Murders in Moscow

Transcribed from the recording by faster-whisper (medium.en), primed with the names in the case and checked for their spelling. Wording may contain minor errors.

0:00 What's up, guys? Thanks for tuning in to CrimeTimeSnacks, the true crime podcast. The case we're diving into today is the case of Bryan Kohberger and the Idaho College murders. This case shocked the nation in November 2022, when four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus home. The case has continued to develop, with the most recent update being the release of the 911 call audio that was made when the bodies were discovered. This episode is going to walk you through

0:30 the entire timeline of this horrific case, from the night of the murders all the way to the newest developments including that 911 call. We'll cover the victims, the investigation, the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, and where the case stands today as it heads toward trial. So let's get into it. Enjoying their Saturday night like many college students do, Kaylee and Madison, both 21 years old, spent the evening at a local bar called the Corner Club. They were there between 10 p.m. and 1.30 a.m. and then headed to a food truck at around 1.40 a.m. before returning to their off-campus home. Meanwhile, Ethan, 20, and his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, 20, attended a party at the Sigma Chi fraternity house between 8 and 9 p.m. They returned to

1:30 the girls' off-campus residence at around 1.45 a.m. Xana was a roommate of Kaylee and Madison while Ethan was staying over that night. The house also had two other roommates who, remarkably, were not attacked and reportedly slept through the entire incident. This detail would later become crucial to the investigation. and tried to fight off their attacker. Investigators believe the homicides occurred between 4 a.m. and 4.25 a.m. The next morning, on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at 11.58 a.m., police received a 911 call reporting an unconscious person at the residence. The call came from one of the surviving roommate's phones. In the recently released 911 call audio from March 2025,

2:30 we can hear the confusion and distress as the callers realized something was terribly wrong. A woman called 911 sounding very upset, saying, something happened in our house. She was crying while giving the address and then another woman took the phone. The second woman told the dispatcher, one of the roommates who's passed out and she was drunk last night and she's not waking up. She also mentioned, and they saw some man in their house last night. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the four students dead

3:00 on the second and third floors of the home. They had been brutally stabbed to death. The Moscow Police Department quickly issued a statement saying an edged weapon, such as a knife, was used in the killings, though no murder weapon was found at the scene. On November 16, three days after the murders, Moscow Police Chief James Fry held a press conference stating that the killings were a targeted attack. However, he admitted, we do not have a suspect at this time and that individual is still out there.

3:30 This statement sent shockwaves through the community. A quadruple homicide in a small college town with no suspect in custody created widespread fear and anxiety. As the investigation progressed, police began to piece together the victims' final movements. They released an aerial map showing the times and locations where the victims were on the night of November 12, and in the early hours of November 13, investigators cleared several individuals from suspicion early on. They did not believe the driver who brought Kaylee and Madison home was involved. They also stated that the surviving roommates and friends visiting the house at the time of the murders were not considered suspects. There were rumors that one of the victims, Kaylee, had a stalker. Investigators looked extensively into this possibility, but were unable to verify or identify any stalker. By November 25, investigators had collected 113 pieces of physical evidence and sent it to the Idaho State Police Crime Lab.

4:30 Idaho Governor Brad Little directed up to $1 million in funds for the ongoing investigation, showing the state's commitment to solving this case. On November 30, the University of Idaho held a vigil in honor of the murdered students. Stacy Chapin, the mother of victim Ethan Chapin, told those who gathered, the most important message that we have for you and your families is to spend as much time as possible with those people. We are interested in speaking with the driver of a white 2011 to 2013 Hyundai Elantra that was spotted near the crime scene at the time of the murders. The search was later expanded to include Elantras from 2011 to 2016. What's interesting is that on December 15, the trooper's body cam captured a white Hyundai Elantra being stopped twice in Indiana for driving violations. The driver was 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, who was accompanied by his father.

5:29 They were driving home from Washington State University for winter break to the family's home in Pennsylvania. At this point, Kohberger wasn't publicly identified as a suspect, but this traffic stop would later become a significant piece of the timeline. On December 30, 2022, police announced Bryan Kohberger's arrest in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania for the murders of the University of Idaho students. He was charged with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder. Kohberger was a Ph.D. student at Washington State University, which is located roughly eight miles from the murder scene in Moscow, Idaho. Law enforcement said they were able to use forensic analysis to connect Kohberger to the crime scene.

6:13 On January 3, 2023, Kohberger appeared at an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania, where he waived his extradition to Moscow, Idaho. The next day, he was brought to Idaho, and the judge issued a gag order which prohibited officials and others involved in the case from speaking about it. On January 5, 2023, public officials released an affidavit in the case against Bryan Kohberger. The findings were significant. A witness claimed she saw a figure of 5'10 or taller, male, not very muscular, dressed in black clothing in a mask on the night of the murders.

6:52 She said the masked figure walked toward the black sliding glass door, and she locked herself in her room. DNA found on the button snap of a leather knife sheath at the crime scene appeared to be a strong match with DNA found in the trash at the Kohberger family residence in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. Investigators checked the movements of Kohberger's phone and found it stopped reporting a signal at 2.47 a.m. and appeared to turn back on at 4.48 a.m. This means the phone may have been in an area without cell coverage or the phone was turned off during the time of the murders.

7:29 Another interesting detail that came to light on May 5, 2023, was that Kohberger had been pulled over by campus police at Washington State University for allegedly running a red light about a month before the killings on October 14, 2022. The officer eventually let him go with a warning. On May 17, 2023, a grand jury indicted Bryan Kohberger on four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary for his alleged involvement in the killings. At his arraignment on May 22, 2023, a judge entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger's behalf after Kohberger did not respond in court when the judge asked him how he pleaded to the charges.

8:13 On June 21, 2023, court documents revealed that a DNA sample taken from Bryan Kohberger showed a near exact match to the DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene of the quadruple murder. DNA found on the sheath was initially compared to DNA from trash recovered outside the Kohberger family home in Pennsylvania. A cheek swab taken from Kohberger allowed for another, more direct DNA comparison. On June 26, 2023, prosecutors announced they would pursue the death penalty for Bryan Kohberger if he is convicted.

8:49 On August 3, 2023, Kohberger's defense team claimed he was going for a routine drive when the killings took place. In court filings, his attorneys stated, Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone, and that he did so on the night in mourning of the brutal killings. They claimed witnesses may be able to testify he wasn't at the scene of the crime. On August 18, 2023, at a court hearing, 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.

9:25 Defense attorneys demanded more information from prosecutors about the DNA, but prosecutors countered that they had handed over what they had. On August 23, 2023, it was announced that Kohberger's trial would not happen as scheduled on October 2. Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial during an appearance in Latah County Court. On June 27, 2024, a district court judge set a June 2025 start date for Bryan Kohberger's criminal trial. Both the defense and prosecuting attorneys agreed to the court's proposed trial schedule.

10:04 The judge anticipated the trial would last three months, accounting for two weeks of jury selection, eight weeks of the trial itself, and another two weeks for the verdict, sentencing, and anything else remaining. However, on October 10, 2024, the trial date was delayed until August 11, 2025, according to a scheduling order issued by the state of Idaho. Most recently, on November 19, 2024, Kohberger's defense team had sought to remove the death penalty as a possible punishment should he be convicted.

10:38 But Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied their motions in his ruling. The prosecution has said it intends to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. And just this month, in March 2025, the audio of the 911 call made on the day of the murders was released, giving us new insight into those chaotic first moments when the bodies were discovered. This case has captivated the nation, not only because of its brutality, but also because of the seemingly random nature of the attack and the methodical investigation that led to Kohberger's arrest.

11:13 As we wait for the trial to begin, many questions remain. What was the motive? Why were these four students targeted? And will the evidence be enough to convict Bryan Kohberger beyond a reasonable doubt? We'll continue to follow this case and provide updates as new information becomes available. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of CrimeTimeSnacks. If you found this informative, please subscribe and share with others who might be interested. Until next time, stay safe and stay informed.