they could easily get access via the sliding doors by the kitchen, which had a broken lock. All party guests had to do to release the door was lift up the mechanism.

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