Bryan Kohberger Updates: Victims resemble Kohberger's bullies, classmate (2024)

• Bryan Kohberger briefly appeared in a Latah County courtroom this morning for a status hearing. The 28-year-old is accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in mid-November.
• Today, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, a preliminary hearing was set for June 26. Jason LaBar, the public defender who represented Kohberger in Pennsylvania, said his client is "eager to be exonerated."
• Attorneys, investigators and others are barred from talking about the case publicly after an Idaho judge issued a gag order prohibiting those involved from discussing anything "reasonably likely to interfere with a fair trial."
• The probable cause affidavit, released last Thursday, gave chilling insight into how police linked Kohberger to the gruesome case and tracked him down. A motive remains under investigation.

Live updates have ended.

04:45 PM EST

Victims Resemble Kohberger's Bullies, Classmate Says

Bryan Kohberger was reportedly "tortured" by girls in middle school, a former classmate said.

A former classmate of Kohberger's, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail that the murder suspect was bullied in middle school.

"The whole clique of popular girls made fun of him in school," the classmate said. "They were the cheerleaders and the ones that every kid had crushes on."

The classmate said these girls "literally tortured" Kohberger in middle school.

Former friends of Kohberger said he was a heavy-set kid who was often made fun of by other kids. He reportedly also lost a significant amount of weight his senior year of high school, but it wasn't just his appearance that changed.

Tom Arntz, the father of Kohberger's former friend, told KXLY-TV that Kohberger "got pretty aggressive" with his son later in high school.

Another classmate made a chilling comparison to the victims of the quadruple murder.

"It's interesting to me that the girls he's accused of killing were nice looking and seemingly popular, much like the ones that made fun of him throughout his childhood," the classmate said, according to Daily Mail.

Before Kohberger was arrested, former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer theorized that the killer is someone with "perverted thoughts and anger toward women."

"They're known as incels... who has watched this house, who is seeing all of these beautiful girls go in and out, and their rage and their own personal, horrific desires, they realized that night," she told Newsweek.

"Somebody still in that area, somebody that has seen these beautiful girls because only girls live there, right? An individual with absolutely horrible, murderous desires against these women, a femicide-type case, and it came to a boiling point combined with an opportunity."

04:02 PM EST

Inmate Reportedly Threatened to 'Kill' Kohberger

An inmate allegedly threatened University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger inside a Pennsylvania jail.

A source told NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield that Kohberger was housed in a cell with a glass door with little privacy.

"F**k you, I'm going to kill you," an inmate reportedly said with his middle finger raised to Kohberger as he sat in the cell.

The source also said Kohberger looked "creepy" and did not appear remorseful or distressed while he was in the Monroe County jail for five days. He reportedly did not speak to people while in custody.

When he was asked why he killed the four students, the source said he responded, "I didn't do anything." When asked why he even went to Moscow, Idaho, Kohberger reportedly said, "The shopping is better in Idaho."

03:56 PM EST

What's Next in the Idaho Murder Case?

Bryan Kohberger, the 28-year-old man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, won't be back in court for months.

Kohberger appeared for a status hearing this morning in Latah County, Idaho, his third court appearance since being arrested on the murder charges.

The defense's request to delay Kohberger's preliminary hearing to obtain discovery was granted Thursday morning. Kohberger waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing, it is now set for Monday, June 26.

He is being held without bail in a Latah County jail.

03:03 PM EST

Ex-FBI Agent Says Kohberger Posted About Murder

There is speculation online that University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger could have been commenting about the case in online forums under a pseudonym prior to his arrest.

Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer has been following the Facebook user PappaRodger and Redditor InsideLooking, who have made posts speculating about the murders.

PapperRodger posted in a Facebook called "University of Murders - Case Discussion prior to Kohberger's arrest.

In one post, the account said, "I feel like the white car isn't relevant."

Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra was instrumental in his arrest, police outline in the affidavit.

Coffindaffer alleges that Kohberger is behind these accounts.

Redditor InsideLooking wrote in the MoscowMurders Reddit group making several speculations, some of which turned out to be true, according to the Daily Mail. The validity of some claims were only confirmed after Kohberger's arrest and the release of the affidavit.

This includes a post from PappaRodger on Nov. 30 that read: "Of the evidence released, the murder weapon has been consistent as a large fixed blade knife. This lead me to believe that found the sheath. This evidence was released prior to autopsies."

Police said they found a knife sheath at the scene of the crime and used DNA found on it to arrest Kohberger.

Other people in these online forums appeared to also find the poster suspicious.

One of the posts read, "Killer parked behind the house. Approached property through tree line. Entered sliding door and left it open."

Under one Reddit post from InsideLooking speculating about the murder, a user commented, "Dude is solving his own crime... Psycho."

In the Facebook group, one user accused PappaRodger of communicating "like a serial killer."

PappaRodger was later removed from the Facebook group, on the night before Kohberger was arrested, according to the group administrator. She added that the user created another group page but hasn't been hear from since the arrest was made.

Trial lawyer Trent Copeland said killers of this nature tend to "want the attention, they tend to want to be the smartest person in the chat rooms, so to speak."

"If it can be established that he knew things and was publishing things on Reddit as these various people... if it can be established that he knew these things before police knew them, before they wee publicly available, then those things are huge from an evidentiary standpoint," he said on NewsNation.

Another chilling post comes amid a discussion about why the killer left the surviving roommates alive. About a month ago, InsideLooking posted that "sometimes killers are just satisfied by the number of people they killed."

Coffindaffer said on NewsNation that said this is "purposeful."

She said this post, if it is, in fact, from the killer, indicates "that he took joy in this and that he killed the individuals that he targeted and wanted to see dead."

Kohberger's Reddit activity was already an area of interest for investigators.

According to the probable cause affidavit released by the Idaho court, Kohberger posted a Reddit survey asking for participants to provide information to "understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision making when committing a crime."

02:33 PM EST

Ethan Chapin's Siblings Return to Campus

The siblings of University of Idaho murder victim Ethan Chapin, who also attend the university, returned to campus this week.

Chapin's mother, Stacy, wrote in a Facebook post that she dropped off Hunter and Mazie, who were triplets with Ethan, at campus Tuesday ahead of the spring semester.

She described her kids as "rockstars."

"Hunter was very glad to be back at the fraternity and Maizie was warming up to the idea but it was so good to hear all of the girls squeal with delight upon seeing her," she wrote in a post.

She added that their job is to "just be kids" and "start where they left off."

Chapin thanked the university and local police for their "profound" support and said that anything Ethan or the family had pertaining to the case "is now frozen with defense."

"We've met with prosecutors, handled media inquiries (hopefully respectfully), managed, grieved, talked and continue to try and process our new normal," Stacy wrote. "However, nothing has changed. We spend no time being angry. That would be energy not well spent and it still wouldn't change the outcome. We have to look ahead."

01:46 PM EST

What Did Kohberger Say in Court Today?

Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger sat with cuts on his face, wearing an orange shirt in court Thursday, only speaking when answering the judge's questions.

Kohberger was seated to the right of his attorney, public defender Anne Taylor, inside a Latah County, Idaho courtroom. About two-and-a-half minutes into the five minute long hearing, the judge asked Kohberger questions related to waiving his right to a speedy trial.

"Mr. Kohberger, I need to speak to you for a moment," Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall said.

"If you waive your right to a speedy preliminary hearing... it simply means that you would not be able to come back and challenge that the state did not present probable cause within 14 days," Marshall said. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Kohberger answered.

"Have you had enough time to speak with Ms. Taylor about your decision to waive your right to a speedy preliminary hearing?" Marshall asked.

"Yes," Kohberger answered.

"Do you need any additional time to do so?" the judge asked Kohberger, he replied "no."

She concluded by asking Kohberger if he is "waiving your right to a speedy preliminary hearing and agreeing that that hearing can be held outside the 14 day period?"

Kohberger answered "yes."

The 28-year-old is facing five charges, four counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of burglary.

01:14 PM EST

Police to End Public Comments Amid Gag Order

A gag order has been issued in the University of Idaho murder case, impacting what police can share with the public.

Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall gave the non-dissemination order last week before suspect Bryan Kohberger first appeared in Idaho court.

The order "prohibits any communication by investigators, law enforcement personnel, attorneys, and agents of the prosecuting attorney or defense attorney concerning this case," the Moscow Police Department said in a news release.

Moscow Police said the department, therefore, will "no longer be communicating with the public or the media regarding this case."

This gag order impacts the prosecution, defense, police and investigators assisting either side.

"That basically says that members of the prosecution, the defense, the police, investigators for the defense can't make comments outside court, the Law & Crime Network's Angenette Levy said.

The judge's order prohibits all parties involved in the case from "making extrajudicial statements, written or oral, concerning this case, other than a quotation from or reference to, without comment, the public records."

This covers evidence in the case, character, credibility or criminal record, opinions on the case's merits and other matter that could interfere with a fair trial.

This means, for example, the prosecution cannot grant interviews explaining why they think Kohberger is guilty.

While this gag order covers statements made out of court, is does not deal with documents filed within court.

A sealed document, such as the police search warrant, are different.

"That means those documents can't be seen by anybody right now, except for the people who filled them out or the people in court," Levy said. "That means there's information in there that we want to keep secret and we believe there are reasons why."

Attorneys will have to argue to the court why they want to keep certain documents sealed.

Two search warrants in connection with the quadruple murder case were sealed in a Washington state court this week.

A Whitman County judge sealed the files after prosecutors argued that "premature public disclosure" could threaten law enforcement, the integrity of the investigation and public safety.

The documents will be sealed for two months, but the judge left open the option to make them public sooner if appropriate.

12:45 PM EST

Kohberger Seen With Cuts on His Face

Murder suspect Bryan Kohberger's appearance in court raised speculation online Thursday.

Kohberger was seen with cuts or scratches on his face during his court appearance.

These lacerations were not apparent when Kohberger appeared in court one week ago.

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Kohberger murder trial judge will hear grand jury challenges mostly out of public’s view - East Idaho News

CBS News' Lilia Luciano said she was not close enough to Kohberger in court to notice the scratches, but said you can "see them clearly" on the closeup video feed from court.

There is much speculation online about how Kohberger got those cuts or scratches. Some said he may have been hit while in jail, while other suggested he may have cut himself while shaving.

According to the Daily Beast, Latah County Sheriff Richie Skiles confirmed that Kohberger's facial laceration is "a shaving cut this morning."

12:15 PM EST

No Plea Yet, No Bail Set

Bryan Kohberger, the 28-year-old accused in the gruesome murders of four University of Idaho students, has not yet entered a plea.

Kohberger, a Washington State University graduate student, appeared in court for just five minutes this morning.

He is being held without bail in a Latah County jail as he awaits his preliminary hearing in June. It is also unclear if prosecutors will pursue the death penalty.

Today marked his third court appearance, two of which were held in Idaho. The first was in Pennsylvania earlier this month, where Kohberger waived his extradition hearing and was brought back to Idaho. He was arrested at his parent's home in Pennsylvania nearly seven weeks after the crime.

11:51 AM EST

Suspect Waives Right to Speedy Trial

During the hearing Thursday, Bryan Kohberger confirmed to the judge that he waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing.

The defense asked the Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall to set the preliminary hearing for the summer to allow time to obtain discovery.

Kohberger's council, public defender Anne Taylor, also asked for four to five days for the preliminary hearing.

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson had no objection to this request, noting that the defense emailed him prior to this hearing with her proposal.

Judge Marshall then explained to Kohberger what it means to waive his right to a speedy trial. He confirmed that he understood his decision and did not need additional time to consult with his council.

Before she adjourned, the Judge said that there will be "no bail at this point in time pending further proceedings."

Kohberger will remain in police custody until his preliminary hearing at the end of June.

11:36 AM EST

Will There be a Change of Venue?

Bryan Kohberger appeared in a Latah County courtroom Thursday morning wearing an orange t-shirt for his status hearing.

During the brief appearance, NewsNation reporter Brian Entin said Kohberger didn't look back at anyone in the audience and answered the judge's questions.

Today's hearing lasted just minutes. The main purpose was to schedule a preliminary hearing, which was set for June 26.

From his observation, Entin said the families of the victims were not present in court today. Some were seated in the front row for last week's court appearance.

Entin also said a change of venue may be a possibility, as many in the small town are connected to the University of Idaho and some to the victims. He said this matter was not discussed officially in court, but chatter among the town. The change of venue would be to ensure a fair trial.

11:21 AM EST

Preliminary Hearing Set for June

Bryan Kohberger's preliminary hearing has been set, according to reporters inside the courtroom for his status hearing.

The University of Idaho murder suspect will next appear in court on June 26 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET for his preliminary hearing.

Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial to give his council more time to review the information of the case before he decides his plea.

No bail was set by the judge.

10:57 AM EST

Kohberger Expected in Court Soon

University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger will appear in an Idaho court for a "status hearing" soon.

This comes one week after his initial Idaho court appearance and almost two months after the four students were stabbed to death in an off-campus home.

During the hearing, a magistrate judge will discuss scheduling with Kohberger's attorney and the prosecutor.

Kohberger is expected to appear in court at 11 a.m. ET. There will be no live streaming or live tweeting are allowed inside the courtroom.

10:32 AM EST

Security, Counseling Increased on University Campus

Most University of Idaho students returned to campus Wednesday after winter break, the first time back in Moscow, Idaho since a suspect in the quadruple murder was arrested.

University of Idaho student Kobi Dooley told WPMT-TV that students feel safer after Bryan Kohberger's arrest.

"I feel pretty good, we've had a lot of extra campus security and I think we all feel a lot safer knowing that person is now at least in custody and everything like that," she said. "There's a lot of good services, the counseling center, there's a lot of support for us here, and I think the college did a good job coming together."

University of Idaho President Scott Green previously told students there would be increased security and access to counseling when they returned for the spring semester.

"Classes in self-defense, vigilance, stalking awareness, healthy relationships and more, as well as the distribution of personal safety devices, will continue as planned," Green said in an email in December. "Additional security personnel have been added to the university's security team and local law enforcement will increase patrols on campus and in nearby neighborhoods."

For some students, this is the first time back on campus since the Thanksgiving break.

"I haven't been here for probably two months, I left for Thanksgiving break, didn't come back, and then winter break, and now coming back," student Yvonne Vinceri told WPMT. "I think the University of Idaho has done a really good job of supporting their students and I think, being such a small area I think everybody leans on each other and they do a great job of it."

President Green told the student body that the next few months will be "tough."

"While we cannot bring back Maddie, Kaylee, Xana and Ethan, we can thoughtfully and purposefully carry their legacy forward in the work we do," Green wrote in the December email. "The next few months will be tough on their friends and families as the legal system begins the process of publicly prosecuting these crimes to bring justice. Let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers and continue to stand #vandalstrong."

09:53 AM EST

Goncalves Seen on Police Bodycam Months Before Murders

Moscow Police have released bodycam footage showing an officer speaking with victim Kaylee Goncalves at the home where the quadruple murder took place months prior.

On Aug. 16, 2022, three months before the stabbings, officers responded to noise complaints at the home on King Road.

The officers gave Goncalves a verbal warning for disturbing the peace after neighbors complained about noise. He said a noise ticket was up to at least $300 dollars.

Goncalves, a senior at the University of Idaho, was calm and respectful to the officer and gave him her information and phone number.

The officer told her she was responsible for the noise coming from the house and everyone inside it and she would receive a ticket if he had to come back later that afternoon due to noise.

08:55 AM EST

Potential Defense Strategy Unlikely To Succeed

A potential defense strategy that Bryan Kohberger's lawyers could look to use is unlikely to succeed, according to a criminal defense attorney.

Duncan Levin, a former federal prosecutor and managing partner of Levin & Associates, said the defense may consider asking the court to move the trial elsewhere.

The "intense publicity" surrounding the case has to be considered because it may "make it difficult for him to get a fair trial," Levin told Newsweek.

"I'd say it's exceedingly unlikely that a change of venue motion is going to be granted, in part because there's no reason to believe that the publicity has been worse in Idaho than it is anywhere else."

08:35 AM EST

Reporters Banned From Live Streaming Court Proceedings

Reporters are not allowed to live stream Thursday's court hearing.

However, video streaming is allowed in the courtroom so footage will be available after the proceedings end, according to NewsNation's Brian Entin.

The hearing will begin in Courtroom 1 of the Latah County Courthouse at 8 a.m. PST.

08:11 AM EST

Idaho Victim's Mother Pens Touching Tribute

Ethan Chapin's mother posted a touching tribute to her son on Facebook on Wednesday.

Stacy Chapin described her son as loyal, carefree and "just the best person you could ever meet" in a post on Facebook.

She also said that two vehicles, Ethan's belongings and a set of golf clubs were "now frozen with the defense."

"Nothing has changed" following the arrest of a suspect, she added. "We spend no time being angry. That would be energy not well spent and it still wouldn't change the outcome. We have to look ahead.

07:52 AM EST

Attorney Points Out 'Holes' in Idaho Affidavit

Jason LaBar, the attorney who represented Kohberger in Pennsylvania before he was extradited to Idaho, says the probable cause affidavit presents a "strong circ*mstantial case" but has "holes."

The affidavit outlined how investigators used DNA evidence, surveillance footage and cellphone records to connect Kohberger to the November 13 slayings.

But LaBar said the document outlined "no direct evidence" against Kohberger.

"I thought it was a strong circ*mstantial case that had holes and that could be exposed by a competent, good defense attorney," he told NewsNation's Brian Entin.

Those holes could be "cleared up" by the prosecution, he said. "You anticipate it as defense counsel that they're going to have additional evidence to clear this up," he said.

07:46 AM EST

University of Idaho Students Return

University of Idaho students resumed classes after winter break on Wednesday.

The murders of November 13 led to almost half of the university's students leaving Moscow and choosing to take classes remotely as weeks went by without an arrest.

Among those who returned to campus this week were victim Ethan Chapin's siblings.

"The students are back and enrollments are looking good," university spokesperson Jodi Walker told the Associated Press.

"I think everybody's happy to be back under the circ*mstances. They're relieved that an arrest has been made, and ready to focus on the semester."

The university has posted resources to help students and their families here.

07:08 AM EST

Neighbor Says Kohberger Discussed Idaho Murders With Him

A neighbor who lives in Bryan Kohberger's apartment building in Pullman, Washington, says they spoke about the murders days after they occurred.

The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told CBS News that Kohberger "brought it up in conversation" a few days after November 13.

"[He] asked if I had heard about the murders, which I did. And then he said, 'Yeah, seems like they have no leads. Seems like it was a crime of passion,'" the neighbor said.

"At the time of our conversation, it was only a few days after it happened so there wasn't much details out."

06:53 AM EST

Kohberger Won't Get Fair Trial In Idaho, Public Defender Says

Jason LaBar, the public defender who represented Bryan Kohberger in Pennsylvania, does not believe he can get a fair trial in Idaho.

"There is no way he can get a fair trial in Moscow, Idaho. I don't know if he can get a fair trial in Idaho," LaBar told NewsNation's Brian Entin.

LaBar said that's due to the massive amount of attention the case has attracted in the news media and on social media.

"This has blown up on social media to a point where most people ages of 18 to 25 have actually posted comments on it," he said.

"People are too free to express their views without repercussions... and in this case, a lot of people have already expressed either guilt or innocence and really neither helps either the prosecution or defense."

06:24 AM EST

What Will Happen At Bryan Kohberger's Court Appearance Today

Bryan Kohberger will today appear before a magistrate judge in Courtroom 1 of the Latah County Courthouse.

Today's hearing is a status conference that is set to begin at 8 a.m. PST.

During the hearing, the magistrate judge will discuss the scheduling of court dates with Kohberger's attorney and the prosecutor.

Other things could happen that might change the trajectory of the case, such as Kohberger waiving his right to a speedy trial or deciding to skip the preliminary hearing.

Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He has yet to enter a plea.

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