Car similar to Bryan Kohberger's seen near victims' home multiple times: report
Bryan Kohberger: Inside the Idaho Murders – Episode 4
It's been more than 900 days since four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death. For their families, it's an agonizing wait for justice. The trial of suspect Bryan Kohberger approaches, with defense motions coming fast and furious. It is a death penalty case that could land before the Supreme Court.
BOISE, Idaho - A car that looks like Bryan Kohberger's was seen several times near the Moscow, Idaho, home on the morning when four college students were found dead, according to a new "Dateline" report.
Kohberger is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 13, 2022 deaths of University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20. The former Washington State University student was also charged with one felony count of burglary.
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)
FBI cellphone tower data obtained by NBC's "Dateline" allegedly showed that Kohberger's cellphone pinged nearly a dozen times to a tower that provides coverage to an area within 100 feet of 1122 King Road, where the four University of Idaho students were killed. The late-night drives all allegedly happened starting in July 2022 and continued through mid-August 2022.
According to the report, the late-night drives in the area of the King Road house began following a Moscow pool party that Kohberger had been invited to.
In the first two weeks of October 2022, around a month before the killings, records show that Kohberger allegedly visited an area near the same cellphone tower three more times.
Gary Brucato, a forensic psychologist, said while it is impossible to know what was in Kohberger's mind while driving in the area, it could indicate that he was "building up" nerve while making those late-night trips.
Bryan Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra seen during a traffic stop in Hancock County, Indiana on Dec. 15. (Hancock County Sheriff's Department)
It is also unclear if Kohberger stopped during any of these drives, according to the report.
In total, FBI cellphone records indicated that Kohberger was within 100 meters of the King Road house on 23 occasions, including one time on Nov. 7. All the trips were after dark.
Bryan Kohberger, accused of murder, arrives for a hearing on cameras in the courtroom in Latah County District Court on September 13, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, a former criminology PhD student, was indicted earlier this year in the November 2 (Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images)
At 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, the night when Kernodle, Goncalves, Mogen and Chapin were killed, a white Hyundai Elantra resembling Kohberger's was seen turning onto King Road, according to security video.
Just three minutes later, the car was seen leaving King Road and turning right. Five minutes later, at 3:38 a.m., the car was back on King Road and exited at 3:40 a.m.
At 3:56 a.m., the car was again seen turning onto King Road, and left at 3:58 a.m. At 4:06 a.m., the Elantra was seen doing a U-turn and going back onto King Road. At 4:20 a.m., after Kohberger allegedly killed the four college students, the car was seen speeding away from the King Road house.
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Cellphone records obtained by "Dateline" also showed Kohberger allegedly placed a call at 6:17 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022 to his father, Michael Kohberger, that lasted for 36 minutes. He made two more calls to his father that morning.
According to the cellphone records, Kohberger allegedly went back to the King Road area at 9:12 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022. He was allegedly in the area for nine minutes, then went back to his apartment in Pullman, Washington.
At 10:31 a.m., Kohberger's phone pinged to a tower that served the towns of Clarkston, Washington, and Lewiston, Idaho. According to the "Dateline" report, law enforcement officials believe Kohberger could have been disposing of evidence such as a knife or clothing.
"There was no prior interaction between Bryan Kohberger and any of the victims. They don't have any records of conversations with them that they've found," said investigative journalist Howard Blume.
Timeline of Nov. 13, 2022:
- 4 a.m.: Suspect arrives at house
- Between 4 and 4:17: Time of murders
- 4:19: Roommate calls three victims, no one answers
- 4:22 to 4:24: Surviving roommates text each other from inside house
- 4:27: Roommate calls victims again; no one answers
- 4:32: Roommate texts Goncalves 'Pls answer'
- 10:23: Surviving roommate texts victims; no one answers
- 11:39: Roommate calls her father
- 12 p.m.: 911 call placed from roommate's phone
Notably, on Aug. 16, 2022, Kohberger allegedly made an online search for Ted Bundy, according to investigative records obtained by "Dateline," then continued to read a research paper about the serial killer.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kohberger's attorney for comment.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX News Digital.
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