Who Were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle?

Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her fellow Ethan Chapin, 20, were University of Idaho students who lived successful an off-campus apartment. 

On Nov. 12, 2022—the nighttime earlier their bodies were found—Goncalves and Mogen were astatine a adjacent sports bar, portion Kernodle and Chapin were astatine the latter’s fraternity party. By 2 a.m. connected Nov. 13, the 4 roommates and Chapin were backmost astatine the three-story rental house.

Goncalves was a elder majoring successful wide studies astatine the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. She was expected to postgraduate successful December earlier heading to Austin, Tex., for a occupation astatine a selling firm, her friend Jordyn Quesnell told The New York Times.

Mogen, who was studying marketing, was champion friends with Goncalves since the sixth grade. She had plans to determination to Boise aft graduation, household person Jessie Frost shared with The Idaho Statesman.

Kernodle was a inferior majoring successful marketing, the University said astatine the time. She and Chapin—who majored successful recreation, athletics and tourism management—had been dating since the spring, the roommates’ neighbour Ellie McKnight told NBC News.

Were There Any Survivors?

Two roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, had been location astatine the clip of the murders. In substance messages that were unsealed March 6, 2025, Mortensen and Funke tried contacting their roommates connected Nov. 13 aft the erstwhile saw a masked antheral moving done the house, according to documents obtained by E! News.

"No 1 is answering," Mortensen texted Funke astatine 4:22 a.m. "I'm rlly confused rn."

She continued to scope retired to their roommates, urging them to respond. "Pls answer," she texted Goncalves astatine 4:32 a.m. and again astatine 10:23 a.m. "R u up??"

At 11:58 a.m., a 911 telephone was placed aft Kernodle was recovered unresponsive, per an further question obtained by E! News. A pistillate named A1 successful the transcript described the existent concern to the operator.

"One of the roommates who's passed retired and she was drunk past nighttime and she's not waking up," she said connected the phone. "They saw immoderate antheral successful their location past night."

Who Is Bryan Kohberger and How Was He Found?

Bryan Kohberger, who has been charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder, was a doctoral campaigner astatine Washington State University. Over 1 period aft the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin were discovered, Kohberger was taken into custody Dec. 30 successful Monroe County, Penn. He was extradited to Idaho Jan. 4.

As for however authorities connected him to the killings? DNA was recovered connected a weapon sheath that was near astatine the transgression scene, prosecutors revealed successful June 2023 tribunal documents, per NBC News.

When the DNA didn't lucifer anyone successful the FBI database, authorities ran the DNA done nationalist ancestry websites to make a database of imaginable suspects, according to the filings. After learning that Kohberger had driven to his parents' location successful Monroe County, section officials past went done their trash and recovered DNA that tied him to that recovered connected the sheath.

What Is Kohberger’s Defense Arguing?

At the moment, a motive for the onslaught has not been elaborate and a gag bid prevents galore progressive successful the lawsuit from speaking publicly, NBC News reported. However, the unsealed documents provided immoderate penetration into their arguments.

Kohberger's attorneys argued successful a question obtained by E! News to onslaught the decease punishment that Kohberger—who could look the decease punishment if recovered blameworthy connected each counts, a justice ruled successful November 2024—has autism spectrum upset (ASD) and that executing him would interruption the Eighth Amendment's prohibition connected "cruel and antithetic punishment."

His defence argued that Kohbereger "displays highly rigid thinking, perseverates connected circumstantial topics, processes accusation connected a piecemeal basis, struggles to program ahead, and demonstrates small penetration into his ain behaviors and emotions."

"Due to his ASD, Mr. Kohberger simply cannot comport himself successful a mode that aligns with societal expectations of normalcy," the question said. "This creates an unconscionable hazard that helium volition beryllium executed due to the fact that of his disablement alternatively than his culpability."

Where Does the Case Stand Today?

Kohberger had a justice participate a not-guilty plea to the first-degree execution charges connected his behalf aft remaining soundless astatine his May 2023 arraignment. Although his proceedings was acceptable to statesman Oct. 2, 2023, Kohberger waived his close to a speedy proceedings successful August 2023. 

His caller proceedings date—which volition take place successful Ada County, much than 300 miles from Latah County, wherever the killings took place—is acceptable to statesman Aug. 11, 2025.

Latah County Judge John Judge ruled successful favour of the transportation petition made by Kohberger's defence successful September 2024 based connected "presumed prejudice" if the proceedings remained successful Latah County. 
Ada County Judge Steven Hippler—who is present presiding implicit the case—denied the defense's petition to suppress cardinal DNA and different evidence, including compartment telephone and email records, surveillance footage, past Amazon purchases and DNA grounds successful the trial.