After allegedly killing four University of Idaho students with a knife in November 2022, Bryan Kohberger called his mother multiple times. The calls were made first when he returned to his apartment in Pullman, Washington, just over the state border, and again when he revisited the scene after sunrise, as detailed in a recent report.
Kohberger, aged 30, was described by his own lawyers in court filings as socially awkward and had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This diagnosis was mentioned in an unsuccessful attempt to remove the death penalty from consideration if the case proceeded to trial. A forensic analysis revealed that he did not engage in text communications with friends or anyone beyond his family, except for one “benign” group chat.
In an interview with People, Heather Barnhart, senior director of forensic research at Cellebrite, a firm aiding law enforcement in solving cases nationwide, disclosed that Kohberger used formal terms like “Mother” and “Father” when referring to his parents in awkward text messages.
In Kaylee Goncalves’ final Instagram post, she is seen smiling on her best friend Madison Mogen’s shoulders, posing with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and their two other housemates, a day before the four students were tragically stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
Moreover, the phone analysis could have undermined his alibi, where he claimed he was stargazing on a night that was reportedly cold and cloudy according to meteorologists.
“If you’re stargazing and taking pictures of the sky, your phone needs to be on,” she said.
After his attempts to omit evidence and have the death penalty dismissed from the table were unsuccessful, Kohberger unexpectedly pleaded guilty to the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, during a hearing in early July.
Judge Steven Hippler handed down the maximum sentence possible under the terms of the plea deal – four consecutive sentences of life with no parole, plus another 10 years. He waived his right to appeal and to seek a reduced sentence.
Now he’s being housed in an individual cell at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where his fellow inmates are reportedly harassing him night and day.
