New details have come to light about the tragic night when four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus home. Court documents released Thursday include chilling text messages between the two surviving roommates, painting a picture of fear and confusion as events unfolded on November 13, 2022.
The four victims — Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Madison Mogen — got home around 1:45 a.m. One of the surviving roommates messaged an Uber driver at 2:10 a.m. to get a ride from a bar to the house, while the other roommate was still awake and texting. Around 4 a.m., a DoorDash order was delivered to Kernodle, and soon after, one roommate thought she heard Goncalves playing with her dog.
Then things took a terrifying turn. A little after 4 a.m., the roommate heard what sounded like Goncalves saying, “There’s someone here.” Minutes later, a security camera near Kernodle’s room picked up the sound of a barking dog, muffled voices, and a loud thud.
As the roommates texted each other between 4:22 and 4:24 a.m., their panic grew when their friends didn’t answer their calls and messages. “I’m rlly confused rn,” one text read. Another message pleaded, “Kaylee, what’s going on?” Fear escalated when one of them claimed to see someone in “like a ski mask almost.” The response? “Stfu.” But the warning continued: “I’m not kidding. I’m so freaked out.”
Despite the fear, no emergency call was made until nearly seven hours later, at 11:58 a.m., when one of the roommates reported an “unresponsive” housemate. The call transcript revealed confusion and fear, with one of the people on the scene saying they thought someone had passed out from drinking the night before. The dispatcher was eventually told, “I think we have a homicide.”
The man accused of the killings, Bryan Kohberger, was arrested in December 2022 after a six-week manhunt. He’s charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. His trial is set to start in August, and both surviving roommates are expected to testify.
