BOISE, Idaho — Newly released documents paint a clearer picture of Bryan Kohberger’s life both before the University of Idaho murders and while sitting in jail awaiting trial.
These documents were released for free by the Moscow Police Department hours after Kohberger’s sentencing was handed down. The documents also list the injuries of the victims in much more graphic detail than ever before. The documents are available online here.
Kohberger’s Time as a WSU Teaching Assistant
According to a former Washington State University teaching assistant who was interviewed by police, he and Kohberger shared an office during the 2022 Fall semester.
The teaching assistant said he considered Kohberger a friend, but that Kohberger would have him complete work that Kohberger was supposed to be doing. Kohberger also liked to talk about criminal decision-making and burglary-type crimes.
Around the time the murders took place, Kohberger went to the teaching assistant’s dorm to give him a ride to class. Court documents say that during that time, Kohberger began talking more than usual.
The teaching assistant also added that Kohberger tried to use his authority to “inappropriately interact with female students” and was at risk of losing his TA position over an issue with a professor at WSU.
Kohberger asked the teaching assistant to help fight the allegations, but he refused.
The teaching assistant also noticed marks on Kohberger in October and November of 2022 that looked like fingernail scratches. Kohberger also had wounds on his knuckles, which Kohberger said were because he had been in a car accident.
A Conversation With a Tinder Date
Other documents revealed that Kohberger discussed criminology and murder with a woman he matched with on Tinder around the time of the murders.
Kohberger told the woman that he was a criminology student and the woman shared how her friend had been murdered in her town a few years earlier. The conversation then went on to talk about horror movies.
Kohberger asked her what she thought would be the worst way to die. The woman then told Kohberger she thought the worst way to die was by a knife, to which Kohberger added something to the effect of “like a Ka Bar?”
The woman said she eventually stopped talking to Kohberger because his questions made her uncomfortable.
After Kohberger was arrested, the woman called in a tip about her conversation with Kohberger and the Ka Bar knife comment. Court documents say that at that time, her story could not be corroborated because she did not have access to her Tinder profile anymore and could not get her user ID.
Jail Inmate’s Impression of Kohberger
In September of last year, investigators into the Kohberger case spoke with a Latah County Jail inmate who had been housed next to Kohberger from August of 2024 until he was transported to Ada County.
The inmate says Kohberger was “highly intelligent and polite for the most part.” Kohberger would also ask questions about the inmate’s past criminal offenses and why he was locked up.
The inmate told investigators that Kohberger would be “awake almost all night and would only take a nap during the day.”
On one occasion, the inmate says Kohberger was video chatting with his mother, something that happened for hours each day, while he was watching sports. The inmate then told one of the players they ‘sucked,’ and Kohberger got up and aggressively asked if the inmate was talking about him or his mother.
The inmate says that was the only time he saw Kohberger lose his temper.
Court documents say Kohberger never talked about the charges he was facing with the inmate, but did say he was excited to move to Ada County.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen while the four were students at the University of Idaho in 2022.
Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole on Wednesday, as well as a 10-year sentence for burglary for breaking into the Moscow home.
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