Murders at the University of Idaho: who is the suspect?

The man arrested in connection with the murder of four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death in November attended a nearby university and lived a few miles from where the victims were found.

Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania on Friday on an active first-degree murder warrant issued by the Moscow, Idaho, police department and the Office of the Latah County prosecutor, according to the criminal complaint.

The four students killed — Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20 – were each stabbed multiple times in the early morning hours of November 13 at an off-campus house in the small university town of Moscow.

Kohberger is a graduate student in Washington State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, according to a now-deleted directory of college graduates seen by CNN earlier Friday.

In a Friday night statement, the university confirmed that Kohberger completed his first semester as a doctoral student in the school’s criminal justice program earlier in December.

University police assisted authorities in executing search warrants at his office and apartment, both located on the school’s Pullman campus, the statement added.

A CNN crew had previously filmed law enforcement officers outside a WSU graduate residence in Pullman that authorities said was linked to Kohberger.

Pullman is about a 15-minute drive from Moscow, where the murders took place.

Kohberger was previously an undergraduate and graduate student at DeSales University, according to a statement on the school’s website. DeSales is a Catholic university in Pennsylvania, according to its official Facebook page.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2020 and earlier this year completed his « graduate studies for the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice program », according to a university spokesperson.

In a post that was removed from Reddit after the arrest became public, a student investigator associated with a DeSales University study named Bryan Kohberger asked to participate in a research project « to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.”

The now-deleted Reddit post read: « In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with a focus on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience. »

CNN reached out to one of the study’s lead investigators, a professor at DeSales University, but they declined to comment on the matter. The university did not respond to comments.

A Northampton Community College spokesperson also confirmed to CNN that Kohberger was a student there and graduated with an associate degree in arts and psychology in 2018.

How authorities narrowed their search

Earlier this month, authorities asked the public for information about a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that they said was in the « immediate area » of the crime scenes at the time of the murders. An overwhelming amount of tips poured in after that call, police previously said.

Investigators ultimately focused on Kohberger after tracing ownership of this Elantra to him, according to two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

His DNA also matched DNA that was recovered from the crime scene, according to the sources, who also explained that authorities believe Kohberger left the area and traveled to Pennsylvania after the crime.

An FBI surveillance team has been tracking the suspect for several days in the area where he was arrested, the sources added.

Authorities kept Kohberger under surveillance while investigators from the Moscow Police Department, Idaho State Police and FBI worked with prosecutors to develop probable cause sufficient for an arrest warrant.

And yet, authorities want to hear from people who can shed light on Kohberger.

“This is not the end of this investigation, in fact, it is a new beginning,” Latah County District Attorney Bill Thompson said Friday. « You all now know the name of the person who has been charged with these offences, please spread this information, please ask the public, anyone who knows this individual to come forward. »

“Report everything you know about him, to help investigators, and eventually our office and the justice system, fully understand everything there is to know not only about the individual, but also what happened. happened and why, » added Thompson.

Records show Kohberger was arraigned Friday morning and has another extradition hearing in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.