Study Guide: The Idaho College Murders

Idaho College Murders Quiz: Short-Answer Questions

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each, based on the provided source context.

1. What key piece of physical evidence was discovered at the crime scene, and what was its forensic significance?

2. Describe the actions and movements of the white Hyundai Elantra on the night of the murders, as documented by surveillance cameras.

3. According to the source, how did Bryan Kohberger's cell phone activity on the night of the murders differ from his established patterns?

4. Summarize the eyewitness account of the Idaho College Murders provided by surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen on the night of the attacks.

5. What were the differing views among the victims' families regarding the death penalty for Bryan Kohberger?

6. How did law enforcement use "investigative genetic genealogy" to identify Bryan Kohberger as a suspect?

7. What was the initial message from the Moscow Police Department regarding the nature of the attack, and why did it cause confusion?

8. Describe the online harassment and speculation faced by the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.

9. What was Xana Kernodle's physical state when she was attacked, and what did the forensic evidence reveal about her final moments?

10. What was Bryan Kohberger's alleged alibi, and what were the primary weaknesses that undermined it?

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Answer Key

1. The key piece of physical evidence was a tan leather Ka-Bar knife sheath found on the bed next to Madison Mogen's body. Its forensic significance was immense, as it contained a single source of male DNA on the button snap, which provided a direct genetic link to the killer. This DNA was ultimately matched to Bryan Kohberger with odds of 1 in 5.37 octillion.

2. Surveillance cameras captured a white Hyundai Elantra making three passes by the 1122 King Road residence between 3:29 AM and 4:04 AM on the morning of the murders. On the fourth approach, the car parked out of sight before being seen speeding away from the area at 4:20 AM. This circling behavior was characterized by investigators as reconnaissance or hunting.

3. Bryan Kohberger's phone had pinged towers near the victims' residence on at least twelve previous late-night occasions while remaining active. On the night of the murders, his phone was deliberately disconnected from the network at 2:47 AM and did not reconnect until 4:48 AM, creating a two-hour digital blackout that precisely covered the time of the attacks. He also returned to the vicinity of the crime scene at 9:12 AM that morning.

4. Dylan Mortensen reported opening her door three times, hearing sounds she initially dismissed as normal. On the third occasion, she saw a figure dressed in black clothing and a mask that did not cover his eyes. She described him as 5'10" or taller with an athletic build and distinctive "bushy eyebrows" before he walked past her and exited the house.

5. The victims' families were divided on the death penalty. The Goncalves family publicly advocated for a trial and potential execution, believing it represented "real justice." The Chapin family, however, supported a plea deal for life without parole to avoid the prolonged trauma of decades of appeals and to gain a sense of finality.

6. After the DNA from the knife sheath produced no matches in the CODIS criminal database, the FBI used investigative genetic genealogy. They uploaded the profile to public genealogy databases to find distant relatives, then built family trees using public records. This process allowed them to trace the DNA back to the Kohberger family line and identify Bryan Kohberger as the likely source.

7. The Moscow Police Department initially stated they believed the incident was an "isolated, targeted attack" and there was "no active threat to the community." This caused confusion because, with no suspect identified or weapon found, residents and students felt the threat was still very real. The police later had to reverse their statement, which further eroded public confidence.

8. The surviving roommates became targets of a "digital mob," particularly on TikTok, where they were falsely accused of being involved in the murders. They faced cruel speculation about why they waited to call 911, had their private information "doxxed," and received thousands of harassing messages and death threats. This online persecution was described as a form of secondary traumatization.

9. Xana Kernodle was awake when the attack occurred, having received a DoorDash delivery at 4:00 AM and used TikTok at 4:12 AM. Forensic evidence revealed she fought her attacker with extraordinary courage, sustaining over fifty stab wounds, many of which were defensive wounds to her hands and fingers where she had grabbed the blade.

10. Bryan Kohberger's alibi stated that he was out for a solitary drive on the night of the murders, a common habit for him, and was near areas like Wawawai Park. Its weaknesses were the lack of any corroborating witnesses or digital evidence (like credit card receipts) to place him there. Furthermore, the route he claimed to take was inconsistent with the cell tower data showing his phone reconnecting south of Moscow after the murders.

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Essay Questions

Instructions: The following questions are designed for essay-length responses. Do not provide answers.

1. Analyze the role of digital evidence in the investigation and prosecution of Bryan Kohberger. Discuss at least three distinct types of digital evidence (e.g., cell phone location data, surveillance footage, online purchase history) and evaluate how they combined to create a "mathematical impossibility of innocence."

2. Examine the theme of "academic arrogance" as it relates to Bryan Kohberger's profile. How did his background in criminology allegedly influence his planning, execution, and concealment of the crime, and in what ways did this knowledge ultimately lead to his capture?

3. Discuss the impact of social media and "TikTok detectives" on the Idaho murders case. Explore both the negative consequences, such as the harassment of survivors and the spread of misinformation, and any potential (if any) positive contributions to the investigation.

4. Compare and contrast the legal strategies employed by the prosecution and the defense. Analyze the core pillars of the prosecution's case and the primary methods the defense used to create reasonable doubt, such as challenging DNA transfer, cell tower data, and eyewitness reliability.

5. The source context describes the aftermath of the murders as a process of "Healing in the Palouse." Based on the text, describe the specific ways the University of Idaho and the Moscow community transformed tragedy into action, and evaluate the effectiveness of these measures in creating a legacy of safety and remembrance.

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Glossary of Key Terms

Term	Definition
AI AL	A fictional, proprietary artificial intelligence forensic engine described in the source text. It is used to perform independent analysis on digital data, behavioral patterns, timelines, and evidence to generate probability assessments and forensic insights separate from law enforcement's investigation.
CODIS (Combined DNA Index System)	The FBI's national database containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders, arrestees, and crime scenes. The DNA from the knife sheath initially yielded no match in this system.
Consciousness of Guilt	A legal concept referring to a pattern of behavior that indicates a person's awareness of their own wrongdoing. In this case, actions cited as showing consciousness of guilt include cleaning the car, deleting digital data, and the phone blackout during the murders.
Digital Footprint	The trail of data an individual creates through their online activity and use of electronic devices. This includes cell tower pings, GPS data, search history, social media posts, and online purchases, all of which were crucial to the investigation.
Grand Jury	A secret proceeding where a group of citizens hears evidence presented only by the prosecution to determine if there is probable cause to formally charge (indict) a suspect. This process was used to indict Bryan Kohberger, bypassing a public preliminary hearing.
Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG)	A forensic technique used to identify suspects by comparing crime scene DNA to profiles in public, voluntary genealogy databases. Investigators build family trees from distant relatives to trace the source of the unknown DNA, which is how Bryan Kohberger was identified.
Mitigation Evidence	In a death penalty case, evidence presented by the defense during the penalty phase to argue for a sentence of life in prison rather than execution. This often includes details about the defendant's background, mental health (like Kohberger's autism diagnosis), or lack of a prior violent record.
Probable Cause Affidavit	A sworn legal document outlining the evidence and facts that form the basis for an arrest warrant or search warrant. The unsealing of this document in January 2023 provided the first public details of the evidence against Kohberger.
Secondary Traumatization	Psychological injury that occurs not from the original traumatic event, but from the response to it. The source uses this term to describe the harm caused to the surviving roommates by the intense online harassment and public speculation they endured.
Single Source DNA	A DNA profile that originates from only one individual, without mixing or contamination from others. The DNA found on the knife sheath snap was a single source male profile, which made it highly valuable as evidence.
Survivor Guilt	A mental condition where a person experiences guilt after surviving a traumatic event in which others died. This was identified as a significant psychological burden for the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.
Tonic Immobility	A neurobiological "freeze" response to extreme and unexpected trauma, where the body becomes paralyzed and unable to fight or flee. This was used to explain why Dylan Mortensen remained in her room for hours after seeing the intruder.
Touch DNA	Microscopic skin cells left behind on a surface when it is handled. Modern forensic techniques can create a full DNA profile from this trace evidence, as was done with the button snap on the knife sheath.
Victim Impact Statement	A statement made by a victim or their family during the sentencing phase of a trial, describing the emotional, physical, and financial impact the crime has had on them. The source details the powerful statements delivered by the victims' families and surviving roommates at Kohberger's sentencing.
Vandal Healing Garden	A memorial created on the University of Idaho campus to honor the four murdered students. It serves as a place for reflection and is part of the community's effort to create a positive legacy of safety and remembrance.