Bryan Kohberger might be behind bars for the rest of his life, but there are still various unanswered questions about why he killed four University of Idaho students.
Kohberger broke into the Moscow, Idaho, home at 1122 King Road on November 13, 2022, and stabbed Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves to death with a Ka-Bar knife. He was arrested a little over one month later and initially pleaded not guilty.
The former PhD student appeared in court in July 2025 — one month before his trial was set to begin — and changed his plea. Kohberger pleaded guilty to four first-degree murder charges and one count of felony burglary in a deal that took the possibility of the death penalty off the table. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole later that same month.
Kohberger has stayed silent throughout the case, even refusing to address his victims’ families during his sentencing hearing.
After Kohberger was officially sentenced, the gag order on key players in the case was lifted — with many having started to speak out. The Moscow Police Department also released over 300 documents regarding their investigation.
However, there are still many unanswered questions about the murders. Keep scrolling for a breakdown:
Why Did Kohberger Do It?
The biggest question surrounding the Idaho murders is the motive. Kohberger has not spoken at all about why he broke into the King Road house in November 2022 and stabbed all four victims. Even law enforcement doesn’t have a clue about the reason behind his actions.
Lead investigators on the case, Idaho State Police Lieutenant Darren Gilbertson and Moscow Police Corporal Brett Payne, were asked in a July 2025 press conference whether they had any clear motive. “We don’t,” they replied.
Who Did Kohberger Kill 1st?
It’s been widely speculated that Kohberger entered the home and immediately went to the third floor — where Mogen and Goncalves’ rooms were located. Prosecutors have also speculated that either Mogen or Goncalves was Kohberger’s intended target.
Was Kohberger Following Kaylee?
Documents released by the Moscow Police Department revealed Goncalves’ friends claiming that she had a “stalker.” Goncalves apparently thought someone was following her, and her friends recalled one incident where she claimed to have seen an “unknown male up above their house to the south who was staring at her.”
Where Is the Murder Weapon?
The Ka-Bar knife that Kohberger used to murder all four college students has yet to be recovered.
Was There a 2nd Murder Weapon?
Goncalves’ sister alleged that Kohbeger used a second weapon during her victim impact statement at his sentencing hearing. This, however, has yet to be confirmed.
“There were injuries that appeared to have been caused by something other than the knife, although it could have been the knife,” Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson shared in a July 2025 interview with The Idaho Statesman. “I don’t think we can exclude the possibility that there was an additional weapon involved.”
Why Did Kohberger Plead Guilty?
Kohberger has not spoken at all since he was arrested. It appears that his change of plea has to do with the death penalty — which was taken off the table in his plea deal. Thompson confirmed during the same July 2025 interview that his team would have sought the death penalty had the case made it to trial.
“This certainly was a case where the death penalty was appropriate,” he said. “If we ended up going through trial into a penalty phase, I think under the law it met the elements.”
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