Bryan Christopher Kohberger was born on November 21, 1994, in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. He attended Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville, graduating in 2013. After a brief enrollment at Monroe Career and Technical Institute, which he left after a year, Kohberger began working as a security officer for the Pleasant Valley School District in 2015. 

Kohberger’s academic journey included earning an associate degree in psychology from Northampton Community College in 2018. He continued his education at DeSales University in Pennsylvania, completing his bachelor's in psychology in 2020 and a master's degree in criminal justice in 2022. Known for his intense interest in criminology, he often engaged in discussions around criminal behavior and justice systems. During his time at DeSales, Kohberger reportedly studied under professors who specialized in serial killers and even posted online surveys related to criminal decision-making. 

In the summer of 2022, Kohberger moved across the country to enroll in the PhD criminology program at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, a town just under eight miles from Moscow, Idaho. He had completed only his first semester at WSU when the murders occurred. He also worked as a teaching assistant but had several performance and behavioral issues reported by students and faculty alike. He was officially dismissed from his assistantship in December 2022.

In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students, including Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were brutally stabbed to death in a three-story off-campus rental house in Moscow, Idaho. All victims were in their early 20s, attending the University of Idaho. The attack stunned the quiet college town, which had not seen a murder since 2015.

Investigators believe the killings occurred between 4:00 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. All four victims were stabbed multiple times using a large knife. Two roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, survived the attack. Mortensen, who resided on the second floor, later told police she had seen a masked intruder leave the house but was too shocked and intoxicated to grasp what had occurred. 

Xana Kernodle appeared to be awake during the attack, as she had just received a DoorDash order and was active on her phone. Investigators confirmed that she and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were found in her second-floor bedroom. Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were found in bed together in Mogen’s third-floor room. The nature of their wounds indicated a rapid, calculated assault. Goncalves alone had more than 20 stab wounds, and Kernodle over 50, many of them defensive. 

The community response was immediate and emotional. Students fled early for Thanksgiving break, fearing for their safety. Police received thousands of tips, but frustration grew due to the lack of information and the swirling rumors on social media.

The breakthrough in the case came when investigators identified a white Hyundai Elantra caught on surveillance circling the crime scene. DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left on Mogen's bed eventually led investigators to Kohberger. A genealogical search matched the DNA to Kohberger's family. By late December 2022, Kohberger was under surveillance and was arrested on December 30 at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. 

Kohberger was extradited to Idaho and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. Initially, he entered no plea, and the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. In June 2023, the prosecution announced their intent to seek the death penalty due to aggravating factors. 

After years of legal maneuvering, including a change of venue and defense requests for sealed access to DNA evidence, Kohberger ultimately accepted a plea deal. On July 2, 2025, he pleaded guilty to all charges to avoid the death penalty. On July 23, he was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus ten years for burglary. He was also ordered to pay $250,000 in fines and $20,000 in restitution to the victims’ families. 

Following the conviction, the University of Idaho demolished the house where the murders occurred.