On August 8, 2025, the Moscow Police Department released nearly 200 crime scene photos from the infamous Idaho college murders, offering the public a haunting glimpse inside the off-campus home where four University of Idaho students lost their lives in November 2022. The release followed the sentencing of Bryan Kohberger, the former criminology doctoral candidate who confessed to the brutal killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
The images, first obtained by NBC News affiliate KTVB, reveal a chilling contrast between the ordinary rhythms of student life and the horror that unfolded within those walls. There are everyday scenes—a foldable table cluttered with red plastic cups and spilled drinks, a bedroom desk with a basket of laundry and a calculator, and a living room decorated with a "Saturdays are for the girls" flag. Yet these vignettes of normalcy are interrupted by stark reminders of violence: a bed soaked in blood, blood-spattered walls, and drops of blood on the bedroom floor. Another photo captures the sliding glass door, believed by investigators to be Kohberger’s point of entry that fateful night.
According to NBC News, the victims—Goncalves, 21; Mogen, 21; Kernodle, 20; and Chapin, 20—were all University of Idaho students. On the evening of November 12, 2022, Goncalves and Mogen visited a nearby sports bar, while Kernodle and Chapin attended a fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on November 13, all four had returned to their three-story rental house on King Road. That would be their last night alive.
The aftermath of the murders left the college town of Moscow, Idaho, reeling. The house, now demolished, became a symbol of both tragedy and the search for justice. Two other roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were also home at the time of the attack but survived. Text messages unsealed earlier this year and obtained by E! News revealed the confusion and fear of that night. At 4:22 a.m., Mortensen texted Funke, "No one is answering. I'm rlly confused rn." She continued to reach out to her roommates, texting Goncalves, "Pls answer" and "R u up??" The horror of the situation only became clear later that morning, when a 911 call was placed after Kernodle was found unresponsive. "One of the roommates who's passed out and she was drunk last night and she's not waking up," a caller told the operator, also noting, "They saw some man in their house last night."
The case quickly became a national obsession, with the search for the killer stretching across state lines. Bryan Kohberger, then a doctoral candidate at Washington State University, was arrested on December 30, 2022, in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was extradited to Idaho on January 4, 2023. The breakthrough came from DNA evidence: prosecutors revealed in June 2023 that DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene did not match anyone in the FBI database. Investigators then turned to public ancestry websites, eventually linking the DNA to Kohberger after sifting through his family’s trash in Pennsylvania.
Kohberger initially pleaded not guilty and faced the death penalty, with his defense arguing that his autism spectrum disorder (ASD) made execution unconstitutional. According to court documents cited by E! News, his attorneys argued, "Due to his ASD, Mr. Kohberger simply cannot comport himself in a manner that aligns with societal expectations of normalcy. This creates an unconscionable risk that he will be executed because of his disability rather than his culpability." The trial, originally scheduled for October 2, 2023, was postponed to August 11, 2025, and moved from Latah County to Ada County due to concerns about local prejudice. However, the trial was abruptly canceled after Kohberger accepted a plea deal on June 30, 2025.
On July 2, 2025, Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary, sparing himself the death penalty and waiving his right to appeal or seek a lighter sentence. When Ada County Judge Steven Hippler asked if he killed each victim "willingly, unlawfully, deliberately and with premeditation and malice with forethought," Kohberger replied, "Yes" for each count. On July 23, 2025, the judge sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, along with $50,000 fines for each murder count and a $5,000 civil penalty to each victim's family. He also received a 10-year sentence and a $50,000 fine for burglary.
The plea deal, while providing resolution, was met with anguish by the victims’ families. Many had hoped for a public trial and the possibility of the death penalty. The release of the crime scene photos only deepened their pain. Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee, voiced his distress on NewsNation’s Banfield, saying, "You don’t get that those are our children, and we’re not settling for that type of thing. I hope that we can give these kids some dignity and we don’t have to go there." He acknowledged the public’s right to know but explained that the families were "worried" about the images of their loved ones’ final moments being broadcast. "We’re afraid that we’d wake up one morning and that might be on TV," he said.
Goncalves was particularly adamant about keeping autopsy reports private. "The autopsies, some others wanted to keep that [private] and I understand that. That has an injury-by-injury write up, so it’s pretty gruesome. That’ll be the last one that we really will try to keep close to the chest." His words underscore the delicate balance between public interest and the dignity of victims.
The case against Kohberger was bolstered by a trove of digital evidence. In March 2025, a selfie he took the morning after the murders was introduced as evidence. The image shows Kohberger in front of a shower, giving a thumbs up—a detail that matched the description of the suspect as having "bushy eyebrows," according to witness "D.M." Steve Goncalves later described the selfie as a "trophy," telling Fox and Friends, "He had realized that nobody had called 911. To him, that’s his little trophy to let him know like, ‘Hey, I got away with it, nobody’s on me.’”
Kohberger’s digital footprint revealed further disturbing details. As reported in a 2025 Dateline documentary, his browsing history included searches for serial killer Ted Bundy, Britney Spears’ song "Criminal," and the term "University of Idaho Murders." A former classmate recalled a "peculiar" and overly formal text from Kohberger after a party, hinting at his social awkwardness and detachment.
The King Road house, once a home to dreams and friendships, has since been demolished. But the pain for the families and the Moscow community lingers. The release of the crime scene photos, though intended to provide transparency, has reopened wounds and reignited debates about privacy, the public’s right to know, and the responsibilities of law enforcement and the media in such cases.
As the dust settles on the legal proceedings, the story of the Idaho college murders stands as a stark reminder of the fragility of life, the complexities of justice, and the enduring impact of violence on families and communities.
