Idaho student murders: A timeline of the killings and investigation
Four University of Idaho students are discovered stabbed to death on Nov. 13, 2022. What led officials to an arrest in the case?
See key dates in the investigation.
Nov. 13, 2022: Off-campus murders
Four University of Idaho students are found dead in the off-campus home where three of the victims lived in Moscow, Idaho. They had been brutally stabbed to death. The victims are identified as Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho.
Nov. 15, 2022: The murder weapon
The Moscow Police Department issues a statement saying an "edged weapon such as a knife" was used in the killings. No murder weapon has been found.
Nov. 16, 2022: Police press conference
The Moscow Police Department holds a press conference about the murders. Police Chief James Fry says it was a targeted attack. "We do not have a suspect at this time and that individual is still out there."
Nov. 17, 2022: Cause of death
The Latah County Coroner's Office reports the victims were likely asleep when they were stabbed with a large knife. Some even had defensive wounds.
Nov. 18, 2022: Tracing the victims' final steps
Police release an aerial map showing the times and locations where the victims were on the night of Nov. 12, 2022, and in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were at the Corner Club between 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. and then headed to a food truck at 1:40 a.m. Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle attended a Sigma Chi party between 8 to 9 p.m. and were home at 1:45 a.m.
Nov. 19, 2022: The hunt for a suspect
Investigators say they do not believe the driver who brought two of the victims — Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen — home on the night of the murders is involved in the crime.
Nov. 20, 2022: Others cleared
Detectives say they do not believe the surviving roommates or friends visiting the house at the time of the murders are involved.
Nov. 22, 2022: Possible stalker?
Investigators looked extensively at information received about one of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, having a stalker. They have not been able to verify or identify a stalker.
Nov. 25, 2022: Physical evidence
To this date, investigators collected 113 pieces of physical evidence and sent it to the Idaho State Police crime lab. Idaho Governor Brad Little has directed up to $1 million in funds for the ongoing investigation.
Nov. 30, 2022: Vigil for the students
The University of Idaho holds a vigil in honor of the murdered students. "The most important message that we have for you and your families is to spend as much time as possible with those people," Stacy Chapin, the mother of victim Ethan Chapin, tells those who gathered.
Dec. 7, 2022: A potential clue
Police announce they are interested in speaking with the driver of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra spotted near the crime scene at the time of the murders. At a later date, the search was expanded to include Elantras from 2011 to 2016.
Dec. 15, 2022: Traffic stop
A trooper's body cam captures a white Hyundai Elantra being stopped twice in Indiana for driving violations. The driver is 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, who is accompanied by his father. They were driving home from Washington State University for winter break to the family's home in Pennsylvania.
Dec. 18, 2022: Footage released
Surveillance footage emerges of victims Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen hours before the killings walking through downtown discussing a man named Adam. He is not considered a suspect.
Dec. 20, 2022: The search for vehicle of interest
Investigators speak to an owner of a Hyundai Elantra located in Eugene, Oregon. The vehicle was involved in a collision and was impounded. The owner is believed to not have any connection to Moscow, Idaho.
Dec. 30, 2022: An arrest
Police announce Bryan Kohberger's arrest in Albrightsville, Pa., for the murders of the University of Idaho students He is being charged with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder. Kohberger was a Ph.D. student at Washington State University, which is located roughly 8 miles from the murder scene in Moscow, Idaho. Law enforcement say they were able to use forensic analysis to connect Kohberger to the crime scene.
Jan. 3, 2023: Extradition hearing
At a hearing in Pennsylvania, Kohberger waives his extradition to Moscow, Idaho.
Jan. 4, 2023: Suspect arrives in Idaho
Bryan Kohberger is brought to Idaho. The judge issues a gag order, which prohibits officials and others involved in the case from speaking about it.
Jan. 5, 2023: Court documents released
Public officials release an affidavit in the case against Bryan Kohberger. Among the findings:
- A witness claims she saw a figure of "5'10 or taller, male, not very muscular" dressed in black clothing and a mask on the night of the murders. She said the masked figure walked toward the black sliding glass door and she locked herself in her room.
- The DNA found on the button snap of a leather knife sheath at the crime scene appears to be a strong match with the DNA found in the trash at the Kohberger family residence in Albrightsville, Pa.
- Investigators believe the homicides occurred between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m.
- Kohberger applied for an internship with the Pullman Police Department and in his application essay he said he had an interest in assisting in rural law enforcement agencies with how to better collect and analyze technological data.
- Investigators checked the movements of Kohberger's phone and it stops reporting a signal at 2:47 a.m. and appears to turn back on at 4:48 a.m. This means the phone may have been in area without cell coverage or the phone was turned off.
Jan. 12, 2023: Kohberger appears in court
A preliminary hearing for Bryan Kohberger was set for June 26. He waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing, with his defense team asking the court for time to prepare for the case.
May 5, 2023: Kohberger stopped by police a month before killings
Newly-released body camera video shows Bryan Kohberger being pulled over for allegedly running a red light about a month before the killings. The video shows campus police at Washington State University stopping Kohberger on Oct. 14, 2022, in Pullman, the Idaho Statesman reported. The officer eventually lets him go with a warning.
May 17, 2023: Kohberger indicted
A grand jury indicted Bryan Kohberger on four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary for his alleged involvement in the killings – the same four murder charges he was already facing.
May 22, 2023: Judge enters not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf
At his arraignment, a judge entered a not guilty plea on Bryan Kohberger's behalf after Kohberger did not respond in court when the judge asked him how he pleaded to the charges brought against him.
June 21, 2023: A DNA match
A DNA sample taken from Bryan Kohberger revealed a near-exact match to the DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene of the quadruple murder in Idaho last November, according to new court documents. DNA found on the sheath was initially compared to DNA from trash recovered outside the Kohberger family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, last year. A cheek swab taken from Kohberger allowed for another, more direct DNA comparison.
June 26, 2023: Prosecutors to pursue the death penalty
Prosecutors have decided to pursue the death penalty for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in November.
Aug. 3, 2023: Alibi claim revealed
Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger claim he was going for a routine drive when the killings took place, according to new court filings. On Aug. 3, Kohberger's attorneys objected to the state's request for an alibi of his whereabouts on the night of the murders. In the documents, his attorneys claim "Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone," and that he did so on the night and morning of the brutal killings." Kohberger's attorneys said in the documents that witnesses may be able to testify he wasn't at the scene of the crime. State law requires defendants to declare if they will present an alibi.
Aug. 18, 2023: Defense questions validity of knife sheath DNA
At a court hearing, Bryan Kohberger's defense questioned the validity of DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene that authorities allege connected him to the four murders. Defense attorneys demanded more information from prosecutors about the DNA. Prosecutors countered that they have handed over what they have. The judge denied a request by Kohberger's defense to delay the trial, which remains slated to begin as scheduled in October.
Aug. 23, 2023: Trial postponed
Bryan Kohberger's trial will not happen as scheduled on Oct. 2. Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial during an appearance in Latah County Court, CBS affiliate KBOI-TV reported. His attorney, Anne Taylor, spoke on his behalf, and said she may not be ready for the trial by October. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he intends to seek the death penalty. During the court appearance, Taylor said her team will file a motion to strike the death penalty, and will file another motion seeking to ban cameras in the courtroom.
June 27, 2024: Trial date set for Kohberger
A district court judge has set a June 2025 start date for the Bryan Kohberger's criminal trial.. Both the defense and prosecuting attorneys agreed to the court's proposed trial schedule during a hearing in Latah County, where the killings happened. Kohberger appeared at the hearing.
Latah County District Judge John Judge said he anticipates the trial will last three months. That would account for two weeks of jury selection, eight weeks of the trial itself, and another two weeks for the verdict, sentencing and anything else remaining, he said.
Oct. 10, 2024: Trial date delayed until 2025
Kohberger's trial will begin on Aug. 11, 2025, and continue through Nov. 7, 2025, according to a scheduling order issued by the state of Idaho. It had been scheduled to start in June 2025.
Nov. 19, 2024: Kohberger can face the death penalty if convicted
Kohberger's defense team had sought to remove the death penalty as a possible punishment should he be convicted, but Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied their motions in his ruling dated Tuesday. The prosecution has said it intends to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted.
Kohberger's attorneys' arguments included claims that forcing inmates to wait for years on death row and the methods available for prisoners to be executed in Idaho both constitute cruel and unusual punishment. They also argued Idaho's death penalty laws violate an international treaty banning the torture of prisoners.