I’ve been obsessed with the University of Idaho murders since they happened. Like, stay-up-until-3am-researching-on-Reddit obsessed. (Ryan keeps threatening to change our WiFi password if I don’t “come to bed at a normal hour like a normal person.”) But there’s something about this case that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go.
Four college students brutally murdered in their sleep? A criminology PhD student as the prime suspect? It’s like someone created the perfect true crime case in a lab.
The Victims: Four Lives Cut Tragically Short
Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen were just normal college kids. Going to parties. Making TikToks. Living their best lives at the University of Idaho.
Until they weren’t.
On November 13, 2022, all four were stabbed to death in an off-campus house while two other roommates somehow slept through the entire thing. (I would NOT have survived this crime—I wake up if my cat breathes too loudly in the next room.)
The Investigation: A Trail of Breadcrumbs
The initial investigation was about as organized as my true crime bookmark folder—which is to say, not very. Local police seemed overwhelmed by the national attention, and information trickled out slower than my coffee maker on Monday mornings.
Phone records showed Kaylee Goncalves made several unanswered calls to someone named “Jack” the night of the murders. True crime Facebook groups immediately decided Jack was the killer (he wasn’t), because nothing says “I just committed quadruple homicide” like ignoring a phone call.
The most substantial evidence came from DNA samples collected at the scene. Investigators used public genealogy databases—the same technique that caught the Golden State Killer. (Your aunt’s 23andMe results might just solve a murder someday. Think about THAT at your next family reunion.)
The Suspect: A Criminology Student Gone Dark
In a twist that feels ripped straight from a Criminal Minds episode, they arrested Bryan Kohberger—a criminology PhD student from nearby Washington State University.
The irony is as thick as blood. A guy studying criminal justice allegedly committing one of the most high-profile murders of the year? It’s like a butcher becoming vegan or a lifeguard who can’t swim.
Kohberger reportedly purchased a knife similar to the murder weapon and—get this—had previously written academic papers about crime scene investigation techniques. If you’re taking notes on how NOT to get away with murder, “don’t study exactly how police catch killers” should be pretty high on your list.
The Clues That Broke The Case
The investigation used some fancy computer programs to process massive amounts of data. It’s basically algorithms that help sort through evidence—like if your true crime podcast addiction suddenly became useful at solving actual crimes.
But the real smoking gun? A white Hyundai Elantra spotted near the crime scene that was later traced to Kohberger. (Pro tip: If you’re planning to murder someone, maybe don’t drive your own car there. I mean, I’m not giving advice, but COME ON.)
Cell phone data also placed him in the area multiple times before the murders. Because apparently studying how criminals get caught doesn’t teach you that your phone is basically a personal tracking device. (Mine knows I’ve been to the same Target three times this week, and I’m not even planning any crimes—just really indecisive about throw pillows.)
The Questions That Keep Me Up At Night
Why these four students? Did he know them personally, or was this some random act of violence that makes me want to install seventeen more locks on my door?
The surviving roommates reported seeing a “figure in black clothing and a mask” in the house that night but didn’t call police until noon the next day. Which raises approximately 8,000 questions about what exactly happened in those missing hours.
And the biggest mystery: what was his motive? News reports have been frustratingly vague on this point, with theories ranging from stalking to random thrill-killing.
What Do YOU Think?
The trial is scheduled for later this year, and Kohberger faces the death penalty if convicted. But until then, the speculation continues.
Did he select these victims randomly? Was there a connection we’re missing? How did someone studying criminal psychology allegedly make so many basic mistakes?
Drop your theories in the comments. I’ll be reading them at 2am with all my doors triple-locked and a baseball bat beside my bed. (Ryan says I’m “overreacting,” but Ryan also thinks true crime podcasts are “just people talking about sad stuff for hours,” so what does he know?)