Horrific way Idaho murder victim's mum found out daughter had been slaughtered
The mother of a student murdered in the University of Idaho massacre discovered her daughter has been killed when she travelled to console her about the death of her friend.
The parent had no idea Madison Mogen was one of twisted Bryan Kohberger's victims when she went to pick up the teenager after the heartbreaking news. Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were also stabbed to death in their off-campus home in 2021. Their roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke survived the chilling attack.
The revelations come in One Night in Idaho, a new Prime Video docuseries. The show includes interviews with relatives and friends of the victims as well as insight into the surviving roommates' state of mind in the hours following the killings. In it, viewers heard how one family was informed about the tragedy.
Karen Laramie took a call from her daughter's boyfriend about an incident, saying they believed Xana was dead. 'My heart just sank,' Ms Laramie said. 'I called Maddie and Kaylee, and there was no answer, so I called the Moscow Police Department and they were like 'well we can't really tell you anything.'
'The whole time my mindset was that we were going to go pick up Maddie and Kaylee and bring them home and console them and hug them and figure out just what happened. I remember running up the stairs and just trying to find anyone to talk, like anyone to … just anyone."
They were then taken into a room by police officers and told the news that shattered their world. She went on: 'The officer kind of explained there has been a homicide in your daughter's house and there are four victims, and instantly we were like 'what?'. It just made no sense. And he said Maddie was a victim. Then I said 'what about Kaylee?' He said Kaylee was also a victim."
Following a plea agreement Kohberger is likely to face four consecutive life terms in prison, and to waive his rights to appeal or seek reconsideration of the sentence. He will be formally sentenced on July 23. As a result of pleading guilty, he will no longer have to face the death penalty.
Friends of the two University of Idaho students who survived the brutal stabbing later revealed why the pair didn't call 911 for several hours after the rampage. Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, who lived in the Moscow, Idaho, off-campus house where the four students were murdered, were home at the time but were unharmed. They placed the 911 call at 11:58am on November 13, 2022 - roughly eight hours after the attack, which investigators believe happened between 4am and 4.20am.
Dylan later told police she had opened her bedroom door around 4am after hearing noises and saw a masked man with bushy eyebrows walking toward a sliding glass door before locking herself in her room, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Speaking in the docuseries, friends Hunter Johnson, Emily Alandt and Josie Lauteren shared how Dylan and Bethany contacted them that morning asking for help. 'She was like, 'Something weird happened last night. I don't really know if I was dreaming or not, but I'm really scared. Can you come check out the house?'' Emily recalled.
Dylan told her she had been in the basement with Bethany and had tried calling Xana several times but received no response. Emily said she didn't initially think the request was serious. 'I was like, 'Ha, ha, sure. Should I bring my pepper spray?' Not thinking anything of it,' she said.
Josie explained that Dylan had previously called friends for support after hearing strange noises in the house. 'She's called us before and been like, 'Oh, I'm scared. Can you bring your boyfriends over?' But it was never anything serious… because it's Moscow.' When Emily, Josie and Hunter arrived at the house, they quickly realised something was terribly wrong. 'Dylan and Bethany had exited the house. They looked frightened, just kind of like, hands on their mouth, like, 'I don't know what's going on,'' Emily said.
'As soon as I stepped in the house, I was like, 'Oh, something is so not right.' Like, you could feel it almost,' Josie added. Hunter, who entered the home first, urged them to call police without revealing what he actually saw when entering Xana and Ethan's bedroom.
'Hunter had enough courage to tell them to call the police for not a real reason,' Alandt said. 'He worded it very nicely. He said, 'Tell them there's an unconscious person.' Hunter saved all of us extreme trauma by not letting us know anything.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Haunting 'dolls house' that takes you room-by-room through Bryan Kohberger's student slaughter
The home where four University of Idaho students were slaughtered by mass killer Bryan Kohberger has been frozen in time in a 3D model built by state prosecutors. The three-story property at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, was once a place of youthful fun where five young women were enjoying college life with their friends. On November 13, 2022, the house was transformed into a horror crime scene when Kohberger broke in and stabbed to death Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. One year later in December 2023, the home was demolished to rid the college town of the painful visual reminder of what had taken place - against some of the victims' families wishes. 'It is the grim reminder of the heinous act that took place there,' University of Idaho President Scott Green said at the time. 'While we appreciate the emotional connection some family members of the victims may have to this house, it is time for its removal and to allow the collective healing of our community to continue.' Now, days after Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison for the murders, photos of a 3D reconstruction of the home have been released by Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson's office, giving a glimpse inside every room of the home. The images show the interior and exterior of the home, detailing the layout of the rooms belonging to the victims and survivors. The model house is not furnished as it was when the murders took place. It was built by the prosecutor's office to be used as a demonstrative aid at Kohberger's capital murder trial. The 30-year-old criminology PhD student's defense team had objected to the so-called 'doll house' being presented to the jury, arguing that it was not to scale. Prosecutors argued a 'to-scale' model was not necessary for the structure's purpose to show jurors the floor plan layout and be a helpful tool for witnesses when explaining their testimony. Judge Steven Hippler ruled that prosecutors could use the model house during trial, but only for demonstrative purposes - and not as evidence. But on July 2, Kohberger changed his plea, pleading guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The bombshell plea hearing came after he struck a controversial deal with prosecutors to take the death penalty off the table. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in an emotional hearing in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on July 23. Kohberger also waived his right to appeal. Kohberger is now being held in solitary confinement inside the Idaho Maximum Security Institution where he will see out his dying days. With the trial no longer going ahead, a broad gag order has been lifted and investigators and officials connected to the case have released never-before-seen evidence and records. In an interview with the Idaho Statesman, Thompson revealed for the first time that Kohberger collected creepy trophies from women in his past life. At the time of his arrest, Kohberger was in possession of 'ID-type cards' belonging to two women he knew years before the murders. At least one of the women was the killer's former colleague at the Pleasant Valley School District in Pennsylvania. Kohberger attended Pleasant Valley School District schools growing up, graduating from the high school in 2013. He then worked part time as a security officer for the district from 2016 through 2021, while pursuing his studies in psychology and criminology. Kohberger's parents also worked for the district, Michael as a maintenance worker and MaryAnn a special needs paraprofessional. The IDs were found hidden inside a glove inside a box during a search executed at Kohberger's family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, following his December 30, 2022, arrest. The prosecutor - whose decision to strike a plea deal with the mass killer divided the victims' families - said the discovery came as a surprise to both women. Neither of the women had been 'harmed or threatened,' Thompson said. As well as sharing new information about evidence in the case, Thompson revealed for the first time which of Kohberger's family members would have testified against him at trial. Prosecutors previously revealed plans to call some of Kohberger's immediate family members - his parents and two older sisters Amanda and Melissa - as witnesses for the state. Which family members and why remained a mystery, with the details kept under seal. Thompson told the Idaho Statesman the plan had been to call Kohberger's sister Amanda and either his mother or father if the case went to trial. He did not divulge the exact reasoning for this. But, as the trial date loomed, the state decided against calling any of the Kohberger family because they weren't the 'best witnesses' and they had not shared anything 'substantively incriminating' during police interviews. Moscow Police have also released a trove of 314 records from the investigation that ultimately led to Kohberger's arrest. The records include details of eerie encounters the students had at 1122 King Road before they were murdered. Goncalves had told friends she had seen a man watching her in the trees around the home and the roommates had come home to find the front door open one day. The home at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, on November 20, 2022 - one week on from the murders It is not clear if these incidents are related to Kohberger but cell phone evidence does indicate he was surveilling the home months before the murders. Other documents reveal that, following Kohberger's arrest, several women came forward to police about creepy interactions they had with Kohberger. One unidentified woman claimed to have matched with Kohberger on Tinder in September or October 2022 - just weeks before the murders. The woman broke contact with Kohberger after he allegedly asked her a chilling question: what did she think would be the worst way to die? She told police that when she told him by knife, he responded with an eerie comment to the effect of, 'like a Ka-Bar?' Around one month later, Kohberger is believed to have used a Ka-Bar knife to slaughter his victims. Despite the flurry of new information released and Kohberger's guilty plea, many unanswered questions remain, including Kohberger's motive, who his intended target was and why he chose his victims. Kohberger refused to shed any light on the murders or provide any answers at his sentencing.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Serial killer stopped by cops three months before murders in chilling footage
Bryan Kohberger, 30, is serving life in prison without parole (Image: Idaho Department of Corrections) Chilling police bodycam footage has surfaced showing the moment Bryan Kohberger - now convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students - was pulled over for speeding just months before the brutal killings. The video, captured in August 2022, shows a Latah County Sheriff's deputy stopping Kohberger on the Pullman-Moscow Highway, which links Washington State and Idaho. Kohberger, then a PhD criminology student, was driving a white Hyundai Elantra - the same car later connected to the crime. The footage was originally set to be used at trial, but was made public after Kohberger accepted a plea deal. READ MORE: Bryan Kohberger ordered 'sit up straight' by victim's sister as killer jailed Kohberger being stopped by cops in August 2022 (Image: Latah County Sheriff's Office) In the clip, Deputy Darren Duke approaches the vehicle and informs Kohberger he had been exceeding the speed limit. "Hey there, I stopped you going a little fast. You realize this is 35?" Kohberger replied, shaking his head several times, "Oh, it's 35? I was going about 41, about that," before handing over his documents. During the stop, Kohberger also acknowledges he hadn't been wearing a seatbelt. "No point in not being honest," he says calmly when questioned. The deputy issues him a $10 citation for the seatbelt violation but lets the speeding slide. Kohberger appears cooperative but becomes slightly defensive when asked for a contact number, insisting he was being upfront. "Just for future reference, I mean I'm obviously an obvious person. I told you I wasn't wearing my seatbelt," Kohberger says. "But people lie to you about that, say I lied to you about that...," he adds. He then asks Deputy Duke if he "usually" looks to see if drivers are wearing seatbelts. Kohberger pleaded guilty in exchange for being spared the death penalty (Image: Getty Images) The officer chuckles, replying "I should," and the video ends with the officer letting him off with a warning for the speeding and telling him to have a good night. Less than three months later, on November 13, 2022, Kohberger broke into a rental home near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow and fatally stabbed four students - Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20. The murders shocked the nation and led to a six-week manhunt, ending in Kohberger's arrest at his parents' home in Pennsylvania. Victims Kaylee Goncalves (second from left, bottom) and Madison Mogen (second from left, top), Ethan Chapin (center) and Xana Kernodle (second from right) (Image: ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock) After more than two years of pre-trial proceedings, Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders earlier this month. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole last week, as families of the victims gave powerful impact statements. Kohberger declined to address the court, simply saying: "Respectfully decline." He will serve his sentence at Idaho's Maximum Security Institution.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
New bodycam shows Bryan Kohberger being pulled over before murders
Newly released police bodycam footage has revealed the moment Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger was pulled over just three months before he slaughtered four college students. The 30-year-old, who was sentenced to life in prison last week, was pulled over by a Latah County Sheriff's deputy in August 2022 after he was caught speeding on Pullman-Moscow Highway — the road that connects Washington and Idaho. The footage was supposed to be shown during his capital murder trial, but after he accepted a plea deal it was approved for release by Judge Steven Hippler. The video, obtained by Idaho Statesman, showed Deputy Darren Duke walking up to Kohberger's Hyundai Elantra before having him lower his window. The former PhD candidate then handed his documents over before admitting he wasn't wearing his seatbelt when he was stopped by the cop. 'Were you wearing your seatbelt when I stopped you?,' the officer asked. 'No,' Kohberger replied before Duke said: 'That's no good.' 'Just being honest with you,' Kohberger responded. The cop then told him he appreciated his honesty, to which Kohberger made direct eye contact with him and replied: 'There is absolutely no point in not being honest.' Duke then informed the now-murderer that he will have to pay a $10 fine for not wearing his seatbelt in the state of Idaho. The cop then told Kohberger he was going to let him go on the speeding as he proceeded to ask questions about the citation and appeared to get defensive when the officer asked for his phone number. 'Just for future reference, I mean I'm obviously an obvious person. I told you I wasn't wearing my seatbelt,' Kohberger explained. 'But people lie to you about that, say I lied to you about that...,' he added. He then questioned if the officer 'usually' looks to see if drivers are wearing seatbelts, before the officer said 'I should,' laughing as he did so. The video ended with the officer telling Kohberger to have a good night as they went their separate ways. On November 13, 2022, Kohberger crept into a home in Moscow and brutally stabbed four young University of Idaho students — Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20. He was arrested around six weeks later on December 30, 2022, at his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, where he had gone for the holidays. After spending more than two years fighting the charges, Kohberger finally confessed to his crimes and pleaded guilty earlier this month. Just last week, Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison while families and victims spoke out as he sat emotionless. When asked by the judge if he wanted to make a statement at his hearing, Kohberger awkwardly leaned into the microphone and said: 'I respectfully decline.' His new mugshot showed him staring hauntingly straight into the camera with the same vacant, emotionless expression he wore when confronted by his victims' heartbroken family members. He will now spend the remainder of his life in Idaho's Maximum Security Prison without the possibility of parole.
