University of Idaho Murders: State of Idaho vs. BK *GUILTY PLEA*

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Got my Masters degree from here. :(

Killer who stabbed 4 Idaho students to death still at large​

The killer — or killers — who stabbed four University of Idaho students to death remained at large Tuesday, prompting many students to leave the campus in the idyllic small town despite police assurances that there was no imminent risk to the community.

So many students had left the scenic tree-lined campus in Moscow, Idaho, by Tuesday that university officials said a candlelight vigil scheduled for the next day would instead be held after the Thanksgiving break.

The students, all close friends, were found dead in an off-campus rental home around noon on Sunday, and officials said they likely were killed several hours earlier. Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt told the Spokane, Washington-based television station KXLY that her preliminary investigation showed the students were stabbed to death. There is no indication that substance use was involved in the deaths, Mabbutt said.
 
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Unsealed memo claims Kohberger was unable to 'rationally understand' Idaho murders case​

A recently unsealed court memo involving Bryan Kohberger, who seeks to overturn his guilty plea in the murders of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, indicates that his former attorneys questioned whether he fully understood the case.

The unsealed memo was filed by Kohberger's new defense attorney, Gregory Rauch, on August 27 as part of Kohberger's motion to disqualify Judge Steven Hippler from his effort to overturn his plea. Judge Hippler was the judge who served on the murder case and ultimately sentenced Kohberger to life in prison. Judge Hippler ordered the memo to be unsealed on Tuesday.

According to court documents obtained by KTVB, in the May 2025 ex parte supplement, counsel advised the court that Kohberger was having difficulty "comprehending adverse rulings" and how they would impact the case overall. Despite the significant rulings throughout the case regarding the "death penalty, suppression issues, and motions in limine."

Kohberger's defense claims he was "having difficulty incorporating those developments into a rational assessment of the case..." court records state.

Because of the counsel’s concern regarding Kohberger’s “ability to rationally understand the proceedings” and make decisions accordingly, the counsel advised the court to provide additional time to conduct a “targeted inquiry” into Kohberger’s understanding and provide expert assistance.

The petitioner explained the May 20 submission did not establish “that Kohberger was legally incompetent”, however trial counsel “expressly said otherwise,” according to the memorandum.

Court records state that the memorandum explained that, before June 26, the Court was aware of counsel’s request for more time to both review evidence and investigate Kohberger’s ability to obtain expert assistance and make consequential decisions.

The Court denied the request for additional time and the June 26 order “rejected the need for further investigation,” stating there was not good cause to delay the trial. Kohberger entered a guilty plea six days later.

While Kohberger's lawyer acknowledges this timeline of events doesn’t establish the pleas as "constitutionally invalid,” Rauch said it does raise the issue of “whether trial counsel had sufficient time and assistance” to ensure Kohberger’s understanding of entering a plea and resolving the case short of trial – a decision counsel identified to Judge Hippler as one that required expert assistance. The continuance was denied.

What’s next?​

The post-conviction relief court may have to discern what events occurred during the six days between the Court’s denial of additional time and Kohberger’s plea.

The Court may also need to assess counsel’s understanding of Kohberger’s ability to comprehend the case, whether concerns expressed ex parte “remained operative,” the expert assistance or accommodations provided, what advice or information Kohberger received and whether he was indeed able to “rationally evaluate the alternatives” before entering a guilty plea, according to Kohberger's lawyer.

Kohberger will have his first post-conviction hearing on Oct. 15, when Judge Hippler will hear arguments on whether he should be disqualified from Kohberger's new case. Other plea-related hearings are set for summer 2027.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:

Unsealed memo claims Kohberger was unable to 'rationally understand' Idaho murders case​

A recently unsealed court memo involving Bryan Kohberger, who seeks to overturn his guilty plea in the murders of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, indicates that his former attorneys questioned whether he fully understood the case.

The unsealed memo was filed by Kohberger's new defense attorney, Gregory Rauch, on August 27 as part of Kohberger's motion to disqualify Judge Steven Hippler from his effort to overturn his plea. Judge Hippler was the judge who served on the murder case and ultimately sentenced Kohberger to life in prison. Judge Hippler ordered the memo to be unsealed on Tuesday.

According to court documents obtained by KTVB, in the May 2025 ex parte supplement, counsel advised the court that Kohberger was having difficulty "comprehending adverse rulings" and how they would impact the case overall. Despite the significant rulings throughout the case regarding the "death penalty, suppression issues, and motions in limine."

Kohberger's defense claims he was "having difficulty incorporating those developments into a rational assessment of the case..." court records state.

Because of the counsel’s concern regarding Kohberger’s “ability to rationally understand the proceedings” and make decisions accordingly, the counsel advised the court to provide additional time to conduct a “targeted inquiry” into Kohberger’s understanding and provide expert assistance.

The petitioner explained the May 20 submission did not establish “that Kohberger was legally incompetent”, however trial counsel “expressly said otherwise,” according to the memorandum.

Court records state that the memorandum explained that, before June 26, the Court was aware of counsel’s request for more time to both review evidence and investigate Kohberger’s ability to obtain expert assistance and make consequential decisions.

The Court denied the request for additional time and the June 26 order “rejected the need for further investigation,” stating there was not good cause to delay the trial. Kohberger entered a guilty plea six days later.

While Kohberger's lawyer acknowledges this timeline of events doesn’t establish the pleas as "constitutionally invalid,” Rauch said it does raise the issue of “whether trial counsel had sufficient time and assistance” to ensure Kohberger’s understanding of entering a plea and resolving the case short of trial – a decision counsel identified to Judge Hippler as one that required expert assistance. The continuance was denied.

What’s next?​

The post-conviction relief court may have to discern what events occurred during the six days between the Court’s denial of additional time and Kohberger’s plea.

The Court may also need to assess counsel’s understanding of Kohberger’s ability to comprehend the case, whether concerns expressed ex parte “remained operative,” the expert assistance or accommodations provided, what advice or information Kohberger received and whether he was indeed able to “rationally evaluate the alternatives” before entering a guilty plea, according to Kohberger's lawyer.

Kohberger will have his first post-conviction hearing on Oct. 15, when Judge Hippler will hear arguments on whether he should be disqualified from Kohberger's new case. Other plea-related hearings are set for summer 2027.
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I think what he did not comprehend was in getting caught.
 
I just want him to get put away and we don’t hear about him anymore. Is he willing to tell us that he’s that stupid? Because he seems to think he’s pretty smart.
 
On one hand, I feel I need to keep the thread updated. On the other hand, I'm loathe to bring up this murderer's name again.

Bryan Kohberger was informed that he had been terminated from his Teaching Assistant position with the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University in a letter dated Dec. 19, 2022.
Two days later, on Dec. 21, 2022, Kohberger responded with a letter of his own addressed to the Dean of Graduate Studies at WSU appealing his termination, a copy of which was obtained by PEOPLE.

That letter made it clear that Kohberger had every intention of trying to return to WSU — where he remained enrolled in his graduate program despite his termination — until his arrest.

He would never hear back about that appeal because, nine days later, he was arrested and charged with the murder of four University of Idaho students — Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

That very same day, a letter was hand-delivered to Kohberger at the Monroe County Correctional Facility informing him of the decision by WSU to impose an emergency suspension due to the allegations that he committed four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary.
 
I'm watching a documentary on this case and it's really creepy.

It was made after Kohberger filed for a retrial and wanted to recind his guilty plea.

They have a lot of footage of the victims when they were younger, and it's so sad. Hearing about the murders in the news before they caught Kohberger was upsetting.

Seeing and hearing them before the murders is gut wrenching.

I also didn't know that the picture of the four victims together, was taken the day before the murders.

If Kohberger wants to go to trial, let him. He's SOL. A jury will convict him in 5 minutes.
 

Kaylee Goncalves’ family fights to get her phone back years after Idaho murders​

The family of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves plans to ask a judge to order authorities to return her cellphone. They say investigators are still trying to access it more than a year after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing her and three other university students in 2022.

Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, and family attorney Shanon Gray spoke with NewsNation’s Brian Entin on “Brian Entin Investigates.” They said Kaylee’s phone is the only one of the four victims’ phones that has not been returned.

According to Gray, investigators recovered data from the phones of Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, but Kaylee’s phone remains locked. Only about 18 gigabytes of data have been extracted from it, consisting mostly of scattered photos and images from internet searches.

Goncalves said authorities are running software that tries every possible passcode until one works, though the process could take years.

“It could have happened 10 minutes ago, but on the long side of it, it could be years from now,” he said.

He said the family wants the phone returned so they can access photo and video memories of their daughter.

“The case is over. Just give us our stuff back,” he said.

Gray said he made the family’s case to the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, which did not agree to return the phone. He argued that prosecutors have no duty to keep looking for evidence once someone has admitted to a crime.

“For the life of us, we really can’t figure out why they’re continuing to try to do this other than just to be adversarial,” Gray said.

Steve Goncalves said he believes investigators are still looking for a link between Kohberger and the victims. He said prosecutor Bill Thompson wrote in an email that he wanted to address rumors and social media speculation.


The family is also trying to stop the phone data from becoming public.

Gray said someone filed a public records request with the Walla Walla Police Department, which he said extracted data from the phones.

The request covers all four victims’ phones, he said.

The families plan to seek a court order blocking any release. Gray said the department would still have to review the material for private information first.
 
SheWhoMustNotBeNamed said:

Kaylee Goncalves’ family fights to get her phone back years after Idaho murders​

The family of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves plans to ask a judge to order authorities to return her cellphone. They say investigators are still trying to access it more than a year after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing her and three other university students in 2022.

Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, and family attorney Shanon Gray spoke with NewsNation’s Brian Entin on “Brian Entin Investigates.” They said Kaylee’s phone is the only one of the four victims’ phones that has not been returned.

According to Gray, investigators recovered data from the phones of Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, but Kaylee’s phone remains locked. Only about 18 gigabytes of data have been extracted from it, consisting mostly of scattered photos and images from internet searches.

Goncalves said authorities are running software that tries every possible passcode until one works, though the process could take years.

“It could have happened 10 minutes ago, but on the long side of it, it could be years from now,” he said.

He said the family wants the phone returned so they can access photo and video memories of their daughter.

“The case is over. Just give us our stuff back,” he said.

Gray said he made the family’s case to the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, which did not agree to return the phone. He argued that prosecutors have no duty to keep looking for evidence once someone has admitted to a crime.

“For the life of us, we really can’t figure out why they’re continuing to try to do this other than just to be adversarial,” Gray said.

Steve Goncalves said he believes investigators are still looking for a link between Kohberger and the victims. He said prosecutor Bill Thompson wrote in an email that he wanted to address rumors and social media speculation.


The family is also trying to stop the phone data from becoming public.

Gray said someone filed a public records request with the Walla Walla Police Department, which he said extracted data from the phones.

The request covers all four victims’ phones, he said.

The families plan to seek a court order blocking any release. Gray said the department would still have to review the material for private information first.
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He said the family wants the phone returned so they can access photo and video memories of their daughter.

How can they do that if they can't get into the phone? If they CAN get into the phone, why have they not told investigators how to do so?
 
Yeah! That doesn’t make sense at all, does it? Maybe that’s just an excuse to get it because they want every single thing that ever belong to her.
 
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