"He took away who they were becoming", the Idaho Murders survivor confronts killer in court during emotional statement

 Idaho Murders survivor confronts killer in court during emotional statement
Idaho Murders survivor confronts killer in court during emotional statement (Image via Unsplash)

The Idaho Murders left the community in shock after a gruesome attack in the early hours of November 13, 2022. Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were all students at the University of Idaho. They were brutally killed in the Moscow, Idaho, house where they all lived together.

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The killer, later identified as Bryan Kohberger, committed the stabbings while the victims were asleep. Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, the two roommates who are still alive, barely avoided the carnage. The Idaho Murders shocked the close-knit community and got the attention of people across the country. Police worked nonstop to catch Kohberger.

Dylan Mortensen, a 19-year-old college student, was one of the survivors of the attack. She had an up-close view of the horror, recalling the chilling sight of the killer walking past her.

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Despite the Idaho Murders trauma, Dylan played a crucial role in identifying the suspect, describing him as having “bushy eyebrows.” Mortensen, who was in the house at the time of the murders, has since battled with survivor’s guilt, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her life was altered irreversibly by the tragedy, and she has bravely faced her fears in the years following the event.

As per Forbes Breaking News published and released on July 23, 2025, at Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing, Dylan Mortensen addressed him directly in a tearful and emotional statement. Standing before the man who had shattered her life, Mortensen described the impact of the murders, saying,

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"He took away who they were becoming and the futures they were going to have. He took away birthdays, graduations, celebrations. And all the memories that we were supposed to make, all of it is gone."

Her words about the Idaho murders reflected the deep sorrow and devastation caused by the loss of her friends and the trauma that would haunt her for years to come.

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The Idaho Murders survivor Dylan Mortensen sobs in court

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Dylan Mortensen’s emotional statement in court was a powerful moment during the sentencing of Bryan Kohberger, who had pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students.

Mortensen approached Kohberger, who didn't show any emotion during the whole thing. Mortensen was clearly upset. As Mortensen cried, she talked about how the killings had changed her life and the lives of her friends who had died.

Mortensen began her statement with a powerful declaration, saying,

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"What happened that night changed everything."

She talked about how the deaths of her friends Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan had ruined her sense of safety and left her with a huge sadness.

She went on to say that Kohberger didn't just kill them; he also destroyed their futures. She talked about how the killings had made her anxious, had panic attacks, and was always on high alert.

"I had to sleep in my mom’s bed because I was too terrified to close my eyes," Mortensen revealed.
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The survivor explained how she was haunted by the constant fear of the killer returning.

"He took away the version of me who didn’t constantly ask, ‘What if it happens again? What if next time I don’t survive?’" she said during the Idaho Murders.

Despite the ongoing pain and the weight of survivor’s guilt, Mortensen expressed resilience. She said,

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"He may have shattered parts of me. But I’m still putting myself back together. Piece by piece, I’m learning how to live in this new version of life."

Mortensen’s statement was not just a confrontation with Kohberger, but a testament to the strength she found within herself to continue living for her friends and honoring their memory.

Read More: What true incident is One Night in Idaho: The College Murders based on? Details explored

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More about the Idaho Murders

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Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old graduate student at Washington State University, broke into the University of Idaho house of Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin on November 13, 2022, and murdered them.

Kohberger stabbed the four students to death while they were sleeping in their beds. Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, two of the students' roommates, got away without getting hurt. Even though Kohberger knew they were there, he didn't hurt them.

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Kohberger, who had traveled from Pullman, Washington, to Moscow, Idaho, was eventually identified as the suspect after a thorough investigation. His arrest in December 2022 followed an intense search by law enforcement. Kohberger was charged with multiple counts of murder and burglary.

Also Read: Author Vicky Ward tells Megyn Kelly that Maddie Mogen was “the target” of Bryan Kohberger’s 2022 Idaho Murders


The families of the victims and survivors were able to talk to Kohberger at his sentencing hearing. His acts had changed their lives forever. Mortensen and other family and friends of the victims gave moving victim impact comments. They talked about how the deaths had changed their lives in ways that could not be fixed.

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Kohberger's sentencing hearing gave the families of the victims and survivors a chance to talk to the man whose actions had changed their lives forever. Family members and friends of the victims, including Mortensen, gave emotional victim impact statements. They talked about how the deaths had changed their lives in ways that could never be fixed.

Many people in the courtroom were uneasy as they saw the guy who had taken so much from them. Kohberger wouldn't speak during the hearing, and he was very cold.

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Read More: The true story behind the Idaho Murders


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Edited by Bharath S
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