Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger exposed his own inability to feel emotions as he discussed living his life as if it were a video game in unearthed social media posts. Kohberger is currently facing four first-degree murder charges for the death of students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Neuroscientist James Fallon argued the social media notes about his mental state suggest the 28-year-old PhD student could suffer from a “dissociative disorder” resulting in an “extraordinary” struggle to empathise with others and with himself.
Prof Fallon said: “You have, on the top of your head, a GPS system. What it does is put together your whole world – tells you where your eyes are in relation to your head, in relationship to the world.
“And then it adds in emotion to that, and that apparatus seems to be damaged. He doesn’t even connect with himself, he doesn’t have self-empathy which is extraordinary.
“This lack of empathy towards others and himself can often be seen in psychopaths – I’m not saying he’s a psychopath but it’s such a curious combination of things.”
The UC Irvine academic also addressed additional comments Kohberger allegedly made on an online forum claiming he suffered from a neurological disorder called visual snow.
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Visual snow is a little-known syndrome that leaves sufferers experiencing snowlike flecks in their vision, an impairment that can leave people struggling to work.
Dr Fallon told CNN: “Visual snow is often associated with migraine and it’s thought to be generated by hyper-stimulated neurons at the base of the temporal lobe.
“That is where our visual processing and a lot of visual processing occurs. It’s debilitating and almost nothing is known about it but it is a syndrome that you never hear associated with murder.
“Although, if you read the rest of his posts, it seems clear he’s got a deep personalisation syndrome which is a type of dissociative disorder where you feel separated from yourself.”
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Kohberger appeared to have complained about his mental health struggles on an online forum when he was a teenager.
The New York Times connected Tapatalk account Exarr.thosewithvisualsnow to Kohberger’s personal email and later confirmed ownership of the account via interviews with people close to him and additional messages sent to friends.
In a post dated 2011, when the Idaho murder suspect was barely 16, he appeared to have written: “I feel like an organic sack of meat with no self-worth.
“As I hug my family, I look into their faces, I see nothing, it is like I am looking at a video game, but less.”
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The poster added: “I often find myself making simple human interactions but it is as if I am playing games such as oblivion.
“I can see what is going on, I am slightly into it, but I can cause the game and focus on my real life.”
Kohberger, who was studying for a PhD in criminology at Washington State University Pullman, waived his right to a speedy trial and will return in front of a judge on June 26 at 9 am.
He has maintained his innocence and told his former lawyer he is “eager to be exonerated” from the accusation of murdering Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin.
The four victims were found by the women’s surviving roommates on the morning of November 13, over five hours after they were murdered in their rooms.
