More than two years after the tragic murders that rocked a college town in Idaho, a chilling set of crime scene images has finally been released—offering a raw, disturbing glimpse inside the house where four young lives were stolen.
The photos, released by Moscow Police, show the sheer brutality of what happened inside that seemingly ordinary off-campus home on King Road.
These haunting images are surfacing just weeks after Bryan Kohberger, the man behind the killings, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Blood-Stained Rooms and Silent Testimony
The newly public images paint a horrifying picture: bloody handprints smeared across windows, spatters on doors, and signs of chaos in rooms once filled with laughter and friendship.
One photo reveals a typical college bedroom—clothes scattered on the wooden floor—but nothing at first glance hints at the horror that took place inside.
In one image, a pink blanket covers part of a bed, blurred to shield the most distressing parts.
Another shows the back sliding door slightly ajar—the same door Kohberger used to slip in and out undetected.
The Victims and Their Final Moments
Inside that house on November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were murdered in their sleep—or while trying to fight back.
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Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, were inseparable best friends. They were killed in Mogen’s bed on the third floor.
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Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, also 20, were found on the second floor.
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Xana put up a fierce fight. Her body was discovered on the floor, drenched in blood, while Ethan was found in bed.
Autopsies revealed the savagery of the attack:
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Kernodle endured over 50 stab wounds, including two to her heart.
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Chapin died from a deep wound to his jugular; his legs were also slashed.
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Goncalves had more than 20 stab wounds—her face beaten so badly it was nearly unrecognizable.
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Mogen suffered from stab wounds to her liver, lungs, and forearms, and a gash from her eye to her nose.
Two Roommates Lived Through It
Two other students, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were in the house at the time but survived.
How or why they were spared remains unclear.
What ultimately led police to Kohberger was a crucial mistake—he left behind a brown leather knife sheath at the crime scene.
DNA on that sheath matched Kohberger’s, linking him directly to the murders.
The Man Behind the Murders
Bryan Kohberger, now 30, was a PhD student studying criminology at Washington State University, just across the state border from Moscow, Idaho.
Though he initially denied any involvement, Kohberger finally changed his plea in July 2025, admitting to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in a deal that took the death penalty off the table.
On July 23, he was sentenced to life in prison with no parole.
He also gave up his right to appeal—meaning he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars in solitary confinement at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
Surveillance Footage Shows Him Stalking the House
As the case moved forward, more evidence surfaced, including surveillance video showing Kohberger circling the home in his white Hyundai Elantra multiple times that night.
At around 4 a.m., he parked and slipped inside through the back sliding door.
Thirteen minutes later, he was seen speeding away.
The footage also captured the moment a DoorDash driver delivered food to Kernodle shortly before the attack—an eerie reminder of how ordinary that night seemed until everything changed.
Another security camera, located near Kernodle’s room, picked up a cry, a loud thud, and a dog barking around 4:17 a.m. That dog, Murphy, belonged to Goncalves and survived the massacre.
A Chilling Pattern of Surveillance
Kohberger had been watching the house for months.
Cellphone data revealed that from July through November 2022, he had been near the home at least 23 times, almost always at night.
In hindsight, the victims had sensed something was off.
Goncalves had told friends she believed someone was watching her from the trees outside when she walked her dog.
On several occasions, Murphy would run into the woods and refuse to come back—a behavior his owners said was completely out of character.
Just nine days before the killings, the roommates reportedly came home to find their front door wide open.
Prosecutors now believe it’s possible Kohberger had broken into the house before the murders, possibly to familiarize himself with the layout.
No Motive, No Connection, Just Silence
To this day, Kohberger has never explained why he did it.
At his sentencing hearing, he declined to speak, refusing to offer closure to the grieving families.
Investigators say he targeted the house, but it’s still unclear which—if any—of the victims was his intended target.
No personal connection between Kohberger and the victims has ever been found.
Even the prosecutors remain uncertain. “The layout of the house is unique… it’s confusing,” said Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson.
“We can’t rule out that he had been inside before.”
Closure Comes in Pieces
Now that Kohberger has been sentenced, a gag order on the case has been lifted, and the public is finally beginning to see the full extent of the investigation.
The crime scene photos, disturbing as they are, provide one of the last pieces in a puzzle that has haunted the town of Moscow and the nation for nearly three years.
But despite the mountain of evidence and a confession, the biggest question still remains: Why?
