New Details Emerge in Idaho Student Murders: Roommates’ Text Messages Reveal Panic and Fear
Newly unsealed court documents are shedding light on the terrifying moments experienced by the two surviving roommates of the four University of Idaho students tragically murdered in their off-campus home in November 2022. The documents detail a frantic exchange of text messages between the roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, after Mortensen reported seeing a masked man inside the residence around the time investigators believe the brutal killings occurred.
Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old former criminology graduate student, stands accused of the murders of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The horrific crime and the subsequent search for a suspect gripped the town of Moscow, Idaho, in fear and uncertainty for weeks before Kohberger’s arrest in December 2022. He has pleaded not guilty, with a judge entering the plea on his behalf in May 2023.
According to previous statements, all six occupants of the rental house, located near the University of Idaho campus, were home and asleep or in their respective rooms by 4:00 a.m. on November 13, 2022. Investigators pinpoint the time of the murders between 4:00 a.m. and 4:20 a.m., a conclusion drawn from surveillance video footage and phone records belonging to Mortensen and Funke. Tragically, it was not until more than seven hours later that police were summoned to the home, responding to a distressful 911 call made after Kernodle was discovered unresponsive.
The recently unsealed court documents offer a chilling glimpse into the events that transpired in the early morning hours of that fateful day. The documents reveal that Mortensen, identified in the documents only by her initials, made multiple attempts to contact Funke, Kernodle, Goncalves, Mogen, and Chapin between 4:19 a.m. and 4:24 a.m. All of her calls went unanswered.
Testifying before a grand jury, Mortensen stated that she heard unusual noises within the residence and, most alarmingly, saw an unknown male figure inside the house. The text messages exchanged between Mortensen and Funke paint a vivid picture of the escalating fear and panic.
"No one is answering," Mortensen texted to Funke, further explaining that she had seen a man wearing something covering his head, resembling a ski mask. "I’m freaking out rn," she wrote. Funke responded with a similar sentiment, replying, "So am I."
These revelations follow a recent setback for Kohberger’s defense team. Last week, Judge Steven Hippler ruled that DNA evidence and records obtained from Kohberger’s cell phone and online accounts, acquired through search warrants, are admissible and can be presented as evidence during the upcoming trial. This ruling, documented in court filings released on February 28, represents a significant victory for the prosecution.
The case has been shrouded in secrecy due to a gag order, which restricts what information can be released to the public. Media organizations have made numerous attempts to lift the gag order, arguing for the public’s right to access information related to the case. However, despite maintaining the gag order, Judge Hippler recently expressed concerns about the prosecution and defense’s "pervasive practice" of sealing entire documents. He urged both legal teams to adopt less restrictive measures to protect sensitive information, suggesting the use of initials or redacted versions of documents for public release.
In a previous statement to investigators, Mortensen recounted hearing what sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog on the third floor sometime after 4:00 a.m. She also heard Goncalves say something along the lines of, "There’s someone here." Mortensen looked out of her bedroom but did not observe anything unusual at that time.
Later, Mortensen believed she heard crying emanating from Kernodle’s room. Upon opening her door a second time, she allegedly heard a male voice say something "to the effect of ‘It’s OK, I’m going to help you.’"
Mortensen’s account details a third instance of opening her door, during which she encountered a figure clad in black clothing and wearing a mask that obscured the person’s mouth and nose. She told police that the masked individual walked past her as she stood in a state of "frozen shock" before proceeding towards the back sliding glass door. Following this encounter, Mortensen locked herself in her bedroom.
After texting Funke about the masked man, Funke advised Mortensen to seek safety in her room, stating that it was "better than being alone." Mortensen made further unsuccessful attempts to reach Goncalves and Kernodle, desperately pleading with Goncalves to "pls answer" in a text message sent at 4:32 a.m.
According to prosecutors, Mortensen woke up later that morning and, realizing she had not yet heard from her roommates, texted Goncalves and Mogen at 10:23 a.m. to inquire if they were awake.
Sometime later, two friends of the roommates arrived at the house. One of the friends, identified in court documents as "H.J.," discovered Kernodle unresponsive and instructed Funke and Mortensen to call 911.
Transcripts of the 911 call reveal the voices of the dispatcher, two women, and four men, along with sounds of "heaving breathing and crying." One woman informed the dispatcher that "something happened in our house" but stated they were unsure of what had occurred.
"One of the roommates who’s passed out and she was drunk last night and she’s not waking up," another woman said, also mentioning, "Oh, and they saw some man in their house last night." A man identified as "Evan" is heard urging Funke or Mortensen to speak to the dispatcher, who inquired about a defibrillator.
Authorities responded to the 911 call at 11:58 a.m. The dispatcher moved to end the call after the callers indicated that first responders had arrived. A fourth man can be heard saying, "I think we have a homicide," according to the transcript.
Kohberger’s trial is currently scheduled to commence on August 11, following several pre-trial hearings. He faces one count of burglary and four counts of first-degree murder.
Prosecutors have publicly stated their intention to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. The state anticipates both Mortensen and Funke to testify as witnesses during the trial, according to court documents.
The ongoing legal proceedings continue to unravel the details of this horrific crime, providing a clearer, albeit disturbing, picture of the events that unfolded on that tragic night in Moscow, Idaho. The revelations from the unsealed court documents, particularly the text messages between the surviving roommates, underscore the fear and panic that permeated the house in the moments leading up to the discovery of the victims. The trial promises to be a complex and emotionally charged event, with the nation watching closely as the legal process unfolds and seeks to deliver justice for the four young lives that were so brutally taken.
