Disturbing Behavior Preceded Kohberger Murders: Faculty Feared Potential for Violence
Newly released inquiry documents reveal that Bryan Kohberger, sentenced to life in prison last month for the murders of four University of Idaho students – Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – exhibited deeply concerning behavior while pursuing his doctoral studies at Washington State University. More than 550 pages of records released by Idaho State Police paint a disturbing picture of a graduate student who made those around him deeply uneasy.
One Washington State University faculty member expressed such alarm about kohberger’s potential for harm that she urged colleagues to cut his funding and remove him from the programme. “He is smart enough that in four years we will have to give him a Ph.D.,” she reportedly told her colleagues, according to a report from Idaho State Police Detective Ryan O’Harra. “Mark my word, I work with predators, if we give him a Ph.D., that’s the guy that in that many years when he is a professor, we will hear is harassing, stalking, and sexually abusing… his students at wherever university.”
The faculty member’s fears stemmed from specific incidents. She told investigators that Kohberger would sometimes enter offices where female graduate students were working and physically block the doorway, creating a situation where the women felt trapped. On multiple occasions, she overheard students expressing a desperate need to leave while Kohberger was present, prompting her to intervene and allow them to exit. She believed Kohberger was actively stalking individuals,and noted a reported break-in at a female graduate student’s apartment in September or October 2022,where perfume and underwear were stolen.
Another Ph.D. student in the same program described Kohberger as enjoying conflict and frequently making disparaging remarks about women. Notably,he displayed a particular captivation with the topic of “sexual burglary” – the very subject of his criminology studies.Just three weeks after the murders,Kohberger reportedly told this student that the perpetrator of the crimes “must have been pretty good,” and suggested the killings might have been a “one and done type thing,” according to Idaho State Police Detective Sgt.Michael Van Leuven.
The unsettling pattern of behavior extended beyond isolated incidents. One woman described Kohberger as acting in a profoundly condescending manner, questioning why department leadership hadn’t addressed his conduct. “The way he spoke to females in the department was unsettling to them,” Van Leuven wrote in his report. An instructor assigned to work with Kohberger on his doctoral program began receiving complaints from students and staff as early as late August 2022,leading to numerous disciplinary meetings focused on his interactions with peers and faculty.
The university received a total of nine separate complaints regarding Kohberger’s “rude and belittling behavior toward women,” according to Idaho State Police Detective Sean Prosser. In response, the school implemented a mandatory training session for all graduate students on appropriate behavior expectations.
Despite the documented concerns, many of Kohberger’s fellow students and instructors initially did not suspect his involvement in the murders. However, at least one student observed a noticeable shift in his behavior following the killings. She noted that he stopped bringing his cellphone to class, a departure from his previous habit, and appeared increasingly disheveled. She also found it peculiar that he remained silent during conversations about the tragic events in Moscow.
This student ultimately contacted the police tip line after observing Kohberger with bloody knuckles shortly before the murders, stating his hand appeared injured as if he had been striking something.
Further insights into Kohberger’s behavior emerged from interviews with cellmates following his arrest. They reported he consumed three bars of soap per week, took excessively long showers, and compulsively washed his hands until they were red and irritated. He also allegedly demanded fresh bedding and clothing daily. Interestingly, cellmates described Kohberger as initially being captivated by news coverage of his case, excitedly proclaiming, “Wow, I’m on every channel.” however, he eventually stopped watching the news as it began to focus on his family and friends.
These newly released documents offer a chilling glimpse into the behavior of a convicted murderer and raise questions about whether earlier intervention could have prevented the tragic loss of life in Moscow, Idaho.
