Social Media Coordinator
The Idaho Murder, a tragedy that has befallen the college community at the University of Idaho. Here is the inside information behind one of the most brutal crimes that occurred at the end of 2022. The four victims of the crime are university students Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), Ethan Chapin (20) and lastly Xana Kernodle (20). Before diving into the crime, here’s a little background on the victims.
20 year old Ethan Chapin was a freshman who was studying sports management and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. At the time, he was dating 20 year old Xana Kernodle. Xana was a junior majoring in marketing and was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Kayle Gonclaves, was a senior majoring in general studies and a member of Alpha Phi sorority. Lastly, Madison Mogen, was a senior majoring in marketing and was in the same sorority as Xana.
As for the murders, they took place around 3 or 4 am, and were carried out with what the police believe to be a fixed-blade knife. Later in the morning, the two surviving roommates called the police after the victims of the crime were not waking up.
For a period of time, the two survivors of the murder were under scrutiny by the mass public and online conspirators. Despite the fact that they were ruled out by law enforcement and are no longer considered suspects, the public still criticizes their choices and paints them as villainous girls. However, it is important to keep in mind that these were two young college girls who were placed in an unprecedented and scary situation in which the general public has not themselves experienced. These two girls should be treated with respect and care, not with judgment and scorn. These girls are survivors of a devastating and tragic crime against their friends, not criminals.
The suspect that police have in custody is a 28 year old white man named Bryan Kohberger. He was arrested on December 30, 2022, due to his connection to the murders supported by DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left at the scene. Kohlberger was also linked through cell phone data along with his car make and model, which was pinged at the murder scene 12 times in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. Kohlberger was a Ph.D student studying criminology and attended Washington State University Pullman, which is located around 10 miles away from the victim’s home.
When asked why he committed the crimes, he pleaded not guilty, telling officers he did not commit these murders.
However, when the officers rephrased as to why he chose Idaho, Kohberger stated “because the shopping is better.”
Although the proof is not irrefutable, there is a lot of DNA and circumstantial evidence that point to his involvement with the crime. Despite the evidence and circumstance, there is still currently a lot of speculation as pointed out by Kohberger’s defense team.
In the end, this brutal crime tragically took the lives of four young adults who had so much potential in life. Whether the murderer ends up being Brian Kohberger or another undisclosed person, all we can do is hope that the families of the victims receive the justice they deserve.