Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle — Credit: Family/Instagram photograph, widely distributed in press coverage · Copyrighted — editorial use, owner-approved 2026-07-11
In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle—were fatally stabbed inside a rented, off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, a town that had not had a homicide since 2015. Mogen and Goncalves, both 21 and lifelong friends from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, shared a third-floor bedroom; Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Chapin, 20, were in her second-floor room. Detectives believe all four were killed between 4:00 and 4:25 a.m. Two roommates on the lower floors survived; one told investigators she saw an unfamiliar man dressed in black and masked leave through a sliding glass door, and that she had earlier heard him tell someone, "It's okay; I'm going to help you." Goncalves had more than twenty stab wounds and Kernodle more than fifty, many of them defensive; none of the four had been sexually assaulted or restrained. A roommate called 911 to report an "unconscious person" before noon, and all four victims were pronounced dead at the house.
The Moscow Police Department led the investigation with the Idaho State Police and the FBI, eventually receiving more than 15,000 tips from the public. Investigators recovered a knife sheath bearing DNA at the scene; after an initial genealogy search stalled on a distant match, the FBI used ancestral DNA databases to identify a closer relative. Separately, security video showed a white Hyundai Elantra passing the house several times around the time of the killings, and police searched records of roughly 22,000 similar cars. That trail led to Bryan Christopher Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology PhD student and teaching assistant at Washington State University in Pullman, less than eight miles west of Moscow; cell-phone data placed his phone near the victims' home around the time of the murders. Kohberger, terminated from his teaching-assistant post on December 19, 2022, over concerns about his conduct, was surveilled at his parents' home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, before his arrest there on December 30, 2022, on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary; a search of the home reportedly turned up a knife, a pistol, and a black face mask.
Kohberger was extradited to Idaho in January 2023 and formally charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. A Latah County grand jury indicted him on the same five charges in May 2023, and prosecutors announced in June 2023 that they would seek the death penalty. The trial venue was later moved to Boise, Idaho. On July 2, 2025, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all charges as part of an agreement to avoid the death penalty and waive any future appeal. On July 23, 2025, he was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus ten years for burglary, and ordered to pay $250,000 in fines and $20,000 in restitution to the victims' families.
The killings prompted widespread alarm on campus: the university canceled classes, victims' families criticized the limited flow of information from police and the university, and unverified rumors spread on social media, which Moscow police publicly denounced. The house where the murders occurred was later donated to the university and demolished; a memorial garden opened on campus in 2024, and the university awarded posthumous degrees to the four victims in May 2023. In 2025, a documentary series about the case aired on Amazon Prime Video, and news reports that November said Goncalves' family intended to sue Washington State University over Kohberger's conduct before the killings.
Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle
Date
2022
Location
Moscow, Idaho
Case status
solved
Case timeline
2022-11-13
Four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle—were fatally stabbed in an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning hours; the university canceled classes for the next day, and investigators initially said there was no known risk to the community.
2022-11-16
Moscow police chief James Fry said authorities could not say there was no threat to the community, revising the department's earlier public assurance.
2022-11-19
Moscow police asked the public to submit any video recorded near the house on the night of the killings.
2022-11-22
Investigators submitted DNA recovered from a knife sheath at the scene to forensic genealogy company Othram to help identify a suspect.
2022-11-23
At a press conference, the Moscow police chief said investigators had received an unverified tip that Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker.
2022-11-30
A candlelight vigil for the victims, postponed and moved indoors due to weather, was held at the University of Idaho's Kibbie Dome.
2022-12-10
Othram was asked to stop its genealogy work, and the FBI took over that part of the investigation using ancestral DNA databases.
2022-12-15
Police announced they were searching records of about 22,000 fifth-generation Hyundai Elantras after surveillance video showed a similar car near the scene.
2022-12-19
Washington State University terminated Bryan Kohberger's position as a teaching assistant, citing his behavior and performance.
2022-12-30
Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested at his parents' home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary.
2023-01-03
Kohberger agreed to extradition to Idaho during a court appearance in Pennsylvania.
2023-01-04
Kohberger was flown to Pullman, Washington, and jailed in Latah County, Idaho, without bail.
2023-01-05
Kohberger made his first appearance in Latah County Courthouse and was formally charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
2023-02-24
The University of Idaho announced that the house where the killings occurred had been donated to the university; it was demolished about ten months later.
2023-05-13
The University of Idaho awarded posthumous degrees to the four victims at its spring commencement ceremony.
2023-05-17
A Latah County grand jury indicted Kohberger on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary.
2023-05
Kohberger declined to enter a plea at his arraignment, and the court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
2023-06-26
Latah County prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty against Kohberger, who was denied bond.
2024-01
A judge granted the defense sealed access to the investigative genetic genealogy results used to identify Kohberger as a suspect.
2024
A memorial, the Vandal Healing Garden, opened on the University of Idaho campus in honor of the victims.
2024-09-09
A judge granted a change of venue, moving Kohberger's trial to Boise, Idaho.
2024-09-15
Kohberger was transferred to the Ada County jail in Boise, Idaho, ahead of trial.
2025-06-30
Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to all charges in exchange for avoiding the death penalty and giving up his right to appeal.
2025-07-02
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary.
2025-07-10
Amazon Prime Video premiered "One Night in Idaho: The College Murders," a documentary series about the case.
2025-07-23
Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole, plus ten years for burglary, and ordered to pay $250,000 in fines and $20,000 in restitution.
2025-11-19
KOMO News reported that Kaylee Goncalves' family was planning to sue Washington State University over Kohberger's conduct before the killings.
2026-01
Kohberger's sister spoke publicly about the case for the first time, saying the family had no prior knowledge of his involvement.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Annie Elise / 1 min
New Idaho Murder Files Reveal Night of Pure Terror
VIDEO
48 Hours / 41 min
The Idaho Student Murders | Full Episode
VIDEO
48 Hours / 4 min
The Night of the Idaho Student Murders | Sneak peek
VIDEO
Annie Elise / 1 min
Selfie Taken Hours After Idaho 4 Murders
VIDEO
Dateline NBC / 2 min
Dateline Episode Trailer: The Killings on King Road | Dateline NBC
VIDEO
That Chapter / 31 min
The Idaho College Student Murders | The Case so Far
VIDEO
Annie Elise / 58 min
Idaho Murders: Bryan Kohberger’s New Statements, Case Updates & His Criminal Profile
VIDEO
48 Hours / 6 min
Families of students killed in Idaho share memories of loved ones
VIDEO
48 Hours / 1 hr 11 min
Timeline of Idaho student murders case and tracking suspect Bryan Kohberger | "48 Hours"
VIDEO
Coffeehouse Crime / 41 min
The Horrifying Case of Bryan Kohberger
VIDEO
That Chapter / 26 min
The Case of Bryan Kohberger
VIDEO
Kendall Rae / 1 min
4 College Students Killed In On-Campus Home
VIDEO
Kendall Rae / 1 min
The Idaho 4 Cases
VIDEO
48 Hours / 4 hr 27 min
Post Mortem Super Marathon | "48 Hours" Full Episodes
People
James Fry
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Moscow police chief; on November 16, 2022, said, "We cannot say that there is no threat to the community," revising the department's earlier assurance.
Roger Lanier
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Moscow police captain; publicly asked the community to stop spreading unverified rumors that he said were distracting the investigation.
Ethan Chapin
VICTIM
Age 20, a University of Idaho sophomore and member of the Sigma Chi fraternity; fatally stabbed on November 13, 2022, while staying overnight in the room of his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle.
Kaylee Goncalves
VICTIM
Age 21, a University of Idaho senior majoring in general studies and a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, set to graduate a semester early; fatally stabbed on November 13, 2022, in the bed she shared that night with her friend Madison Mogen.
Madison Mogen
VICTIM
Age 21, a University of Idaho senior majoring in marketing and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority; fatally stabbed on November 13, 2022, in the off-campus house she shared with roommates.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger
CONVICTED
A criminology PhD student and former Washington State University teaching assistant, arrested December 30, 2022; pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025, to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, and was sentenced on July 23, 2025, to four consecutive life sentences without parole plus ten years for burglary.
Xana Kernodle
VICTIM
Age 20, a University of Idaho junior majoring in marketing and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority; fatally stabbed on November 13, 2022, in her second-floor bedroom.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
portrait victim
Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle
Four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle—were fatally stabbed inside an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022. Bryan Kohberger, a criminology PhD student at nearby Washington State University, was arrested that December and pleaded guilty in 2025, receiving four consecutive life sentences.
Where did the murders happen?
Moscow, Idaho.
Who was convicted?
Bryan Christopher Kohberger (A criminology PhD student and former Washington State University teaching assistant, arrested December 30, 2022; pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025, to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, and was sentenced on July 23, 2025, to four consecutive life sentences without parole plus ten years for burglary.).
