What the Kohberger Case Reveals About Modern Investigations: Studying the Idaho College Murders
On a quiet November morning in 2022, the voices of four hopeful and bright college students were silenced in the small college town of Moscow, Idaho. The world awoke to the news that Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin had been fatally stabbed inside the safety of their off-campus apartment. What makes this case so captivating is not the brutal nature of the stabbing but the promise of the victims and the unique nature of how the police came to suspect and eventually charge the primary suspect. Whenever there is community pressure to solve a crime or uncover answers, tensions can run high. Theories spread like wildfire, and the online misinformation machine goes into full motion. I frequently work on cases that are highly sensitive in nature and always adhere to anonymity and client protection so the rumor mill doesn’t create obstacles. The spotlight on the Kohberger case is crucial because it teaches us a great deal about how to manage a safe, comprehensive, evidence-based situation when the tragedy is so extreme. Key Takeaways: The Kohberger case involves the murder of four college students in Moscow, Idaho. Investigators used a combination of modern and old-school techniques to identify and arrest a suspect. Community pressure and online rumors made it hard to investigate the case. Private investigators are often brought into these cases for fresh eyes and to discover new evidence. This case points out the importance of safety awareness, community cooperation, and professional integrity by investigators. What We Know So Far There have been numerous rumors surrounding the Kohberger case, so let’s summarize what we know so far based on publicly released affidavits, verified reporting, and police statements. The murders happened between 4:00 and 4:25 am on November 13, 2022. The victims, all younger college students, included three female roommates and a visiting boyfriend – all in the same home. I want to repeat their names because that often gets lost in the reporting. They are Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. They were attacked while sleeping or shortly after waking. The current timeline is based on a DoorDash delivery placed around 4:00 am. Police found no signs of forced entry. That is one of the points that fueled online rumors as it suggests the victims may have somehow known their attacker. Two other roommates were present during the attack, but survived. One of these roommates reported hearing crying and seeing a masked figure dressed in black leaving the house – a point that would later become crucial to the case. The two surviving roommates stayed in a room together for the rest of the morning until contacting friends and family. A friend of theirs arrived at the home and discovered a victim’s body, prompting one of the surviving roommates to call 911. This was over 7 hours from the supposed murders. Four victims were found in two bedrooms. Modern Tools that Built a Case Almost immediately, public interest in the case grew. Seeing such captivating and promising young people being ripped from what is otherwise a safe and small town is chilling to the public. Idaho only has roughly 43-50 murders a year. That’s about 2 for every 100,000 people, making it a relatively safe state to live in, especially in more rural areas. On December 30, 2022, authorities announced the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old doctoral student in criminology based at Washington State University. He was taken into custody in PA after a cross-country drive with his father, eventually being charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. You can imagine the theories and rumors that spread online in the wake of the arrest. Amateur digital sleuths began jumping to conclusions, attempting to fill in the missing gaps in the timeline and making the prosecution’s job more difficult due to the spread of misinformation. The trial is set to begin in August 2025, but it’s essential to examine the facts surrounding his apprehension and the circumstances that led police to this suspect. This was an interesting blend of old-school investigative techniques and modern technologies. The Knife: Investigators found a knife sheath on one of the victim’s beds with DNA evidence. That DNA was compared to police databases and found no match. When it was compared to broader databases (used by the FBI), a question of appropriate use came into play. Eventually, a statistical genetic match was found after collecting trash from Kohberger’s family home in PA. Video Footage: Community surveillance video showed a white car leaving the scene at the time of the murders. Police near Washington State University found a white Elantra matching the description. They identified the owner as Mr. Kohberger – making him a strong suspect. Mobile Data: Investigators subpoenaed Mr. Kohberger’s phone records, showing he was near the crime scene at the time of the murder. It also revealed he had visited the area around the house 12 times before in the months leading up to the crime. A Selfie: Prosecutors are planning on showing jury members a selfie taken by Mr. Kohberger about six hours post-murder. They want to use that image to corroborate one of the surviving roommate’s accounts of facial characteristics like the suspect’s bushy eyebrows. The History: Bryan Kohberger has some “red flags” in his history that have come under debate. We can expect the prosecution to bring up online activities related to suicidal thoughts and a near fascination with crime. However, it’s essential to remember that he’s a criminology student, so this could be an academic matter until proven otherwise. The problem is that a lot of this evidence is circumstantial, at least the information we currently have. There is likely other evidence still sealed until the case is heard. For instance, it was only a month ago that the DoorDash driver who delivered food to the apartment was later arrested on driving related charges and claimed to be a key witness in the case. It’s
Public Safety Tips for Moses Lake from a Private Investigator’s Perspective
So there I was last Saturday, sitting on my buddy Jake’s porch in Moses Lake, drinking what might have been the worst coffee I’ve ever tasted (seriously, Jake, buy better coffee), when his neighbor Tom pulls up in his pickup looking absolutely miserable. Turns out someone had stolen his brand new riding mower right out of his barn – just walked right in and took it. Tom’s been farming out there for like thirty years, never had any real problems, and now he’s dealing with this crap. Key Takeaways Small town doesn’t mean no crime: Rural places like Moses Lake have their own unique safety challenges that you need to think about differently Your stuff is a target: Farms and rural properties have expensive equipment that thieves specifically look for because it’s valuable and often not well protected Neighbors are your best security system: In tight-knit communities like Moses Lake, people looking out for each other works way better than any alarm system Seasons matter for safety: Moses Lake sees totally different crime patterns during harvest time, tourist season, and winter months Know who to call: Understanding when to call the cops versus when you need private help can save you tons of time and frustration This whole thing got me thinking about how different safety is in a place like Moses Lake compared to the city stuff I usually deal with. After working on cases with Tracked N Solved™ Investigation Agency throughout Central Washington, I’ve learned that staying safe in rural areas requires a completely different mindset than what works in Seattle or Spokane. It’s not just about locking your car doors and avoiding dark alleys – out here, you’ve got different problems and honestly, different solutions that actually work. Why Moses Lake Is Its Own Kind of Different Okay, so here’s the thing about Moses Lake – it’s got this really interesting mix of stuff going on that creates some unique safety situations. You’ve got the farming community that’s been there forever, tourists coming to mess around on the lake during summer, people just passing through on I-90, and honestly, all these different groups create their own little safety challenges. The good news first – Moses Lake is generally a really safe place. People know each other, there’s that whole small-town thing where everybody’s watching out for their neighbors, and serious violent crime is pretty rare. I mean, when the biggest scandal in town is someone stealing Tom’s riding mower, you’re doing pretty well compared to most places. But here’s what people don’t always think about – just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean you can leave your doors unlocked and not worry about anything. Equipment theft is actually a huge problem in agricultural areas because farmers have incredibly expensive machinery that thieves can easily sell. Plus, with properties being spread out and kind of isolated, criminals can operate without anyone noticing until it’s too late. Then you’ve got the seasonal stuff, which is really interesting when you think about it. During harvest time, there are temporary workers coming through, way more traffic on those rural roads, and tons of valuable equipment sitting in fields. Summer brings all the lake tourists who might not know the area well – some are fine, but others might be looking for opportunities. Winter has its own issues with isolated properties and people getting desperate when money gets tight. Protecting Your Stuff Without Going Crazy Let me tell you something – after working on equipment theft cases with Tracked N Solved™ Investigation Agency, I’ve seen some really expensive mistakes that could’ve been avoided with pretty basic precautions. Like, we’re talking about people losing thirty, forty thousand dollar tractors because they didn’t think anyone would bother them way out in the middle of nowhere. First thing – lighting. I know it sounds boring, but good lighting around your buildings and equipment areas can prevent a ton of problems. Motion lights are fantastic because they scare off people who shouldn’t be there and let you know when something’s moving around your property. Solar ones work great if you don’t want to run electrical lines all over the place. Storage is huge too. I get it – it’s tempting to just park that expensive tractor in the barn and figure the barn door is enough security. But if someone really wants that tractor, a basic barn door isn’t going to stop them. Better locks, maybe some security cameras, GPS tracking on really valuable equipment – these things actually work and aren’t as expensive as you’d think. Here’s something most people never think about until it’s too late – take pictures of your equipment and write down serial numbers. I can’t tell you how many theft cases I’ve worked where people couldn’t even tell the cops exactly what was stolen because they didn’t have good records. If your stuff gets stolen, having photos and serial numbers makes it way more likely you’ll get it back or at least get paid by insurance. Keep your property maintained so you can actually see what’s going on around your buildings. Overgrown bushes and weeds give thieves places to hide while they’re figuring out how to steal your stuff. It doesn’t have to look like a golf course, but you should be able to see what’s happening around your important buildings and equipment areas. Personal Safety When You’re Out in the Middle of Nowhere Personal safety in Moses Lake is different because sometimes help is really far away, and you might be dealing with situations completely on your own. The isolation that makes rural living great can also make you more vulnerable if something goes wrong, so you need to be smart about how you handle things. Communication is absolutely critical when you’re working alone or traveling in remote areas. Always tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to be back, especially if you’re working on distant parts of your property or going places where
Hiring a Private Investigator vs. Doing It Yourself: Pros and Cons
Okay, so this is actually kind of funny – I’m standing in line at Starbucks yesterday morning (don’t judge me, I know it’s overpriced but their coffee doesn’t taste like burnt water), and my phone starts buzzing. It’s my friend Sarah, and she sounds like she’s having a full-blown panic attack. Apparently, her business partner Dave has been acting super sketchy lately – coming in late, being all secretive about the books, you know the drill. She whispers into the phone, “I think this idiot is stealing from us, but like… should I try to catch him myself? I mean, those private investigator people probably cost a fortune, right?” Key Takeaways The money thing is tricky: Yeah, DIY seems way cheaper at first, but wow, it can blow up and cost you massive amounts if you screw it up or miss something important Legal stuff will bite you: Professional investigators actually know what’s legal and what’ll get you arrested, while most of us are just winging it and hoping for the best Time and actually having a clue: Professionals have years of experience and fancy tools that can get real answers in days instead of you wandering around confused for months Evidence that doesn’t suck: Professional investigators know how to get evidence that’ll actually work if you need it for court, not just random photos you took with your phone Safety and not being an idiot: DIY investigation can put you in seriously dangerous situations or legal trouble that professionals know exactly how to dodge And you know what? I get this question constantly. Like, at least once a month someone asks me basically the same thing. It makes total sense though – you want to save money, you think you know your situation better than some random stranger, and honestly, there’s something kind of exciting about pretending you’re in a TV show and solving mysteries. But here’s the thing that most people don’t realize – there are some pretty major pros and cons to both approaches that you really need to think through before you start doing anything stupid. Why Everyone Thinks They’re Basically Sherlock Holmes So let’s talk about why people think they can just figure this stuff out on their own. I mean, it makes sense when you first think about it – you want to save some cash (because who doesn’t?), you figure you understand your situation way better than anyone else could, and with Google and social media and all that, it feels like you should be able to find out pretty much anything about anyone without breaking a sweat. The money factor is what hooks people every time. When you’re looking at quotes from professional investigators and you see numbers like four or five thousand dollars – sometimes more – doing it yourself seems like such a no-brainer. You’re sitting there thinking, “Come on, how hard can this really be? I’ll just do some internet detective work, maybe follow this person around for a week, take some pictures, and boom – problem solved, money saved.” And honestly? For some really basic stuff, this might actually work out okay. Then there’s the whole control thing, which I totally get. When you’re dealing with personal drama – like relationship problems, family issues, business partners being shady – bringing in some complete stranger feels really uncomfortable. You want to keep your dirty laundry private and handle things exactly the way you want to handle them. Nobody wants some investigator they’ve never met before poking around in their personal business and potentially making things worse. Plus, let’s be real – there’s something pretty appealing about the idea of being your own detective. All those crime shows make it look so easy and exciting. You watch CSI or whatever and think, “I’m a smart person, I can figure this out myself.” The problem is – and this is a big problem – real investigation work is nothing like what you see on TV. It’s way more boring, way more legally complicated, and way more likely to go wrong than you’d expect. When DIY Might Actually Not Be the Worst Idea Alright, so there are some situations where trying to investigate on your own might not be completely insane. These are usually pretty straightforward cases where you’re not dealing with anything too complicated, too legally risky, or too likely to get you in trouble. Like, if you’re trying to verify basic information about someone you met on a dating app (because let’s face it, people lie about everything online), you can probably do some social media stalking and Google searching without ending up in jail. Simple background checking for personal stuff sometimes works okay too. If you just want to make sure someone is actually who they say they are – like they’re not secretly married or using a fake name or whatever – you can often find basic information through Facebook creeping, LinkedIn profiles, public records websites, that kind of thing. But here’s the catch – this only works for really surface-level stuff. Anything deeper than “does this person exist and do they work where they say they work” is going to need professional tools that you don’t have. Basic business research is another area where DIY might be fine. If you’re thinking about working with a new vendor or checking out a potential client, you can usually find useful information through business directories, Better Business Bureau records, online reviews, Yelp complaints, that sort of thing. But again – and I can’t stress this enough – this is just scratching the surface compared to what a real investigation would turn up. The key thing to remember is that DIY investigation only works when the stakes are pretty low and you’re just looking for basic information that you could probably find in a few hours of internet searching. The second you need anything that might be used in court, involves criminal activity, or requires you to actually follow