Newly unsealed court records shed light on the chilling events that transpired on the night four University of Idaho students were tragically murdered in a house off-campus in November 2022. The documents, which include text messages and a 911 transcript, disclose conversations between two surviving roommates regarding the sighting of a masked intruder leaving the residence.
The heinous crime, which claimed the lives of roommates Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin, occurred in the early hours of November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. According to the court papers, the surviving roommates, identified as B.F. and D.M., exchanged text messages between 4:22 a.m. and 4:24 a.m. on the fateful morning. D.M. attempted to reach the victims via phone calls between 4:19 a.m. and 4:27 a.m., receiving no response, prompting confusion and distress.
In the texts, D.M. expressed fear over the intruder’s presence, describing a figure wearing what appeared to be a ski mask. Urged by B.F. to seek safety downstairs, the roommates stayed together until they placed a 911 call later that morning. The court filings, submitted by the prosecution on February 24, are expected to serve as key evidence in the upcoming trial of Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old former Ph.D. student facing four murder charges in connection with the case.
Details from the documents reveal the roommates’ interactions and actions following the horrific incident, including attempts to contact the victims and seek help. The transcripts of the frantic 911 call placed around noon, as well as subsequent messages among the roommates, provide a harrowing glimpse into the aftermath of the tragedy.
The release of these records follows a warning from an Idaho judge to attorneys about excessive sealing of documents, emphasizing the importance of transparency and protecting the public’s rights. The investigation, which led to Kohberger’s arrest based on DNA evidence linking him to the crime scene, culminated in his not-guilty plea entered by a judge. The trial is set to commence on August 11, shedding further light on the dark events that unfolded that fateful night.
