In 2022, four University of Idaho college students: Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 were brutally murdered at their rental house in Moscow, Idaho. The case terrified the small college town and drew international attention. Here is a timeline of events beginning with the night of the murders to present time.

November 13, 2022

According to NBC News, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, all four victims returned to their rental house after a typical college Saturday night out. One of the two surviving roommates woke up around 4:00 a.m., to what she thought was one of the roommates playing with her dog. The surviving roommate even thought she heard one of her roommates saying, “someone is here.” This roommate opened her door three separate times. During the last time she looked outside her room, the roommate claimed she saw a man in dark clothes and a baseball hat, who walked by her. She returned to her room and locked herself in her room out of fear and shock. A call was made to 911, approximately 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, reporting an unconscious person on the second floor landing. The police arrived and discovered the four dead bodies with stab wounds. The 911 call was never released.

November 16, 2022

Three days later, the Moscow Police Department held a news conference about the four murders. They said it was a targeted attack, but they did not have a suspect yet and indicated that the town should not be afraid. The next day, the Latah County Coroner’s Office released the cause of death of all four students: sharp force trauma. The next day, the police revealed that the victims were each stabbed with a large knife while asleep, although two students showed signs of defense wounds.

Moscow Police Chief Fry said, ““We cannot say there’s no threat to the community.” “There were other people home at that time, but we’re not just focusing just on them, we’re focusing on everybody that may be coming and going from that residence.”

November 18, 2022

Police released an aerial map tracing the victims final steps that night. Kaylee Goncalves and Madison  Mogen, were at a local bar from 10:00 pm to 1:30am. They left the bar and stopped  at a food truck around 1:40 am. Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle went to a fraternity party around 8:00 pm, and returned home approximately at 1:45 am. Consistent with phone records and nearby security cameras, police  narrowed down the time of the murder to be between 4:05 am to 4:25am.

 

December 7, 2022

On December 7, police asked the public for help in identifying a possible vehicle in which police indicated the driver could help them in their search. A white Hyundai Elantra was seen on nearby security cameras. The car was seen passing the house several times the night of the murder. The model of the car was said to be anywhere from 2011 to 2016.

December 15, 2022

Bryan Kohberger was stopped twice by Indiana State Police, while he, along with his father, were on his way from the University of Washington to their family home in Pennsylvania. Police stopped Kohberger for driving behind a car too closely. Both times he was let off with a warning. The Indiana police did not know that Kohberger was a suspect in the deaths of the four Idaho students.

December 27, 2022

DNA evidence was found on a knife sheath that forensics  found lying on the bed next to one of the victims. The DNA evidence strongly matched Kohberger, which they were then able to link through a genealogy testing database. To confirm the DNA, police were able to test trash from  Kohberger’s parents house. The DNA was confirmed to be consistent with that of the trash DNA that matched Bryan Kohberger’s father.  Police had enough evidence to make an arrest.

December 30, 2022

Police arrested Kohberger early in the morning at his parents’ Pennsylvania house.

Police Chief James Fry said, “No arrest will ever bring back these young students. However, we do believe justice will be found through the criminal process.”

January 4, 2023

Kohberger is sent to Idaho to face the charges: 4 counts of murder in the first degree and felony burglary.

Bryan Kohberger’s was arrested at his parents’
home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. He was
extradited back to Idaho and was booked at the
Latah Sheriff’s Office.

January 5th, 2023

Kohberger made his first appearance in court. He stood in silence as the charges were read.

August 23, 2023

The date for the beginning of the trial was originally set for October 7, 2023, but has been postponed indefinitely after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, At the time of publication, a new date has not been set but speculation is the trial will begin in the summer of 2024.