Suspect arrested for murder of 4 university students in their sleep after nationwide manhunt
Authorities have announced the arrest of a 28-year-old criminal justice graduate student from Washington State University in connection with last month's killings of four University of Idaho students thousands of miles away from the scene of the crimes.
During a Friday press conference, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said the FBI, working alongside the Pennsylvania State Police, arrested Bryan Christopher Kohberger on Thursday night in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, on an arrest warrant for the first-degree murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
The Moscow Police Department did not reveal whether the suspect had a previous relationship with the victims or if investigators were aware of a potential motive. However, the department promised more information is forthcoming.
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Representatives from the Idaho State Police, the City of Moscow and the University of Idaho were also present at the press conference.
The quadruple homicide occurred in a shared home in Moscow on Nov. 13, and the students are believed to have been killed in their sleep. The investigation, which involved the FBI, did not yield any arrests until the apprehension of Kohberger Thursday.
Fry stated that Kohberger is a Washington resident and a graduate student from Washington State University, located just over 6 miles away across the state line from the University of Idaho. WSU said that Kohberer completed his first semester as a Ph.D. student in the criminal justice program in December.
The university assisted investigators in the execution of search warrants for Kohberger's on-campus apartment and office.
While the chief promised to provide as much information as possible during the conference about the suspect and his apprehension, he warned that Idaho law prevents him from releasing certain details before Kohberger's first court appearance.
Fielding questions from reporters, the chief could not answer how authorities traced Kohberger to Pennsylvania. He also could not confirm whether Kohberger is their only suspect or whether authorities believe other individuals were involved in the crime.
Fry assured such information is forthcoming and asked people to submit tips to the authorities about "anything and everything" related to the case.
A law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that DNA evidence played a crucial role in identifying Kohlberger as a suspect.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said during the press conference that authorities believe Kohberger broke into the home "with the intent to commit murder."
The prosecutor said the suspect will be held without bond when he is returned to Idaho.
In a Thursday statement, MPD revealed that the residence where the murders occurred would remain an active crime scene and that patrol officers would remain in the area to keep the roadways open. The MPD also stated that it had worked with the Team Idaho Property Management Services to remove potential biohazards and other harmful substances used to collect evidence from the property.
However, Fry said clean-up efforts were halted due to a legal request.
The police received more than 9,025 emailed tips, 4,575 phone tips and 6,050 digital media submissions, in addition to conducting more than 300 interviews.
At the time of the statement, the MPD had yet to announce a suspect and were focusing their efforts on locating the white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra spotted in the neighborhood early in the morning on the day of the crime.
As The Christian Post reported, the murders of the four University of Idaho students prompted a manhunt to locate one or more killers. Two roommates in the same house as the four victims managed to sleep through the attack, although their identities were not made public.
Capt. Roger Lanier, who oversees operations for the Moscow Police Department, said that two of the victims, Goncalves and Mogen, arrived home at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Nov. 13. The other victims, Chapin and Kernodle, who were a couple, arrived at the house around 1:40 a.m.
One of the surviving roommates later called 911 at about 11:58 a.m. on Nov. 13, reporting "an unconscious person." Moscow police officers responded to the call, finding two murdered students on the second floor and two on the third.
Autopsies conducted by Latah County coroners ruled that the victims were likely asleep when they were attacked. Some of the victims' bodies had defensive wounds, suggesting that they may have tried to fight off their murderer.
"We know that the autopsies confirmed the identity of the four victims, determined the cause and manner of death as homicide by stabbing, and determined that it was likely all four victims were asleep during the attack," Lanier said. "Some of the victims had defensive wounds, and each victim was stabbed multiple times."
The investigation concluded that there was no evidence that any of the victims had been sexually assaulted or that the two surviving roommates were involved in the attack.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follower her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
