now this is news

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/...rs-released-n2617919

Here's How Investigators Nabbed the Idaho Murder Suspect

We now know more about the evidence investigators in Idaho collected following the murders of four University of Idaho students that led authorities to seek the arrest of Bryan Kohberger as a suspect, thanks to a just-unsealed probable cause affidavit that outlines the case authorities have built.

The 19-page document explains what the Moscow, Idaho, police found when they entered the residence of the students and found Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin murdered.

In addition to the victims, authorities found "a tan leather knife sheath" stamped with "Ka-Bar," "USMC," and the U.S. Marine Corps insignia. On that knife sheath, the Idaho State Crime Lab identified a single source of male DNA contained on the snap as a "suspect profile."

Interviews with the roommates who were not assaulted in the attack as well as others who saw the victims in the hours leading up to their murders provided additional information about what went on in the rental house on the night of the quadruple homicide.

A roommate identified as "D.M." in the affidavit told police that "she was awoken at approximately 4:00 a.m. by what she stated sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the upstairs bedrooms." D.M. also said that "a short time later...she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of 'there's someone here.'"

The affidavit continues, saying D.M. "looked out of her bedroom but did not see anything when she heard the comment about someone being in the House. D.M. stated she opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle's room. D.M. then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of 'it's ok, I'm going to help you.'"

D.M.'s interview with police provided even more chilling detail. "D.M. stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her. D.M. described the figure as 5'10" or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows."

The figure walked past a shocked D.M., according to the affidavit, and toward a sliding glass door, a fact that led investigators to believe the murderer left the scene at that point.

In processing the crime scene, authorities also found and processed a latent shoe print similar to a Vans shoe sole in a location that matched D.M.'s description of the murderers movements inside the house.

The affidavit also explains how authorities keyed in on a white Hyundai Elantra as "Suspect Vehicle 1" after retrieving video footage from roadways around the crime scene and seeing a white sedan eventually identified as an Elantra traveling in atypical patterns compared with normal traffic in the area. They also had footage of the vehicle departing the immediate area around the crime scene and later arriving in nearby Pullman, Washington, on the campus of Washington State University.

In the course of their investigation, authorities put out a BOLO for a White Elantra, which turned up a vehicle matching the description with Pennsylvania license plates registered to Bryan Kohberger, who had an address that matched with the final location of the vehicle tracked on cameras across state lines from the crime scene in Moscow.

When authorities looked up the vehicle owner's license, Kohberger's ID photo on file and physical attributes consistent with the description given by roommate D.M.

The Elantra and its license plate were subsequently picked up by scanners in Loma, Colorado, and Hancock County, Indiana while the murder investigation continued, eventually being seen on surveillance footage in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, with a white male matching Kohberger's description behind the wheel.

Subsequently, investigators located Kohberger's family home in Albrightsville and recovered trash from his family's residence in order to obtain DNA profiles.

Authorities' investigation brought more scrutiny for Kohberger, and several warrants querying cell data from Kohberger's phone were used to trace the phone's — and logically Kohberger's — movements leading up to and on the day the murders occurred.

The data showed that Kohberger's phone was connected to "cellular resources" consistent with him leaving his residence in Pullman, Washington, at 2:47 a.m. and then stop reporting to the network — which happens when a phone loses service, is placed in airplane mode, or is turned off. The next time the phone connected to the network, it was using resources that cover an area south of Moscow, Idaho, at 4:48 a.m. and continuing along a track that led back to Pullman.

Additional warrants for cell records showed that the phone was using cellular resources that cover the area in which the crime scene lies "on at least 12 occasions" between June 2022 and the day the quadruple homicide took place, mostly in the late evening and early morning hours.

Finally, investigators compared the DNA profile obtained from the leather knife sheath found at the crime scene in Idaho against a profile obtained from the trash recovered from Kohberger's family residence in Pennsylvania. Testing "identified a male as not being excluded as the biological father of suspect profile." The affidavit explains that "at least 99.9998% of the male population would be expected to be excluded from the possibility of being the suspect's biological father."

With that evidence collected by investigators, authorities sought their arrest warrant for Kohberger. Their request was granted, and alleged perpetrator Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania just before the end of the year.

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more rom ABC

On the morning of Nov. 13, the two roommates called friends over to their house because they thought one of the victims on the second floor had passed out and 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.

a strange masked man walks thru the house and no one checked ? police were not called until noon. 8 hours after 4am


police affidavit:

https://s3.documentcloud.org/d...t-of-brett-payne.pdf

First court appearance was today. Read his Miranda rights (again) and basic actions.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
A roommate identified as "D.M." in the affidavit told police that "she was awoken at approximately 4:00 a.m. by what she stated sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the upstairs bedrooms." D.M. also said that "a short time later...she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of 'there's someone here.'"

The affidavit continues, saying D.M. "looked out of her bedroom but did not see anything when she heard the comment about someone being in the House. D.M. stated she opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle's room. D.M. then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of 'it's ok, I'm going to help you.'"

D.M.'s interview with police provided even more chilling detail. "D.M. stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her. D.M. described the figure as 5'10" or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows."

The figure walked past a shocked D.M., according to the affidavit, and toward a sliding glass door, a fact that led investigators to believe the murderer left the scene at that point.

And yet for some reason, they didn't think any of that was odd or worth following up on, and just went back to bed until 11:58 am (~8 hours later), when they finally went to check on their roommates, found them murdered, and eventually called 911...

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
now this is news.

...

A roommate identified as "D.M." in the affidavit told police that "she was awoken at approximately 4:00 a.m. by what she stated sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the upstairs bedrooms." D.M. also said that "a short time later...she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of 'there's someone here.'"

The affidavit continues, saying D.M. "looked out of her bedroom but did not see anything when she heard the comment about someone being in the House. D.M. stated she opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle's room. D.M. then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of 'it's ok, I'm going to help you.'"

D.M.'s interview with police provided even more chilling detail. "D.M. stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her. D.M. described the figure as 5'10" or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows."

The figure walked past a shocked D.M., according to the affidavit, and toward a sliding glass door, a fact that led investigators to believe the murderer left the scene at that point.

...

So far, it seems the investigators have really done a thorough job of chasing down the leads. But the part I'm having difficulty reconciling is how does a surviving room mate report seeing the killer at @ 04:00, but additional college student friends are called to the crime scene much later in the AM, and BEFORE the police respond to a 911 call of an unconscious person at 11:58 the next morning.

That's quite a gap in time from the time a killer is seen in the house until police are called.

quote:

In processing the crime scene, authorities also found and processed a latent shoe print similar to a Vans shoe sole in a location that matched D.M.'s description of the murderers movements inside the house.

I didn't know it was possible to obtain a footprint and ID a shoe sole, inside a house.

Based on the affidavit, I think Bryan Kohberger is going to plead guilty to avoid capital punishment by poisoning.

Damned shame, if there is a poster boy for capital punishment it is a mass killer who used a knife.

quote:

I didn't know it was possible to obtain a footprint and ID a shoe sole, inside a house.

from the affidavit, the shoe print was found using a test for blood.

quite a bit of info in the affidavit

The house layout is odd. The affidavit states that DMs bedroom is actually on the 2nd floor.

Kernodle's bedroom and the sliding door are also on the 2nd floor

Has the defendant been interviewed by a psychologist yet?

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Has the defendant been interviewed by a psychologist yet?

I doubt his lawyer would advise him to do that right now.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
...

quite a bit of info in the affidavit

...

I was so focused on the article you posted that I completely missed the affidavit you linked to, so thanks for pointing that out.

Took me a while to get through it, but it was very thorough, and does reveal quite a bit.

Just a few quick takeaways;

- Based on the security camera video and the cell data info, it looks to me as if the murders took place just a few minutes later than "DM" reported. Probably between 04:04 and 04:20.

- Investigators were focused on the suspect within @ 2 weeks of the murders.

- I think it's interesting that the suspect was involved in 2 traffic stops in the months before the murders, in the same time span as when he is suspected to be stalking the victims.

- it's interesting that he is suspected of committing the murders while his car is registered in Pennsylvania, but after the murders registers his car in Washington.

- The suspect was making efforts to involve himself in rural policing and criminology.

- The suspect made a couple smart moves to cover his tracks... but also made a series of, what appear to be, obvious blunders.

- I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that one of the surviving room mates sees a stranger wearing all black and a mask in her house that walks past her @ 04:00, she describes herself going into a "shocked phase" and locks herself in her room... and yet college student friends are called to the house much later the next morning, and are inside the crime scene before police receive the 911 call @ 11:58 AM for an unconscious person.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
police affidavit:

https://s3.documentcloud.org/d...t-of-brett-payne.pdf

Once again, thanks for your research and very informative posts.

The affidavit is an interesting description of how an investigation like this is conducted. Now I wonder where the earlier assumptions/reports about the subject’s being identified through genealogical DNA examination came from. Were they just baseless speculation pulled out of someone’s butt—as is of course so common everywhere on the Internet? I suppose it could have been used but not mentioned in the affidavit, but that seems very unlikely unless the efforts were unsuccessful.

In any event if someone is going to commit a crime like that, it’s obvious that genealogical DNA matching should be the least of their concerns. Any violation of their privacy by using that technique pales into insignificance compared with everything else that can be discovered about their activities through other means.

I will be curious to see if the recovery of the parents’ trash becomes an issue if the case goes to trial. I haven’t kept up with the current state of the law, but unless it was supported by a search warrant I would expect it to be challenged no matter what case law has said about warrantless seizure of “abandoned” property.

You guys are actually interested in this soap opera? Don't you see what is going on? Why have there been scores of separate news articles and thousands of mentions of it on the news channels? Does this not strike you as far out of proportion to the newsworthiness of this incident? Every day- every day- they are headlining this story as if it had critical importance to the lives of Americans and they will squeeze every last drop of blood out of the bodies of those kids. Utterly shameful.

Honestly, I do not understand the willingness to eat this shit they are shoveling at you. Frankly, I'd be embarrassed to allow these jackals to use me for their self-serving purposes.

In the 80’s US Supreme Court has held that garbage left outside the curtiledge is considered abandoned and free to LE for warrantless search. The defense has no chance on that angle.

I do recall very early on the local PD was looking for somebody who had bought a kabar recently. And asking any local sorting goods store to come forward with sales info. Interesting they said kabar specifically until this news of the USMC sheath.

Oy

This thing is head for a lock. Good grief

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
You guys are actually interested in this soap opera? Don't you see what is going on? Why have there been scores of separate news articles and thousands of mentions of it on the news channels? Does this not strike you as far out of proportion to the newsworthiness of this incident? Every day- every day- they are headlining this story as if it had critical importance to the lives of Americans and they will squeeze every last drop of blood out of the bodies of those kids. Utterly shameful.

Honestly, I do not understand the willingness to eat this shit they are shoveling at you. Frankly, I'd be embarrassed to allow these jackals to use me for their self-serving purposes.

truthfully the only thing that stands out to me about this whole story is what masterful investigators they make the FBI appear to be…considering my current opinion on that organization, I’m pretty skeptical about anything else I am fed regarding this story.

I haven’t eaten any shit that was shoveled at me.

As I mentioned before, I don’t watch television and I have virtually ignored the articles in the newspaper I subscribe to. I am, however, a retired law enforcement detective and I retain my interest in criminal investigations. And like so many other subjects, the forum has given me filtered information that allows me to focus on the issues that interest me.

This case interests me in particular because it went from a complete “whodunit?” to what appears to be very solid in a relatively short time. In contrast to many other investigations that have been bungled by the police, from the limited view we have of it at this time, it was handled remarkably well, and with a lead investigator being a corporal on the Moscow, Idaho, police department with four years on the job at that. He obviously had a great deal of help, and may just be the name on the affidavit, but considering all the grief that is heaped on other LE agencies these days, this investigation should give some people a little pause and maybe reconsider their opinions.

Or maybe it wasn’t the LE agencies that cracked it at all, but Madame Zorba who discovered it all through her crystal ball and should really be given the credit.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
truthfully the only thing that stands out to me about this whole story is what masterful investigators they make the FBI appear to be…considering my current opinion on that organization, I’m pretty skeptical about anything else I am fed regarding this story.

I don't know what you've read, but by my read of what's been posted here, the 'masterful investigating' was all done by the Moscow PD. It would seem that resources of the Idaho State Police and the FBI were utilized as appropriate and/or necessary for criminal science portion(s) of the investigation, but actual investigating was done by the local PD.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
This case interests me in particular because it went from a complete “whodunit?” to what appears to be very solid in a relatively short time.

Gee, do you think perhaps that that perception might have to do with the fact that the news media latched onto this story immediately and began churning out meaningless speculation while the bodies were still warm? They knew almost nothing, and kept repeating that nothing over and over. They made the story as mysterious and as lurid as they possibly could, to gin up interest and they've made certain to keep the story as headline-worthy news every day. Blood dripping from the walls- that's what they "reported"

Oh, but then the facts start to come out, and the suspect (can't even call him that, I guess, because they've got this guy tried and convicted already) turns out to be not so bright after all. Wow, what a dramatic change! It's perception and nothing more. The facts never changed.

In short, it's all manufactured, including the narrative of the mysterious, evil mastermind who was likely going to visit your town, seek out your house, and murder you the same way he murdered all those pretty little blonde white girls. Just look at their photos- for the fiftieth time. See? Young, pretty, white, blonde- it's just the kind of thing the media loves.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
truthfully the only thing that stands out to me about this whole story is what masterful investigators they make the FBI appear to be…considering my current opinion on that organization, I’m pretty skeptical about anything else I am fed regarding this story.

I don't know what you've read, but by my read of what's been posted here, the 'masterful investigating' was all done by the Moscow PD. It would seem that resources of the Idaho State Police and the FBI were utilized as appropriate and/or necessary for criminal science portion(s) of the investigation, but actual investigating was done by the local PD.

It was a Yahoo article from yesterday; I’ll try to find the link. TLDR: The FBI was directing the locals in everything they were doing from behind the scenes.

^^^According to Yahoo...OK, well call me skeptical until after the trial is over and the all the facts of the case/investigation are known! A read of the affidavit for the Arrest Warrant (well summarized by the townhall.com article posted by 'sdy') paints a different picture. Honestly, it would not surprise me to learn that the FBI might undertake a campaign/opportunity to rebuild their tarnished credibility, and I would not put it past them (and their acolytes in the legacy state media!) mislead the public and/or try to take credit for the work of others in their effort to do so.

Time will tell...

From the get go this story has had my attention for several reasons. I have two daughters that are close to the same age and the youngest is still a college student living in an apartment with roommates. My oldest graduated a couple of years ago but while going to school lived in a very similar situation. I always worried something like this would happen. The second reason is that I lived a number of years just a few minutes away from Moscow and it is the kind of place you would never think of this happening. I used to sleep at night with my doors wide open. I think a lot of people in that area just had their sense of security and safety destroyed.