The Idaho murders autopsy report of the four University of Idaho students revealed that they suffered “multiple stab” wounds from a “large knife.” The Independent stated the victims were Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20. The autopsy findings ruled their deaths homicides by stabbing.
Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt claimed that the attacker had stabbed them multiple times and that their wounds were “pretty extensive.” Mabbutt also confirmed that the students bled out at the off-campus Moscow home on November 13, 2022. The autopsies further revealed that all four students died “early in the morning.”
A more recent report confirms that Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho murders, allegedly used a military-style knife for the killings. Authorities are yet to find this knife. However, they used DNA, among other evidence, to link Kohberger to the crime. The Washington State University PhD student now faces four counts of first-degree murder.
Idaho murders autopsy report findings & the latest on Bryan Kohberger revealed
Today reported that the Idaho murders autopsy reports offered a clearer view of the slayings. In a November 17, 2022, interview with NBC News, coroner Cathy Mabbutt claimed, “It would have been early in the morning, sometime after 2 a.m., but still during the night.” She added that there is no medical way to determine who was attacked first. However, at the time, investigators were “trying to put timelines together with other text messages and other technology.”
Mabbutt also alleged that the murder weapon “would have been a bigger knife,” citing their “pretty extensive” wounds. According to Fox 13, the coroner said, “It had to be a really big knife to inflict those injuries and kill four people.” She described the wounds as “tears” and “big open gouges.” The Idaho murders autopsy report also revealed that the victims showed a “little bit of bruising.” Mabbutt suggested that this “wouldn’t be uncommon during a stabbing.”
The victims were Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kaylee Goncalves. Three of the victims lived in the off-campus home, where they were stabbed to death. There were two other roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortenson, present in the house at the time of the slayings. The killer reportedly left them unharmed. Mortenson later claimed she had a face-to-face encounter with the masked man, who walked right past her.
After a weeks-long investigation, authorities arrested Brayn Kohberger, a Washington State University PhD student, on December 30, 2022. The Independent confirmed that law enforcement found incriminating evidence during an apartment search. They seized 15 items, including hairs, receipts, a computer tower, a disposable glove, and items with peculiar stains.
The outlet reported that investigators listed several items with stains. These included a “reddish/brown” stain on an uncovered pillow and a “collection of dark red spots.” They also linked Kohberger to the crime via cellphone records and his white Hyundai Elantra. The suspect reportedly changed the license plates on his car days after the murders.
Moreover, CBS News confirmed that Kohberger’s DNA closely matched the DNA found on a knife sheath. Police recovered the same sheath from the crime scene. However, authorities have failed to locate the alleged murder weapon. It remains unclear whether the suspect personally knew the victims and whether he carried out the murders in a fit of jealousy or rage. The motive behind the killings remains uncertain.
In May 2023, a grand jury indicted Bryan Kohberger on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the trial, which was originally set for October. However, the accused waived his right to a speedy trial, causing an indefinite delay. Recently, Denver 7 reported that the prosecution has proposed a summer trial.
CBS 48 Hours, among other true crime shows, has previously revisited the Idaho murder case. The full episode titled “The Night of the Idaho Student Murders” is now available on YouTube.
