Idaho Murders: Texts Show Roommates’ Fear During Kohberger Stabbing

Texts showed panic among roommates after four students died. Dylan Mortensen texted Bethany Funke about seeing someone masked at their house near the University of Idaho. Mortensen said she tried calling other roommates, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, and Madison Mogen, but they didn’t answer. “No one is answering,” Mortensen texted Funke. She also wrote, “I’m rlly confused rn.” Mortensen then messaged Kaylee Goncalves seeking answers. Funke responded, “Ya dude wt*,” and noted Xana wore black.

Mortensen replied to Funke, “I’m freaking out rn.” She then described the person in the house, saying he wore a “ski mask almost.” Mortensen wrote, “Like he had soemtbinf [sic] over is for head,” and added, “I’m not kidding o am so freaked out.” Funke replied, “So am I.” Mortensen said her phone was dying, and Funke told her to “run” to her room. Mortensen also called Ethan Chapin, Kernodle’s boyfriend, but he didn’t answer either.

“I’m scRwd tho,” Funke texted Mortensen. Mortensen replied, “Ya IK but it’s better than being alone.” Mortensen tried contacting Goncalves and Kernodle again. “Pls answer,” she texted Goncalves. The next morning, Mortensen sent more messages, texting Goncalves, “Pls answer” at 10:23 am. Then she sent Mogen, “R u up?” Mortensen messaged Goncalves again asking, “R u up??”

The texts offer a glimpse into that night, November 13, 2022, when the four students died. Mortensen told investigators about the masked person and described him as at least 5’10” and athletic. She said he wasn’t very muscular, and she also noted he had bushy eyebrows. Mortensen heard sounds after seeing the person and looked out her door twice after comments.

She didn’t see anything the first time. The second time, she heard crying from Kernodle’s room. Mortensen then heard a male voice speak, saying, “It’s OK, I’m going to help you.” Court documents included the 911 call. It was made at 11:58 am, seven hours after the stabbings, and a woman reported “something is happening” at the house.

Another woman said a roommate was “passed out,” had been drunk, and was not waking up. Someone at the scene mentioned seeing a man last night. The dispatcher asked if she was breathing, and the reply was “No.” A man then told the dispatcher, “I think we have a homicide.” Bryan Kohberger, 30, was arrested on December 30, 2022, at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania.

Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and is also charged with one count of burglary. If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty. His defense argues he has autism. The trial is expected to begin in August 2025 in Idaho. The students who died on November 13, 2022, were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.

Bryan Kohberger was arrested weeks later and charged with multiple counts of murder. Evidence links Kohberger to the crime, including phone data, car location, and DNA. The crime scene house was torn down, and a judge moved the trial away from Moscow due to lawyers’ concerns that the town was prejudiced. The State Supreme Court decides the new venue.