Police did not provide many details during a press conference Friday, citing the investigation, but said more will be released soon.
Authorities arrested 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger in Pennsylvania Friday, nearly seven weeks after the brutal attack. Moscow Police Chief James Fry would not disclose what led officials to Kohberger or his whereabouts in Pennsylvania.
Police continue piecing together why Kohberger would have murdered the four students and continue asking for tips to paint a more complete picture. When asked if Kohberger knew any of the students, Fry answered that information will come out “later.”
Authorities have still not found the murder weapon, Fry said, adding police are still looking for “all pieces of evidence.” He did confirm that an Elantra was found.
Meanwhile, the cleanup process began Friday morning at the off-campus home where the students were found stabbed to death on November 13. However, Fry said the process was halted due to a “legal request from the court.”
Kohberger’s arrest comes nearly seven weeks after the students’ bodies were found. With no suspects or persons of interest named and no arrests announced until Friday, the small Idaho community has continued to battle fear and uncertainty as the university took steps to bolster security on campus.
During a Friday afternoon press conference, Fry was asked if the community is now safe and whether law enforcement officials are still looking for other suspects who may be involved in the case. Fry did not specifically say there are no other suspects police are looking into, but indicated that was the case in his response.
“What I can tell you is we have an individual in custody who committed these horrible crimes and I do believe our community is safe,” Fry said.
Despite the arrest, Fry urged community members to remain “vigilant.”
“We always need to be aware of our surroundings and make sure that we’re aware of what’s going on,” he said.
The post in the ExCon subreddit is from a DeSales University “student investigator” Bryan Kohberger. The post asks for participants in a research project that seeks to “understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.”
“In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience,” the post reads.
There is a link to the anonymous study, which asked participants questions about how they choose their victim, how they approached their victim and what they did before leaving after committing the crime.
The post from seven months ago has now been removed by the moderators of the ExCons subreddit.
There were over 1,000 comments on the post. After the name of the suspect arrested in connection to the quadruple murder was released, many people flocked to the post, speculating the author was the man in police custody.
The post said the study was for a DeSales University study. The university confirmed in a statement that Kohberger received a bachelor’s degree in 2020 and completed his graduate studies in June 2022.
According to a document from the university’s 2022 commencement, a Bryan Kohberger graduated with a masters of arts in criminal justice in May.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania. He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and also faces felony burglary charges for breaking into the students’ home that night, Thompson said during a Friday afternoon press conference.
Kohberger had an initial court appearance in Pennsylvania Friday morning and will next appear before a judge on January 3. He is being held without bond in Pennsylvania and will also be held without bond in Idaho once he is transferred. Kohberger has been appointed a public defender in Pennsylvania, Thompson said.
The case will proceed faster if Kohberger waives extradition and returns to Idaho voluntarily, Thompson said. If he doesn’t waive extradition, “we will initiate extradition proceedings through our governor’s office,” Thompson said, adding that could “take a while for him to get here.”
The factual basis for Kohberger’s arrest is detailed in a probable cause affidavit, Thompson said. That document is on file but must remain under seal until Kohberger returns to Idaho and is served an arrest warrant in Latah County, Thompson said.
He thanked everyone for their support and compassion throughout this investigation.
“The outpouring of support helped sustain us during this trying time. Kindness is contagious and reclaimed the light lost to evil and darkness,” Green said.
Green also thanked the Idaho governor for providing financial support to secure the campus and help students and employees. He also thanked Idaho State Police for securing the community.
Green said this crime “left a mark on the university, community and state” but he “never lost faith this case would be solved.”
While investigators cannot bring the four victims back, Green said the community will continue to carry their legacy forward in the work they do.
Fry said Kohberger is a graduate student at Washington State University and lives in Pullman, WA.
He also thanked Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI for their help making this arrest.
Moscow Police received over 19,000 tips and conducted over 300 interviews, Fry said, adding that he believes “justice will be found.”
At this time, Fry said the police cannot release much information about the case. He said Idaho state law limits what information can be made public until Kohberger is extradited from Pennsylvania and appears in an Idaho court.
“This was a very complex and extensive case,” Fry said. “The work is not done, it’s just started.”
Fry also acknowledged the public’s frustration with the lack of information released by officials throughout this investigation.
“Providing any details in this criminal investigation might have tainted the upcoming criminal prosecution or alerted the suspect of our progress,” he said. “We will continue to provide as much information as we can as the process moves forward.”
Bryan Christopher Kohberger was an undergraduate and graduate student at the university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. He completed his undergraduate degree in 2020 and his graduate degree earlier this year, the university said.
“On Friday, December 30, DeSales University learned of the arrest of Bryan Kohberger in connection with the murder of four University of Idaho students. Kohberger received a bachelor’s degree in 2020 and completed his graduate studies in June 2022,” the school said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
“As a Catholic, Salesian community, we are devastated by this senseless tragedy,” the school said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families during this difficult time.”
Kohberger was reportedly a PhD student at Washington State University at the time of the murders.
Kohberger is apparently a PhD student at Washington State University in Pullman, WA, located about 10 miles across state lines from where the murders took place.
A neighbor told Fox News Digital that investigators arrived at the apartment complex by 7:30 a.m. Friday to execute a search warrant.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson was also reportedly spotted at the apartment with investigators.
“There was the black pickup and the silver pickup and a couple of cops, and they were taking pictures and stuff, but didn’t have any tape up,” Randy Smith, a 58-year-old Moscow resident who works at WSU, told Fox News Digital.
21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves was among the four students found stabbed to death in an off-campus home on November 13.
Attorney Shanon Gray, who represents Goncalves’s father Steve, said the family was called by law enforcement last night, but not given any details, the Associated Press reports. The family was notified about the arrest, but not told how or why police believe the suspect was connected to the brutal attack.
“Obviously they’re relieved that someone has been arrested,” Gray told AP. “You guys know about as much as we do right now.”
Police said in a Thursday news release that the rental home, located on King Street in Moscow, Idaho, “will remain an active crime scene under police control” but that a private company was set to begin clearing it. The company is working in coordination with law enforcement and the home’s property managers, police said.
The cleanup process will include “removing potential biohazards and other harmful substances” that were used in the evidence-gathering process. Police said it was unknown how long the cleanup process would take but that the home will be returned to Team Idaho Property Management, the company that owns the property, once the process is complete.
Photos shared by NewsNation reporter Nancy Loo showed trucks marked “Disaster Response” parked in front of the house, with a trailer positioned in front of the building Friday morning.
At one point, crew members could be seen pulling a tarp over part of the trailer to obscure the view of their work from the outside, according to NewsNation reporter Brian Entin.
At about 9:30 a.m. local time, Loo reported the cleanup process was halted and said the reason behind the pause was expected to be detailed during an afternoon news conference, which Moscow police are expected to hold soon.
Shortly after suspect Bryan Kohberger’s name and photo was released by officials, it was discovered that there was a Ph.D. student at WSU with the same name.
According to the WSU Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology website, Bryan Kohberger has an office in the Wilson-Short Hall building.
That page has now been taken down.
Reporters at WSU said there were police cars outside Wilson-Short Hall Friday afternoon.
KXLY-TV reporter Ester Bower said the building is locked but police are on site, coming and going.
Police Chief James Fry will give an update of the ongoing investigation into the quadruple homicide that occurred on Nov. 13. Officials said they will take questions from the press.
This comes as law enforcement officials arrested Bryan Christopher Kohberger in Monroe County, Pennsylvania early Friday, in connection with the homicides.
The press conference will stream live on the Moscow Police YouTube at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET.
According to court documents, Bryan Kohberger will have an extradition hearing Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.
The docket from Monroe County, PA showed that Kohberger was arraigned “awaiting extradition” to Idaho Friday.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania and needs to be brought to Idaho to face charges. He is currently in police custody Monroe County Prison.
The celebration of life will be taking place at 3 p.m. in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho at Lake City Church. Those unable to attend were asked to send flowers.
The event will be open to the public, according to local media reports.
The timing of the celebration of life now falls just hours after police made an arrest in connection with the murders. Police are expected to share updates on the status of their investigation during a press conference scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time.
The arrest on Friday marks a major shift in the case, the pace of which has frustrated members of the victims’ families. No suspects or persons of interest were publicly identified by police previously.
Law enforcement officials told NBC News that police found the vehicle at Kohberger’s home in Pennsylvania. Kohberger was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania on Friday, nearly seven weeks after the four students were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home.
Earlier this month, police were seeking information about a white Hyundai Elantra they said was spotted near the home on the night of the murders. Police did not know the license plate number of the vehicle at that time, but said they believed it was a model from 2011, 2012 or 2013.
“Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case,” police in Moscow, Idaho said on December 7. They urged individuals with information about the vehicle to contact their investigation tip line.
A law enforcement official confirmed the arrest to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
According to paperwork filed in Monroe County Court, 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger was awaiting extradition to Idaho on a warrant for first degree murder. He was arrested in Hazelton, PA, a town at the foothills of the Pocono Mountains.
While little is known about Kohberger, there is a PH.D. student by the same name listed in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, WA, just a short drive across state lines from the University of Idaho.
