New docs: Bryan Kohberger bought black mask, wrote on stabbing probes
Docs: Bryan Kohberger bought mask before student murders
New court filings in the University of Idaho student murders case contain bombshell disclosures about Bryan Kohberger’s purchase history and academic study of crime scenes, and how they both may link to the quadruple stabbings.
ADA COUNTY, Idaho - New court filings in the University of Idaho student murders case contain bombshell disclosures about Bryan Kohberger’s purchase history and academic study of crime scenes, and how they both may link to the quadruple stabbings.
Prosecutors informed the judge they intend to introduce receipts from Dick’s Sporting Goods, showing that Kohberger bought a black balaclava, like the face mask worn by the intruder described by a surviving housemate.
"[T]his mask is the same type of mask described by DM that she witnessed worn by a male in the residence on November 13, 2022."
Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, listens during his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. (Zach Wilkinson-Pool/Getty Images)
Bryan Kohberger's purchase history
What they're saying:
The purchase was made in January 2022, 11 months before the stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, along with the women's two other roommates in Kaylee Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the slayings. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
Another prosecution filing showed Kohberger went on Amazon to buy a Ka-Bar combat knife and sheath, eight months before the murders, and then shopped for a replacement days after they took place.
According to Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt, all four victims died with multiple stab wounds. At least two of them were so intoxicated at the time of the attack that they were unable to resist at all, prosecutors wrote in court filings. Under Mogen's body, police found a Ka-Bar knife sheath, stamped with a United States Marine Corps logo and allegedly containing Kohberger's DNA on the snap.
Bryan Kohberger's class paper
Dig deeper:
The state also intends to use one of Kohberger’s class papers from DeSales University, "Crime Scene Scenario Final," at trial to "show defendant’s knowledge" of how a murder scene is investigated for clues. The paper was written for Kohberger’s CJ 361 course Forensic Investigation, as part of his work towards a Master’s in Criminal Justice. The scenario described by Kohberger involved a woman who was stabbed to death in her home.
In the paper, Kohberger gives step-by-step instructions on collecting evidence and documenting a murder scene. His procedural checklist includes a detailed imagining of the victim and the circumstances of her death.
"The deceased woman in her living room … specific shots should be focused on the evidence of harm on her body and clothing. The bruises on her face, the marks on her neck, the bloody shirt and any other signs of postmortem lividity should be photographed," Kohberger wrote. "Does she have defensive wounds, are there hesitation marks on her related to the knife, or are there multiple stab wounds? Is there any sign of forced entry to the home? If there is not forced entry it may be suggested that the woman new her killer."
The 12-page paper mentions many of the same methods used to identify Kohberger as a suspect in the killings, such as the recovery of genetic evidence, and collecting nearby surveillance footage.
"I should make sure to swab under her fingernails to see if the DNA of the offender is there; she likely dug into their skin."
Kohberger stresses a thorough examination is necessary, to discover and document even the smallest items at the crime scene."
"The location of this evidence is very important, for it may give us the following information: establishing the tracing of, or identification of the suspect," Kohberger wrote. "Establishing the suspect’s modus operandi (MO) … confirming alibis or exposing lies … connecting suspects to the crime or eliminating suspects."
Father of University of Idaho murder victim talks 911 call, firing squad and Bryan Kohberger
Dozens of new court documents shedding more light on the night the four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death continue to come out by the day, including the 911 call from just hours after the murders.
Kohberger also discusses why such meticulous attention to detail is necessary for maintaining the integrity of the evidence: "Failing to do so leads to injustice — there can be a very clear link between victim and offender, but if this is not accounted for via chain of custody, then it will be inadmissible."
Kohberger was described as "one of my best students ever," by one of his DeSales professors, and he was one of the only students she'd recommended for a PhD program.
At the time of the murders, Kohberger was living in Pullman, while pursuing a doctorate in Criminology at Washington State University. His campus apartment was about a 15-minute drive from the victims’ home, just over the state line in Moscow, Idaho.
Kohberger’s next court hearing is scheduled for April 9; the trial is scheduled to begin in August.
Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is found guilty.
This is an ongoing story; check back for updates.
The Source: Information in this story came from Ada County Superior Court and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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