A roommate who survived the University of Idaho murders came face-to-face with the killer just moments after the bloody slaughter of her friends as they slept in their beds, according to a police report.
Dylan Mortensen, 21,described her creepy encounter with the black-clad figure, when she opened her bedroom door after hearing a noise a little after 4 a.m.
A police affidavitreads: “[Mortensen] saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose walking towards her.
“Mortensen described the figure as 5′ 10″ or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows. The male walked past [her] as she stood in a ‘frozen shock phase.’
“The male walked towards the back sliding glass door. Mortensen locked herself in her room after seeing the male.”
3
Moments earlier, the mysterious murderer had knifed Ethan Chapin, 20,Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and KayleeGoncalves, 21, todeath in their Moscow, Idaho home. Another roommate, Bethany Funke, 21,was unharmed in the attack.
Although Mortensen’s encounter happenedaround 4 a.m.,it is not explained why police were not called until around midday — almost eight hours later.
The affidavit also explains how police linked the slayings to PhD student in Criminal Justice Bryan Kohberger, who lived in Pullman, Wash., the next town over, and who’s DNA was found at the scene. He appeared in an Idaho court Thursday to be charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
According to the police report, the six people — all close college friends — were home at the three-story house located at 1122 King Road in Moscow by 2 a.m. The killer struck around two hours later.
Mortensen, who lived on the first floor, said she had fallen asleep but was awakened around 4 a.m. when “she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of ‘there’s someone here.’”
1 of 5
Advertisem*nt
Advertisem*nt
Advertisem*nt
She opened her door, but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Mortensen then “opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle’s room,” according to the police report.
In a spine-shivering detail, the report added Mortensen “then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of ‘It’s ok, I’m going to help you.'”
Police believe the murderer left the bloody crime scene at that point and video collected from nearby residences showed a car matching the description of Kohberger’s leaving the area.
Here’s the latest coverage on the brutal killings of four college friends:
- New book makes bone-chilling revelations about real target in University of Idaho murders
- Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers call surprise witness to try to disprove evidence that he was at grisly University of Idaho murder scene
- Idaho murder victims’ former roommate speaks out after the bloodshed
Both surviving roommates were quickly ruled out as suspects and cooperated with the investigation following the gory murders, police repeatedly said.
The twobroketheir silenceby sharing their memories of the “four beautiful people” in letters read at a memorial service in early December.
“Maddie, Xana, Kaylee and Ethan were all one of a kind,” the pastor at Real Life Ministries read aloud from the letters written by the two survivors.
3
“To Xana and Ethan: they were the perfect pair together and had this unstoppable relationship,” Mortensen wrote. “My people who changed my life in so many ways and made me so happy. I know it will be hard to not have the four of them in our lives, but I know Xana, Ethan, Maddie and Kaylee would want us to live life and be happy and they would want us to celebrate their lives.”
Funke wrote that the four slain students “were all gifts to this world in your own special way — and it just won’t be the same without you.”
The victims’ accused killer was arrested on Dec. 30 at his parents home in Monroe County, PA during an early morning SWAT team raid. Kohberger quickly waived his right to an extradition hearing and arrived in Idaho via plane on Wednesday evening.
He appeared in Idaho court for the first time Thursday, which allowed police to release the affidavit, per Idaho state law. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
3
The hearing Thursday was not an arraignment and he has yet to enter a plea to court, but is widely expected to plead not guilty. He will appear again in court on Jan. 12 or a status hearing.
The suspect was a Ph.D student in criminology at Washington State University Pullman and lived about 10 miles from the crime scene. Authorities have yet to say whether there is a connection between Kohberger and the victims.
