Prosecutor Suggests Bryan Kohberger Scoped Idaho Student House Before Murders

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Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson revealed chilling theories about Bryan Kohberger’s actions leading up to the November 13, 2022, murders of four University of Idaho students, suggesting the 30-year-old criminology PhD student may have entered the victims’ home prior to the attack to study its layout and stalked other potential targets in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, sentenced to life without parole on July 23, 2025, for the killings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, displayed no remorse during his sentencing, leaving many questions unanswered about his motives.

In a CBS 48 Hours podcast interview, Thompson detailed Kohberger’s familiarity with the three-story house at 1122 King Road, noting its “unique” and “confusing” layout. “He showed knowledge of the layout of the home and who slept in which room,” Thompson said, suggesting Kohberger may have entered the house before the murders. While unable to confirm prior entry, Thompson noted Kohberger likely parked on a bank behind the house, offering a view into the rooms at night. Cell phone data confirmed Kohberger’s presence near the house at least 23 times between July and November 2022, mostly at night, indicating he was “certainly stalking that neighborhood,” Thompson told 48 Hours.

The murders occurred in the early hours of November 13, 2022, when Kohberger entered the home through a second-floor kitchen sliding door. He stabbed Mogen and Goncalves, who were in Mogen’s third-floor bedroom, then killed Kernodle and Chapin on the second floor as he exited. The attack, lasting under 15 minutes, left surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen shaken after she opened her door upon hearing noises but saw only a figure leaving. Police records show Goncalves had reported a man watching her from nearby trees weeks earlier, and roommates found their door open on November 4, prompting them to check the house with golf clubs. A neighbor on Queen Road also reported an attempted break-in around the same time, though Thompson said cell phone data couldn’t link Kohberger to these specific incidents.

Thompson suggested Kohberger may have considered other victims, stating, “Certainly there may have been other potential victims that he was looking at.” No direct connection between Kohberger and the victims has been established, and police confirmed the house was targeted, though it’s unclear if specific individuals were. Goncalves’ dog, Murphy, exhibited unusual behavior, barking at the tree line during parties, and Goncalves mentioned being followed weeks before her death, per Moscow Police records. These incidents remain unverified as linked to Kohberger, but his frequent nighttime visits to the area suggest deliberate surveillance.

At his July 23 sentencing in Boise’s Ada County Courthouse, Kohberger remained silent, offering only, “I respectfully decline,” when given a chance to speak. Thompson observed, “I saw nothing in Bryan Kohberger while the impact statements were going on. It’s as though his eyes were empty.” Judge Steven Hippler imposed four consecutive life sentences without parole for first-degree murder, plus 10 years for burglary, under a plea deal waiving Kohberger’s appeal rights. Thompson’s message to Kohberger was blunt: “Goodbye and good riddance.” Now held in solitary at Idaho Maximum Security Institution, Kohberger’s motives remain an “enigma,” with the prosecutor calling his actions “incomprehensible evil.” The case continues to haunt Moscow, as unanswered questions linger about the full extent of Kohberger’s planning.