Tag Archives: Moscow

The media has been trained on Idaho the last 24 or so hours.

Most of the focus was on the tragic killing of a couple firefighters who were ambushed while responding to a brush fire in the northwest part of the state.

Turn the page a day and the focus is back on the November 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students at a rental home in Moscow.

The defendant in the case, former Washington State University grad student Bryan Kohberger, has reportedly offered to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty should he had been convicted. The trial in Boise was scheduled to begin Aug. 11.

While I will have more thoughts on this plea deal later this week, what are your initial thoughts?

Is the plea deal the prosecution offered fair to the families of victims Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin?

Is this justice for the families?

Are the families better off not having to sit through what would have been a painful trial?

More to come….

I finally got chance last evening to watch the recent Dateline on NBC episode of “The Terrible Night on King Road” that aired earlier this month.

Aside from coming up with a rather boring title for this specific show, the episode was nonetheless interesting to say the least.

As someone who has followed the case from day one and stood feet away from the quadruple murder scene on two visits to Moscow back in 2023, I have been drawn to this tragedy.

A single murder case as tragic as it is can be rather riveting to follow. When there are four victims involved and they are college students, you have all the makings of a tragic soap opera. Sadly, this was all too real and not a TV production.

With that in mind, here are a few takes on the two hours of TV I watched last night:

• Defendant Bryan Kohberger was certainly not painted in any positive light. While he doesn’t deserve any special treatment, NBC all but convicted him in this episode. Moving the summer trial to Boise from Moscow is supposed to improve chances of him getting a fair trial. Finding 12 impartial jurors may well have been made more difficult after this two-hour show.
• If looking at pictures of women in bikinis online, reading up on serial killer cases, using gloves to handle garbage, being awkward at social events, driving around towns in the middle of the night etc. is considered suspicious and even criminal behavior, most guys and probably even some women would have been locked by now. In fact, our jails and prisons would have been beyond full. I have extensively studied Ted Bundy and Danny Rolling for years now. It does not mean I’m going to go out and knife a number of college students or anyone for that matter.
• The show gave the theory that the killer started their rampage on the third floor of the home before going back to the second floor. It is alleged that Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves on the third floor sharing a bed were the first two victims. Upon hearing some commotion upstairs, victim Xana Kernodle began going up the stairs before being confronted with the killer. She was then reportedly chased back to her room and killed along with her boyfriend (Ethan Chapin) who had been spending the night there.
• Survivors and fellow roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were reportedly awakened by commotion upstairs and scared by it all, yet waited nearly eight hours to call 911. I’ve been over this portion of the case many times before, so no need to rehash all my thoughts. That said, I still do NOT understand and no one has provided a logical reason as to why the two never went to the third floor to check on or get Maddie and Kaylee during all of this. They were the two oldest women in the home and one would think the most responsible. As such, with noise and Dylan claiming she spotted a masked intruder in the home shortly after the four victims were attacked, why would you not go and check on or get the two on the third floor when safe to do so? Being drunk, young women, scared etc. doesn’t cut it for most people.
• The episode also claims that Dylan partially saw Xana on the floor of her bedroom and allegedly passed out from likely drinking. There is never any mention of lots of blood being seen on or around Xana. If this crime was as brutal as the police and others seem to portray it as, how could Dylan not see any blood? Once again, while I do not think Dylan or Bethany were directly involved, their eight or so hours of actions or rather in-actions are strange and questionable to say the least.
• Dateline barely mentions that Xana and Ethan were at a frat party on the evening before the killings took place. There have been rumors (take them for what they are worth) that there was an incident at the party that may well have involved Ethan and possibly Xana too. While it may be just a rumor, could something from the party have spilled over hours later to 1122 King Road? While it is certainly possible for one person to do these killings in less than 15 minutes, I still feel multiple people were involved in some manner. If they were, that means one or more are walking free two and a half years later.

If you’ve watched the Dateline episode, what is your take on what you saw? Do you think it could help or hurt either side?

*PLEASE keep in mind this blog is for adult discussion on a tragic case that many of us have become invested in. More than happy to share thoughts on it even if we agree to disagree. What won’t be tolerated is name-calling, rude remarks etc.

It is more than two years since four University of Idaho students were murdered at a home on 1122 King Road in Moscow.

Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin died sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022 at the since torn down residence. The defendant in the case, Bryan Kohberger, was arrested nearly 3,000 miles away in late December of that year at his parents home in Pennsylvania.

On Wednesday in Boise, Kohberger was back in court for a consequential hearing to iron out some more of the pre-trial details ahead of a scheduled trial this August. The trial was moved from Moscow to Boise due to the notion that Kohberger would not receive a fair trial in the town where the deaths took place.

At Wednesdays hearing, the following emerged:

• The terms psychopath and sociopath will be barred from the trial;
• Judge Steven Hippler noted that he will not “police” language from both the defense and prosecution in his courtroom, but encouraged both sides to be careful with language they and individuals they call to testify use. There is concern that using wrong words could prejudice the case and possibly lead to a mistrial;
• Members of Kohberger’s family will reportedly be called by the state as witnesses to his lifestyle prior to and shortly after the m*rders. Hippler suggested he would like to see them called early on in the trial so that they then can be in the courtroom to watch and support their family member moving on in the trial. Kohberger has two sisters along with his parents. Kohberger was visiting his parents in their Pennsylvania home when he was arrested shortly after Christmas of 2022;
• Hippler will permit a 3D model of the former home on King Road to be seen at trial. As someone who has been to the home twice (outside only), I argued constantly that the home should have been left up until the trial was over. While I get the security costs and eyesore to the neighborhood, you can’t replace seeing the real thing. Even though it was reported authorities dismantled portions of the home inside during the investigation and a jury would not have been allowed in it during trial, even seeing it from the outside and walking the perimeter could have been proven valuable. My thoughts on the case changed somewhat after walking the area twice;
• Testimony for the prosecution will be permitted regarding Kohberger’s reported purchase of a KA-BAR knife, sheath and sharpener early in 2022. The online Amazon purchase was reportedly up for debate because the defense argued anyone in his family could have bought it with a joint online account. Hippler stated that the account in fact was tied to Kohberger and not his family.

While there is still more to hammer out in pre-trial hearings, it certainly looks like we are headed towards an August trial.

My early take is that while Kohberger could well be convicted on circumstantial evidence alone, the state has a sizable job on its hands to convince 12 jurors beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant caused all this carnage by himself in such a short amount of time.

While it is certainly possible for one individual to do this, he or she would need exact precision and a little luck on their side.

With the trial for alleged quadruple m*rderer Bryan Kohberger slated to begin later this summer in Idaho, any thoughts on what the verdict ultimately will be?

Kohberger is accused of m*rdering three University of Idaho roommates and the boyfriend of the youngest female. If convicted, he well could face the death penalty.

In having followed this case since day one, I think there is a good chance Kohberger could be convicted on circumstantial evidence alone.

His defense team has a number of things they will need to explain away to a jury of 12. That said, we do not to this day know if authorities found the knife used nor if they have a star witness or clear video evidence to show he in fact is responsible for this tragedy. My guess is we would have heard by now if they had a witness or video surveillance that clearly shows the defendant entering or leaving the home in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

I can also see a scenario playing out where at least one juror says they do not have enough evidence to convict him and possibly send him to a death penalty sentencing in the next phase of the case.

While I do not believe the two surviving roommates were involved, their story post-mu*ders is strange to say the least. I also think while possible, the odds one individual did all this carnage in under 15 minutes is highly unlikely. You would need to know the layout of the home, how many people were there (including boyfriends spending the night), if guns and/or dogs were inside, and a little luck along the way too. IF Kohberger did this alone, he was not only quite good but also darn lucky.

With all that said, what do you think the final outcome will be later this year at trial?

On a winter afternoon this past Friday, the world learned that we are no closer to a set trial date than we were when the day began.

As the case of the Idaho 4 has moved into 2024, there is no set date for defendant Bryan Kohberger to go on trial. The Pennsylvania native is accused of killings University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

So, with no trial date in the near future, the four families are left with more uncertainty, questions than answers and so on.

At last Friday’s court hearing, the prosecution stated it could be ready for trial as soon as this summer. The state and others were shooting for a summer trial of perhaps six weeks, looking to avoid disruption for nearby Moscow High students, University of Idaho students, and even nearby Washington State University students, about a 10-minute drive across the border in Pullman.

Meantime, the defense has said that it was more inclined to go with a trial later in 2025. According to lead attorney Anne Taylor, there is no way those defending Kohberger could successfully review all the evidence (videos, photos, testimony from the experts on the case etc.) by this summer.

As it stands now, we are no closer to a trial than when we headed into last Friday’s court hearing, one of several that day.

While each of these teams (prosecution, defense) do not employ tons of people, one would think there are enough available to review all the relevant pieces of the puzzle and have a trial ready to go by this summer. While I do not feel this a delay tactic by the defense team, I do think that it is feasible to get the work done in time to go to trial later this year. Although I do understand the desire to avoid a trial while classes are in session at nearby schools, we might be a little too fixated on summer schedules. If the trial has to go on in the fall of 2024 or even next winter or spring, do it.

Finally, thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the four victims. No parent, sister, brother etc. should have to sit in limbo as they wait for their loved ones to hopefully get justice. Whether Kohberger is the killer or there are others out there involved, justice needs to come to the families sooner than later.

For those following the case, do you think a trial would be feasible by this summer or do you agree that later in 2025 is a more reasonable date?

No doubt last Thursday’s (Dec. 28) tearing down the home at 1122 King Road evoked emotions.

Some were quite happy to see the home be razed. Given the unspeakable crime that happened there in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, some people had hoped the home would have been long gone before last Thursday.

For others, keeping the home standing through the eventual finale of a trial of defendant Bryan Kohberger was the way to go. Why risk even a slight chance of tearing down the home if it could open up a possibility of Kohberger getting off either altogether or at the appellate level should he be convicted at some point?

I have been consistent from early on saying the home should stand through a trial.

Yes, I get that it was an eyesore and did bring out emotions in many people in the neighborhood and those able to see the home in the distance.

Even with that in mind, I feel the University of Idaho made a big mistake in signing off on the home’s demise.

According to Idaho law, a jury would not have been authorized to visit the inside of the home given how altered it had become. That then leads to the question…. why was the inside so drastically changed during the state’s investigation? Sure, forensics and so on are key whenever a murder (let alone four) happens in a place. On the flip side of the coin, why was the home so drastically altered inside? If the murders were confined to the two bedrooms (one on each of the floors) as we have been told, why the need to rip out floorboards, walling and so on? We were also told early on the four victims were sleeping at the time of the killings. If so, doubtful any of them made it out of their beds alive to struggle, try and get away etc.

While I am not a conspiracy theorist in general, I do question the reported notable altering of the home by the state and its investigators. Given the long-standing gag order being in place, what other many nuggets are we going to be surprised to hear about come trial?

I’ve watched countless interviews with legal experts and law enforcement folks (many of whom are now retired and are called in by TV stations and others) over the months, notably when it came to discussing taking down the home. Not many of them thought it was a smart move by the U of I to tear it down when a jury has not even been selected and of course a trial has not taken place. For example, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_XNqYBHqoM

The old adage about better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it rings very true.

As for the reported cost of $700 a day for the U of I to keep the home up, hey, who wants to waste money? On the other hand, that is like a few dollars to most of us when comparing our bank accounts to the school’s financial records.

Imagine for a moment if BK ultimately is either not convicted at trial or wins on an appellate ruling. President Scott Green can then tell the four families how his decision to take the home down before a trial finishes may well have played a part in BK walking at some point.

While it has been pointed out the families were split on tearing down the home early, those against it would have every right to raise their hands up and salute Green minus four fingers showing.

So, would you have left the home up through the trial or did the school do the right thing?

It is safe to say emotions have been high for many individuals when it comes to the case of the Idaho 4.

Whether you think defendant Bryan Kohberger is guilty or not guilty, he is not the focal point. The focal point to most of us has and always will be Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan.

These four young adults in no way deserved what happened to them in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022. To have their promising futures taken away from them in such a harsh manner is not something you’d wish on your worst enemy.

Against that backdrop, one of the biggest days to date in this case took place Thursday in Moscow, Idaho.

Yes, the home at 1122 King Road is no more. Several pieces of construction equipment took the rental home to the ground in a matter of a few hours. With it, so many good memories and not what took place on Nov. 13 one year ago came crashing to the ground.

Whether you were fully in support of the home being torn down, leaving it up or maybe were on the fence about it, you likely had some reaction on Thursday if invested in the case.

I have said repeatedly that the home should stand until the end of the trial. Better to have it if you need it than not have it if needed as so many people have noted in the last 24 hours.

Having been to the home (outside) twice this year, I fully understand the eyesore it was, especially to those living immediately in its shadow. No doubt seeing it daily was a painful reminder to those having to look at it up close or a block etc. away.

It is important to remember the home was NOT smack dab in the middle of the campus. This narrative by the University of Idaho administrators that the large percentage of students saw it daily is not true. It would be a totally different scenario if the house were next to the campus bookstore, library etc.

It has also been documented that the four families were split on the home coming down. Some of the comments directed specifically towards Steve and Kristi Goncalves I’ve seen in chat forums are nothing short of despicable. Whether you agree with these parents or not, for God’s sake have a little dignity and give them the chance to grieve what happened on Thursday let alone the last year. While their daughter died in that home along with three of her best friends, she also had many happy times there too.

In closing, I hope that the trial takes place sooner than later, the right person is ultimately convicted no matter who it is, and that the four families know how much support they have out there.

Thursday was a tough day for many people seeing what was once a home of a lot of joy and happiness be reduced to rubble.

At the end of the day, the University of Idaho administration can for now sleep better in knowing it buried a bad PR matter that may ultimately come back to haunt it.