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The 2022 University of Idaho killings shocked the country after four students, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, were found fatally stabbed in an off-campus Moscow home on November 13, 2022. The victims were likely attacked while sleeping in the early morning hours, with two other roommates present in the home left unharmed.
Nearly seven weeks later, authorities arrested Bryan Kohberger, a Washington State University Ph.D. criminology student, after linking him 2022 University of Idaho killings through DNA found on a knife sheath, cellphone data, and surveillance footage.
Since the arrest, the case of the 2022 University of Idaho killings has continued to draw national attention due to the disturbing allegations, volume of digital evidence, and Kohberger's background in criminal justice.
As the trial nears, Dateline: The Terrible Night on King's Road, airing on NBC at 9/8c, offers a closer look into the investigation of the 2022 University of Idaho killings, survivor accounts, and forensic findings. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty, and the trial is scheduled to begin in Ada County on August 11, 2025, following a successful motion to move it out of Latah County.
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Timeline explored: Key moments in the 2022 University of Idaho killings
The 2022 University of Idaho killings shook the country and remain one of the most-watched murder cases in recent years. On November 13, four students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were found stabbed to death inside their home in Moscow.
According to NBC News, in a report dated May 8, 2025, investigators uncovered disturbing online activity from Bryan Kohberger. He had reportedly looked up serial killer Ted Bundy and searched for graphic terms like forced, drugged, and sleeping.
Authorities claim that these searches happened both before and after the murders, which could point to a level of premeditation.
Footage of a vehicle similar to Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra was captured on multiple surveillance cameras circling the King Road residence around the time of the crime. Kohberger's phone was also allegedly traced to a cell tower within 100 meters of the house 23 times over four months, often after sunset.
DNA evidence was crucial. A knife sheath recovered at the crime scene carried male DNA, which investigators later matched to Kohberger using genealogy databases.
In court filings, Kohberger's defence team has indicated he was out driving alone on the night of the murders and had no involvement in the 2022 University of Idaho killings. However, the probable cause affidavit links Kohberger's physical presence to the scene based on both digital and biological evidence.
In June 2023, prosecutors announced they would pursue the death penalty, citing the "especially heinous" nature of the attack. Bryan Kohberger, then a Ph.D. criminology student at Washington State University, pleaded not guilty following the incident.
The NBC special Dateline: The Terrible Night on King's Road, airing on May 9, 2025, will present unreleased evidence and firsthand accounts from those who interacted with Kohberger before the incident.
A graduate student, referred to as Holly, recalled receiving an unusually formal text from Kohberger after a casual pool party meetup in July 2022. As per the NBC News report dated May 8, 2025, the message read:
"I really enjoy that activity, so please let me know."
Holly described the interaction as awkward, telling Dateline,
"he seemed a little awkward. Kind of like you might expect for a PhD student who didn't know anyone at the party and was maybe trying his best to kind of get out there and be social and make friends."
The special will also include interviews with friends of the victims, the mother of one of the victims' best friends, and several experts who provided analysis of Kohberger’s background and the material linking him to the 2022 University of Idaho killings.
New surveillance footage and digital tracking materials were shared to map his movements surrounding the events of November 13, 2022.
Victims, surviving witnesses, and trial updates
Court records and media reports, including from CBS News and ABC News, have pieced together the final hours of the victims of the 2022 University of Idaho killings.
On the night before the murders, Mogen and Goncalves visited a bar and food truck, returning home at around 1:56 a.m., while Chapin and Kernodle arrived around 1:45 a.m. Two other roommates were home and reportedly slept through the attack.
By 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made from one roommate's phone to report an unresponsive person. All four victims were found deceased, likely attacked in their sleep.
In December 2023, the house at 1122 King Road was demolished despite objections from victims' families. The University of Idaho called the demolition a "healing step."
Meanwhile, Judge Steven Hippler ruled that Kohberger's family could attend the trial, even if they are called to testify, writing that it supports his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin on August 11, 2025, in Ada County, Idaho. It is expected to last three months and may include a penalty phase if Kohberger is convicted.
Stay tuned for more updates.
