Idaho college murders: As Kohberger admits to the brutal crime, here's the full timeline of events
Kohberger pleaded guilty after more than two years of maintaining his innocence.
MOSCOW, Idaho -- On Nov. 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in an off-campus house in a crime that sent shockwaves through the town of Moscow and skyrocketed to national attention.
The four slain students were Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21.
More than six weeks after the mysterious stabbing, a suspect was identified and taken into custody.
Now, Bryan Kohberger has admitted to the gruesome murders and pleaded guilty, after spending more than two years maintaining his innocence.
Here's the full timeline of the case:
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022
On the night of Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, roommates at 1122 King Road, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, who were lifelong best friends, went out in Moscow, according to Moscow police.
That night, Ethan Chapin, 20, attended a formal with his sister, and then went to his Sigma Chi fraternity house with his girlfriend, 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, another 1122 King Road resident.
Two other roommates -- who survived the attack and are not considered suspects -- also went out in Moscow that night, police said.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022
At 4 a.m., Kernodle received a DoorDash order, according to prosecutors.
Just after 4 a.m., Kohberger entered the house through the kitchen sliding door, went to the third floor and fatally stabbed Mogen and Goncalves, according to prosecutor Bill Thompson.
At about 4:17 a.m., a security camera less than 50 feet from Kernodle's room picked up sounds of Goncalves' barking dog and "distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud," according to court documents.
Kernodle, who lived on the second floor, was still awake when Kohberger killed Goncalves and Mogen, and as Kohberger was "either coming down the stairs or leaving, he encountered Xana and he ended up killing her," Thompson said at the change of plea hearing. Kohberger then killed Chapin, who was asleep in Kernodle's room, he said.
Just before 4:30 a.m. the two surviving roommates were texting back and forth, according to court documents, and they appeared to grow frightened as their calls and texts to the four victims went unanswered.
"No one is answering," the roommate identified in the documents as "D.M." texted "B.F." between 4:22 a.m. and 4:24 a.m. "I'm rlly confused rn."
"Kaylee," D.M. texted Goncalves. "What's going on." And then to B.F. they said, "I'm freaking out rn."
D.M. makes reference to someone in "like a ski mask almost" to B.F., who responds, "Stfu."
"I'm not kidding," D.M. says, adding that they are "so freaked out."
"Come to my room," B.F. says. "Run."
Later in the morning, the roommate called friends over to their house because they thought one of the victims was passed out because she wasn't waking up, police said. At 11:58 a.m., a 911 call from one of the roommate's phones requested help for an unconscious person, police said.
Responding officers then found the four victims.
One of the roommates told authorities in the middle of the night that she saw a man in black clothes and a mask walking past her in the house, according to court documents. She described him as at least 5-foot-10, and "not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows," according to the affidavit.
Authorities reviewed surveillance video and saw Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra go by the victims' house three times, before entering the area for a fourth time at 4:04 a.m., according to the documents. Police said they traced the car's travel that night back to Pullman, Washington, where Kohberger lived as a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University.
Kohberger's phone was tracked heading to Moscow before the attack, but the phone was off from 2:47 a.m. to 4:48 a.m., which "is consistent with Kohberger attempting to conceal his location during the quadruple homicide," the affidavit said.
He also returned to the area of the house where the four students were killed just after 9 a.m., about five hours after the murders, based on phone records, the affidavit also showed.
His phone was near the victims' house at least 12 times before the murders, at least as far back as August, according to the affidavit.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022
Autopsies conducted on Nov. 17 determined all victims were stabbed multiple times, police said.
The four students were probably asleep when attacked and some had defensive wounds, police said.
There was no sign of sexual assault, police added.
Monday, Nov. 21, 2022
The family of 20-year-old victim Ethan Chapin held his memorial service on Nov. 21.
Chapin, a triplet, was born right before his sister and brother, who also attend the University of Idaho.
Chapin was "one of the most incredible people you'll ever know," his mother, Stacy Chapin, told reporters before his memorial service.
The 20-year-old "lived his best life" at college, his obituary said.
"He laughed continuously. He smiled when he woke up and was still smiling when he went to bed," his obituary said. "He was kind to all and a friend to all."
Monday, Nov. 28, 2022
In a Nov. 28 interview, Goncalves' father, Steve Goncalves, told ABC News that the students died quickly and did not bleed for hours, so an earlier 911 call would not have saved their lives.
"Nobody suffered and nobody felt like that kind of pain," Steve Goncalves said.
The grieving dad said he's feeling "a little defeated" and frustrated by the lack of transparency from police but still supports and trusts the law enforcement officers who are diligently working on the investigation.
"I have to assume and hope that this is all part of their plan and ... they've got this all figured out," he said. "I know that there's some really good, hard-working guys and girls that are on this case that I've met. And they looked me in the eyes and they told me straight-out that they're working and they're doing everything in their power."
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022
Moscow police had asked the authorities to look out for white Elantras. On Nov. 29, a Washington State University police officer searched cars that matched that description at the university and found one registered to Kohberger, the affidavit said.
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022
Grieving families and classmates gathered at the University of Idaho on Nov. 30 for a candlelight vigil.
Ethan Chapin's mother, Stacy Chapin, cried as she told the mourners, "We are eternally grateful that we spent so much time with him. That's the most important message that we have for you and your families ... to make sure that you spend as much time as possible with those people. Because time is precious and it's something you can't get back."
Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, who had been inseparable since the sixth grade, "died together in the same room, in the same bed," Kaylee's dad, Steve Goncalves, said at the vigil.
Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022
On Dec. 7, police announced to the public that they were looking to speak with the driver of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was seen "in the immediate area" of the victims' house early on Nov. 13.
Anyone with information on the car was asked to contact the tip line.
Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022
As the one-month mark hit, Moscow Police Capt. Roger Lanier said police are closely guarding "the information that we've discovered at the scene and our investigative information because we want to protect the integrity of this investigation."
But, he promised, "This investigation is not cold. We get tips every day that are viable."
"Those tips help us do everything from clear people ... to further some of the theories that we're working on," he said in a video statement. "Eventually we're going to narrow in on exactly what happened and who did it."
Friday, Dec. 15, 2022
As police in Idaho searched for answers, Kohberger was stopped by Indiana police on Dec. 15 for traffic violations.
After Kohberger's semester at Washington State ended in December, he and his father drove across the country together in the white Hyundai Elantra, heading to the family's Pennsylvania home for the holidays.
Kohberger and his father were stopped twice on Dec. 15 while driving in Indiana, both times with the younger Kohberger in the driver's seat. They were first stopped by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office for speeding and then nine minutes later by the Indiana State Police for following another vehicle too closely, according to officials.
After Kohberger's arrest, the sheriff's department and state police said there was no information at the time on the suspect in the Idaho crimes or specific information on the white Hyundai Elantra.
The state police added, "The Trooper, having learned the two had been stopped minutes before by a Deputy from the Hancock County Sheriff's Department, who he knew was working just down the interstate from him, used his discretion and released the two men with a verbal warning."
Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022
On Dec. 27, police recovered trash from Kohberger's parents' house in Pennsylvania. A lab determined the DNA from the trash belonged to the father of the male who left DNA on the knife sheath dropped by one of the victim's bodies, according to an affidavit.
Friday, Dec. 30, 2022
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains in the early hours of Dec. 30.
The family of Goncalves told ABC News they don't know Kohberger and are "happy, relieved and thankful" there's been an arrest.
Moscow Police Chief James Fry said, "No arrest will ever bring back these young students. However, we do believe justice will be found through the criminal process."
Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023
Kohberger, who was arrested for four counts of first-degree murder and burglary, agreed to be extradited to Idaho during his Jan. 3 court appearance in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
LaBar said in a statement his client "is eager to be exonerated of these charges and looks forward to resolving these matters as promptly as possible."
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023
On Jan. 4, Kohberger was extradited from Pennsylvania to Idaho.
Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023
The Idaho state court released court documents on Jan. 5 that revealed never-before-seen details of the police investigation.
As Kohberger made his first court appearance in Moscow that same day, Kaylee Goncalves' parents stared him down as he entered the courtroom in a bright orange jumpsuit and no shackles.
Charges were read for the murders of each student; the judge said each victim was "stabbed and murdered with premeditation with malice and forethought." Families were overcome with emotion as their child's name was read.
The judge asked Kohberger if he wants to represent himself or have a court-appointed attorney, and he calmly and replied, "I have court-appointed counsel."
Wendesday, Jan. 11, 2023
Classes resumed at the University of Idaho on Jan. 11 for the first time since Kohberger's arrest.
Among the students returning to campus were Ethan Chapin's brother, Hunter, and sister, Maizie.
"Hunter was very glad to be back at the fraternity and Maizie was warming up to the idea but it was so good to hear all of the girls squeal with delight upon seeing her," their mom, Stacy Chapin, wrote on Facebook. "It did this momma's heart good to hear it!!"
Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023
Kohberger appeared in Idaho court for a status conference, where a judge scheduled a preliminary probable cause hearing to begin June 26.
The suspect who appeared in court wearing an orange prison uniform with his feet shackled, waived his right to a speedy probable cause hearing within 14 days. The 28-year-old spoke only briefly while answering the judge's questions.
Kohberger appeared to have several cuts on his face, including a roughly two-inch cut above his chin, on his jawline and another smaller one on his cheek. He spoke only four words during the appearance, which lasted less than five minutes.
The public defender representing the suspect requested the judge allow four or five days for the probable cause hearing this summer, and the judge indicated she would block the week of June 26 for the matter. The judge also ordered that Kohberger remain remanded in state custody with no bond.
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Court documents unsealed in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, revealed a cache of items seized from Kohberger's parents' home shortly after he was arrested. The items included "medical style" gloves, a silver flashlight, a black sweatshirt, black socks and a pair of size 13 Nike shoes.
An evidence log also revealed investigators took knives, a cell phone, black gloves, black masks, laptops, dark-colored clothes and dark shoes, brown boots and New Balance shoes. The knives included a Smith and Wesson pocket knife and a knife in a leather sheath.
Criminology books - including one titled, "criminal psychology" - and notebooks also were seized, along with a shop-vac and personal documents, the log shows.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
A grand jury indicted Kohberger on murder and burglary charges. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
Monday, May 22, 2023
Kohberger -- who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary -- chose to "stand silent" during his arraignment on May 22. By not responding, the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
The charges made Kohberger eligible for the death penalty.
Friday, June 16, 2023
Prosecutors filed a court document stating Kohberger's DNA was a "statistical match" with DNA found on the knife used in the stabbings and found at the crime scene. The filing said an "STR" analysis - or short tandem repeat analysis - was used to compare the two samples.
Sunday, June 22, 2023
Kohberger's attorney Jay Logsdon submitted a court filing arguing that "there is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims."
"There is no explanation for the total lack of DNA evidence from the victims in Mr. Kohberger's apartment, office, home, or vehicle," the attorney continued.
Friday, June 23, 2023
A judge denied two motions to either remove the gag order or be exempt from it. The judge said the case against Kohberger is high profile and he has a duty to not jeopardize his right to a fair trial.
Monday, June 26, 2023
Prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty for Kohberger.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
Kohberger's attorneys said they would use an alibi defense for their client but that they weren't able to pin down his specific location on the night of the killings because he was "driving during the late night and early morning hours."
"Mr. Kohberger is not claiming to be at a specific location at a specific time; at this time there is not a specific witness to say precisely where Mr. Kohberger was at each moment of the hours" of the attacks, said his attorneys in a court filing.
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Judge John Judge agreed to delay Kohberger's trial, which was initially set to start on October 2. Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial. A new trial date has not yet been set.
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Kohberger's attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against him, according to court records. They cited a biased grand jury, inadmissible evidence, lack of sufficient evidence and prosecutorial misconduct by withholding exculpatory evidence.
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Prosecutors demanded customer information from Amazon related to the purchase of knives as part of their investigation, according to unsealed court documents.
Thursday, October 26, 2023
The judge denied one of two requests to dismiss the indictment against Kohberger. The judge's decision regarding the other request is yet to be released.
Dec. 28, 2023
The scene of the crime, 1122 King Road, was demolished on Dec. 28, 2023, after the property owner donated the home to the school.
Kaylee Goncalves' family was firmly against knocking down the house, saying doing so would "destroy one of the most critical pieces of evidence in the case" before a trial date was even set.
University President Scott Green said, "While we appreciate the emotional connection some family members of the victims may have to this house, it is time for its removal and to allow the collective healing of our community to continue."
The sunrise demolition took less than two hours.
Sept. 12, 2024
On Sept. 12, a judge ruled that the trial would be moved from Latah County, where the crime took place, to the capital city of Boise, agreeing with the defense who argued that Latah County was tainted by pretrial publicity.
Oct. 9, 2024
In October 2024, Kohberger's trial date was pushed back from June 2025 to August 2025.
As the case inched forward, defense attorneys sought to toss out the death penalty and get DNA evidence excluded -- both arguments denied by the judge.
June 30, 2025
On June 30, just weeks before his trial was set to begin in August, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to all charges: four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
Kohberger will be spared the death penalty and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count, according to the plea agreement. Kohberger also waived his right to appeal, the agreement said.
Prosecutors, who met with victims' families three days before the plea was signed, called the plea a "sincere attempt to seek justice" for the families.
But the parents of victim Kaylee Goncalves blasted the move, accusing prosecutors of mishandling and rushing the plea deal. The Goncalves family told ABC News they contacted prosecutors the day after the plea was signed, asking for the terms to be amended to include additional requirements: a full confession and the location of the murder weapon. The family said prosecutors turned down the request, explaining that an offer already accepted by the defendant could not ethically be changed.
Idaho law requires the state to afford violent crime victims or their families an opportunity to communicate with prosecutors and to be advised of any proposed plea offer before entering into an agreement, but the ultimate decision lies solely with the prosecution.
July 2, 2025
On July 2, Kohberger admitted to the killings at his change of plea hearing, marking the first time since his arrest that Kohberger spoke during court proceedings.
Judge Steven Hippler asked if he "killed and murdered" each victim, naming the four students. Kohberger stoically responded "yes" each time.
Later, the judge asked Kohberger how he pleaded for each count of murder, again naming the four students, prompting tears from their families. Kohberger quickly said "guilty" each time, again showing no emotion. Defense attorneys have attributed Kohberger's "flat affect" to autism spectrum disorder.
Madison Mogen's family said through a spokesperson after court that they fully supported the plea agreement, calling it the "best outcome possible." Ethan Chapin's family also attended the hearing, saying they were there "in support of the plea bargain."
Kaylee Goncalves' family, however, was disappointed the plea agreement didn't include Kohberger revealing a motive, saying the plea "represented an easy way out and no answers."
What's next?
Sentencing is set for July 23.
Despite the plea, questions remain. A motive is not known, and the murder weapon was never found.
CNN contributed to this report.
