Details about quadruple murderer Brian Kohberger’s first interview have been released as the gag order on the case was lifted following his guilty plea.
Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole last week for the brutal murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
Following Kohberger’s change of plea to guilty, Ada County Judge Steven Hippler lifted a long-standing gag order that had restricted public dissemination of information about the investigation and proceedings. Immediately following his sentencing hearing, the Moscow Police Department released hundreds of previously sealed documents.
One of the most anticipated pieces of new information was reports on Kohberger’s first formal interaction with law enforcement following his arrest on December 30, 2022, at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. The interview took place at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Stroudsburg, conducted by detectives from the Idaho State Police and FBI agents who had traveled to question him.
According to the documents, the conversation began casually, with Kohberger engaging in small talk about his academic pursuits. As a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University (WSU) at the time of the murders, he discussed his background in criminal justice, his role as a teaching assistant, and his recent cross-country travels between Washington and Pennsylvania. He even remarked to one detective, “You do look familiar.”
“Knowledge was far more important to him than money,” police said of Kohberger’s attitude, adding that he said he “loved being in college.”
At one point, the murderer said he “would appreciate it if we [police] would explain to him what he was doing there.”
The detective responded by asking Kohberger why he thought they were there, to which he deflected and said he would prefer to be told.
“Det. Gilbertson said we were there because of what occurred in Moscow but did not provide any further detail,” the report says.
The tone shifted when investigators broached the topic of the Moscow homicides. Kohberger acknowledged receiving a crime alert on his phone from the university shortly after the killings, but claimed to know few details about the incident. When pressed further on whether he wished to discuss the murders, he responded, “Well, I think I would need a lawyer,” effectively invoking his Fifth Amendment rights and ending the substantive portion of the interview.
No further questioning occurred without legal representation.
The report states:
Kohberger sat back and said he had the utmost respect for law enforcement but stated it was a constitutional right to speak to an attorney. Det. Gilbertson affirmed this. Kohberger then reengaged and said the only thing he heard of from Moscow was an alert that came to his phone. Kohberger then said he wanted to talk to an attorney. Det. Gilbertson said we would stop now because Kohberger wanted to speak to an attorney. Kohberger then asked where his parents were and were his dog was. Kohberger reengaged again and asked what questions we would have for him. Det. Gilbertson then asked Kohberger again if he understood his rights and asked specifically what Kohberger wished. Kohberger asked what specifically we wanted to talk to him about and the reason. I told Kohberger he invoked his Fifth Amendment Rights and we were not going to ask him any further questions. Kohberger asked again for the reason he was there but added he would like to talk to an attorney. At this point, we concluded our interview with Kohberger and left the room.
The documents detail several unsettling incidents involving Kohberger before the murders. Female students at WSU reported feeling uncomfortable around him, citing instances where he allegedly used his teaching assistant position to interact inappropriately, such as following them on social media or making unsolicited comments.
A former friend, identified only as “L,” described Kohberger as intelligent but selfish, noting that he often misled others about collaborative work and displayed injuries on his face and hands— including a large scratch and wounded knuckles, which he attributed to a car accident.
Autopsy reports also confirmed the savagery of the attacks, with all four victims dying from sharp-force injuries inflicted by a single-edged, non-serrated knife.
Ethan Chapin suffered a fatal stab wound under his left clavicle, severing major blood vessels. Xana Kernodle endured over 50 stab wounds, many defensive, with lethal injuries to her heart and lung. Madison Mogen had lacerations to her liver and lung, while Kaylee Goncalves sustained over 20 stab wounds, including damage to her liver, lung, brain, and subclavian artery, along with evidence of blunt force and asphyxial trauma.
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