Bryan Kohberger, accused of killing four University of Idaho students, is escorted to an extradition hearing at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg, Pa., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)
Medical gloves, a black sweatshirt, socks, shorts, sneakers, and a buccal swab were seized from the Pennsylvania home of the parents of the man accused in the gruesome stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, according to a newly unsealed search warrant in the case.
The records listing evidence were made public on Tuesday after police arrested Bryan Kohberger at his parents’ home in December.
Kohberger faces first-degree murder charges in the killings of four students — Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernel, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21.
The students were stabbed to death on the second and third floors of an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, a rural college town, on Nov. 13, 2022.
A motive in the case has not been revealed.
Kohberger, 28, a former doctoral student in criminology at Washington State University, faces a preliminary hearing date in June. He has not entered a plea.
The latest records follow ones unsealed in January when authorities in Idaho unsealed the warrant for Kohberger’s home.
Police seized several items, including a black nitrite-type glove, the dust container from a vacuum cleaner, 13 possible hair strands (one of which may belong to an animal), a “Fire TV” stick, a pillow with a “reddish/brownish stain” and a computer tower. Notably, police said that no weapons were recovered from the home.
That warrant further reveals detectives’ observations from inside the home where the young students died and how they affected the direction of the investigation, including looking for evidence of a dog owned by one of the victims.
Two roommates were not attacked, and one told investigators what she had seen then.
According to the affidavit, Dylan Mortensen told authorities that she went to sleep in her bedroom on the second floor and awoken at 4 a.m. by what she said sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the upstairs bedrooms on the third floor.
A short time later, the woman said she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of “there’s someone here.”
She said she looked out of her bedroom but did not see anything. Mortensen stated she opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle’s room.
She then said she heard a male voice say, “It’s OK, I’m going to help you.”
At 4:17 a.m., a security camera picked up distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud.
A dog can be heard barking numerous times starting at 4:17 a.m.
Mortensen said she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose walking toward her.
She described the man she didn’t recognize as as 5-foot-10 or taller, male, not very muscular, and athletically built with bushy eyebrows.
He walked past Mortensen as she stood in a “frozen shock phase,” according to the affidavit.
The document says that he walked toward the back sliding glass door, and Mortensen locked herself in her room.
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