“He sort of creeped people out”: Bryan Kohberger’s WSU classmate says Idaho murder suspect appeared ‘animated’ after killings

A classmate of Bryan Kohberger, the man who is the prime suspect in the Idaho murder case, said that Kohberger seemed "animated" and in good spirits in class. The suspect is alleged to have murdered four college students.

Kohberger was enrolled in Washington State University’s graduate program, where he was pursuing his PhD in Criminology. He recently graduated with a criminal justice degree from Pennsylvania’s DeSales University.

Bryan Kohberger (Image via Pleasant Valley High School)

His classmate, B.K. Norton, gave his statement to the New York Times in an email where he said that he and Kohberger attended WSU for graduate studies. He added that after news of the brutal slayings surfaced, he quickly noticed some warning flags in Kohberger that were not evident earlier in the semester:

“[Bryan] seemed more upbeat and willing to carry a conversation.”

He added that Kohberger had a passionate knack for forensic psychology and carried a quiet but intense demeanor. It made people around him feel uncomfortable. Norton said:

“He sort of creeped people out because he stared and didn’t talk much, but when he did it was very intelligent and he needed everyone to know he was smart.”

Bryan Kohberger also reportedly passed certain remarks that proved his anti-LGBTQ stances.

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Bryan Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder

The 28-year-old PhD student was arrested on December 30 in connection with the brutal murders of the Idaho college students. Authorities reported that Bryan Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder as well as burglary.

On November 13, four Idaho students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Gonclaves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, were sleeping at a home off-campus near the university when they were stabbed to death. Bryan Kohberger is also accused of breaking into a home in Moscow, Idaho, before committing the cold-blooded murders.

The FBI found him in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Albrightsville, 2500 miles away from the Idaho University campus. The 28-year-old suspect is currently detained without bail in Pennsylvania, awaiting extradition to Idaho, which will take place after a hearing on Tuesday, January 3.

Idaho’s Latah County Prosecutor’s Office and the Moscow Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Bryan Kohberger. Moreover, officials said that additional details on the suspect’s arrest, as well as his potential involvement in the gruesome killings, will be provided later. More than six weeks after the murders took place and their subsequent investigation, law enforcement arrested the suspect.

On Thursday, December 29, James Fry, the Moscow Police Chief, thanked the public for their cooperation and assistance with the investigation of the Idaho murders in a video conference and said:

"We've received a lot more tips here recently and we're continuing to investigate and follow up on those. We want to thank the community for all of their help and thank all the people across the nation for all the help they have given us."

He added that aside from the nearly 19,000 tips provided by the public, DNA samples played a significant role in identifying the suspect. Fry also stated that the murders have shaken their community, and even if they arrest the culprit, it will not bring back the young students who died. However, they believe that justice will be restored through the criminal process.