Where is Bryan Kohberger now? He was arrested in December 2022 for the murders of four University of Idaho students. Here is what we know.
Bryan Kohberger
Following the tragic events of Nov. 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho, a murder investigation began for what the Idaho Statesman and other news outlets call the "University of Idaho killings." Police arrested doctoral student Bryan Kohberger just over a month later for the crime, and he has since been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
Kohberger was awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 2023, but his situation has since changed. An important update in his case has shifted the timeline. Where is Bryan Kohberger now? Here's what we know.
Where is Bryan Kohberger now?
According to NBC News, on May 16, 2023, an Idaho grand jury indicted Kohberger who is suspected of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. The indictment says he "'did unlawfully enter" a Moscow residence and then did 'wilfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and with malice aforethought, kill and murder" the four victims.
The victims were Maddie Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.
The prosecution chose to move forward with a grand jury because it renders the week-long preliminary hearing useless. During that time, the state would have been required to "present evidence before a judge, as well as permit the defense counsel to cross-examine witnesses," per NBC News.
The district judge also ruled in favor of a request by the state to seal the names of witnesses who testified before the grand jury, to keep them safe from further harassment and alleged intimidation tactics which could affect their ability to remain impartial. Kohberger is scheduled to appear in court May 22 to enter a plea. Currently, the Latah County Jail Roster lists Kohberger as an inmate.
(L-R): Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, and Madison Mogen
The Idaho Department of Correction confirmed that it houses 8,000 incarcerated individuals in nine state-owned prisons. As of this publication, we don't know where Kohberger would be housed if he were found guilty of slaying Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
A 'Dateline NBC' special promises to reveal exclusive information about the case.
On Dateline, host Keith Morrison has shepherded viewers through heinous acts of deception, abuse, and murder. In an episode airing May 19, Morrison will take people into a place that is almost too dark for words. Here, we will learn more about the University of Idaho killings, and the man allegedly responsible.
Although the judge presiding over the grand jury has issued a gag order making it difficult to uncover any information, Dateline has found a way. Is this ethical? Perhaps it all depends on what the show reveals. In a teaser for the episode, Morrison says, "As you will hear, we have learned things, including exclusive information from a source with inside knowledge of the investigation." Evidently this unnamed source has details about the murder weapon and, more specifically, the sheath which was left at the scene.
Photo of a knife sheath similar to the one left at the crime scene.
Several television specials have covered the University of Idaho killings.
Kohberger has been the subject of many people's minds since the murders of the University of Idaho students. The May 2023 Dateline special isn't the first on this case. In January 2023, the show aired a two-hour event that took a deep dive into the investigation of the murders. Investigation Discovery also hopped onto this train in March 2023 with The Idaho College Murders.
Unlike Dateline and 20/20, The Idaho College Murders talked more about the evidence that has arisen since the suspect was charged with the crimes. It also explored theories around the crimes and legal proceedings, and it laid out purported similarities between Kohberger and another infamous killer, BTK. Despite petitions filed by media outlets, the gag order is still in place and little coverage is being released to the public, though Dateline seems to have circumnavigated that.
Dateline airs Fridays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
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