[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
It seems like a few months before we get to see it Bryan Kohberger face trial. But in the meantime we still learn a lot about the arrest of the alleged killer…
As readers will know, Kohberger was arrested on December 30th for the gruesome murder of the foursome. University of Idaho student- Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Magen, Xana Kernodleand Ethan Chapin. At the time the chest came out of nowhere. The police kept everything quiet until they were sure they had someone. The families of the victims claim they have nothing, but we learn from the unsealed probable cause affidavit that they have possessions.
There was car video and a cell phone ping that put him in the exact location. He had DNA at the crime scene – on the knife sheath he left behind no less. And one of his surviving roommates had seen the killer up close when he escaped the murderous house.
Related: Very Dark Message Allegedly Written By Kohberger Goes Viral
Now we have more, as the state of Washington unlocked police search warrants to search Kohberger’s apartment and office. The 28-year-old was a graduate student when the murders took place across the border in Moscow, Idaho. Washington State University, just a few miles away. Idaho authorities have been incredibly tight-lipped, but a Washington judge ordered the release of a redacted version of the warrants there – and they only add to the mountain of evidence.
What They Are Looking For
What the police hope and/or expect to find actually tells us what they found. For example, in addition to physical evidence from the crime scene like blood and shoes that match the diamond pattern sole print, he also said he was looking for “data compilation” – information he had collected about the victim and the house on King Road. they live. This would not only tie him to the murder, but could also prove his theory of the murder, which he clearly told the court:
“These killings appear to have been premeditated, rather than crimes that occurred during the conflict.”
He believed based on existing evidence that the killer had planned the attack and based his tactics on learning about other murders. Considering Kohberger is a PhD student in criminology, we thought there would be a lot of serial killer studies. But anything that matches a crime scene is going to be a big deal.
What they found
In the end, the investigators took quite a lot of evidence. First, one “nitrite-type black glove” – interesting that there was only one. Is anything else broken? contaminated? That should be thrown away?
Speaking of contaminated items, police found blood in the apartment as well, including dark spots on the carpet, two “pieces of pillows without red/brown stains,” and a stained mattress cover. It’s not clear if there was any blood from the scene — the warrant only said what was found, not including the results of later tests. That will definitely come to the test though.
Besides blood, there is hair. Obviously there’s going to be hair in a man’s apartment – but there’s always a reason why it’s special. Note that he has short brown hair. One of the victims had long brown hair, and two had long blonde hair.
The warrant was not specific, but said police took eight “strands of hair”, four “possible” strands of hair, and even one “possible strand of animal hair”. Kaylee Goncalves has a dog at the murder house. We’ll have to wait and see if it fits.
Police also took vacuum cleaner bags, Fire TV sticks, receipts from Walmart and Marshalls, and of course the computer tower. We imagine that more evidence will come from computers.
Read more from the warrant release (below):
[Image via KREM 2/YouTube/Latah County Sheriff’s Office.]