What might Dylan and Bethany know?

If you know the Idaho 4, you’ve have heard of Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.

The two were the surviving roommates from the house of horrors on Nov. 13, 2022 known as 1122 King Road.

I want to make it crystal clear before going any further that I am delighted both Mortensen and Funke survived the bloodshed. Imagine for a moment if they had not and we would be talking about an entire home full of tenants being wiped out.

Now, given both survived, questions continue to surface on what the two may know about that fateful early morning when Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and guest Ethan Chapin were slain on two different floors.

As stated in the probable cause affidavit, Mortensen claimed she saw a black clothed figure with a mask on and bushy eyebrows pass right by her second floor bedroom sometime around 4:15-4:25 a.m. From there, it is assumed the suspect then exited the home through the kitchen slider door. Mortensen reportedly went into a state of frozen shock and locked her bedroom door.

It was not until 11:58 that morning a 9-1-1 call was placed to local authorities. The call claimed there was an unresponsive tenant and help was sent. Of course we now know that Moscow Police located two bodies on the second floor and two on the top floor. All had been stabbed to death in one degree or another.

Again, thankfully both Mortensen and Funke survived.

So, what might one or both may know about the murders?

If you are in certain Facebook chat groups, you are not even remotely allowed to question the whereabouts, actions or even in-actions of both young women. Nope, it is hands off and don’t you dare send any negative or even questionable vibes their way.

Well, I have questions given this is a quadruple murder investigation and we are led to believe that both women were home at the time!

Among them:

• How could you not hear screams and more? – Given Mortensen was in the bedroom below where Mogen and Goncalves died and the Boise native was only yards away from Kernodle’s second floor bedroom, how could she not hear anything unusual? Yes, any of us who were in college and lived in dorms or rentals know things get can a little wild, especially on a Saturday night. Even having thrown that fact into the mix, I find it hard to believe Mortensen did not hear more than the reported crying she stated hearing coming from Kernodle’s room. Sorry, but I am not buying what the MPD and prosecutors are selling.
• Where was Funke during all of this? – Funke, who reportedly has since transferred out of the University of Idaho to another school, was said to be sleeping in her first floor bedroom, when this all went down. You could make an argument it would be harder for her to hear things, especially if she might have had earbuds in, been passed out etc. The fact that the defense team wanted to talk to Funke the other month raises my curiosity. What does the defense think Funke might be able to do for their client?
• Would an immediate 9-1-1- call made a difference? – As everyone else it seems has done for eight months, I am speculating with the following. I think once we get to trial and have a relaxed gag order we will know a lot more. So, my speculation is that Kernodle did not die instantly like one, two or all three others may have. Given it is assumed Kernodle put up the biggest fight of the four victims, I speculate that the cries Mortensen said she heard coming from that bedroom was Xana in pain and calling out for help. A neighbor’s audio system reportedly picks up a thud from that side of the 1122 King Road home around 4:17 a.m. or so (we do not know the precise timeline in much of this case even now). My thought is the thud is Kernodle trying to get up and passing out from losing blood. I speculate she bled to death in her room. Much like one of the two deceased teachers in the Uvalde shooting last year, what if help had gotten there sooner? The difference between Uvalde and Moscow is that in the former, police and EMT’s were already on the scene but police stood around as more died before finally killing the shooter. In Moscow, once the coast was clear for Mortensen to go check on Kernodle after hearing crying, time could have made a difference. Stopping the bleeding and getting the victim stabilized before transport to a hospital would have been critical. Kernodle may well have passed in the home anyhow, but I will always wonder if she would have had a fighting chance with a much sooner 9-1-1 call.

Again, some will read this and call it victim shaming. No, these are legit things to think about.

What Mortensen and Funke know about that early morning needs to be gone over with a fine tooth comb when we get to trial. Not doing so would be a disservice to the four deceased among other things.

So, would you have questions for both survivors if given the chance to ask them?