Grisly details about the murders of four University of Idaho students have emerged this week as suspected killer Bryan Kohberger appeared in court in Moscow for the first time and his affidavit was released. Contained in the affidavit, which ties the 28-year-old criminology PhD student to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, are the final words the killer appears to have said to his victims. One of the two surviving roommates overheard his chilling final words to the victims: “It’s ok, I’m going to help you.”
She then saw a “figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose walking towards her”, according to the affidavit.
The arrest affidavit, a document detailing a summary of the evidence and the circumstances of the arrest, revealed a number of new details about the case that has shocked and captivated the country.
The affidavit reveals that the 28-year-old criminology PhD student was tied to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin after his DNA was found on a knife sheath the killer left at the scene.
Cellphone data also shows Mr Kohberger appears to have stalked the home at least 12 times in the run-up to the 13 November attack – and that he returned to the scene of the crime around five hours after the brutal killings.
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The former classmates made the comments on an upcoming episode of 48 Hours titled “The Idaho Student Murders” set to premiere Saturday on Paramount+.
One former classmate knew Mr Kohberger in college at Washington State University, and recalled him being opinionated but otherwise “comfortable around other people”, according to a CBS News report about the episode.
“He was very quick to offer his opinion and thoughts,” Benjamin Roberts said.
“He would describe things in the most complicated, perhaps academic way possible.”
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48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant then asked Mr Roberts if he thought Mr Kohberger was “trying to impress people”.
“It was like he was trying to convince people that he knew what he was talking about,” Mr Roberts replied, per CBS.
According to the former high school classmates who spoke to 48 Hours, Mr Kohberger was overweight and was bullied until his senior year when he lost 100 pounds.
Casey Arntz, one of the former classmates, said he became “rail thin” and that “after that weight loss … a lot of people noticed a huge switch”.
“When Bryan would get kinda angry with [her brother], he would gaslight him and get physically aggressive,” she said, adding that Mr Kohberger would put her brother in chokeholds.
Another classmate, whose name is Bree and asked to have her last name withheld, said Mr Kohberger allegedly began using heroin.
“You just saw him becoming more self-destructive. He really stayed secluded,” she said, adding that after graduating he began trying to get sober.
Bree continued: “He was telling me that he wanted to get sober, that he was getting sober. And he wanted to let me know ‘I’m gonna do better I’m gonna be better.’”
