Newly released court documents suggest police investigating the University of Idaho quadruple murder believe suspect Bryan Kohberger made contact with his victims on social media as far back as 2021, according to a former FBI agent.
Search warrants recently executed by Idaho authorities demanded TikTok and Google hand over the user history dating back to January 2021 of three of the four victims: Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20.
Police did not appear to ask for Ethan Chapin’s history, who along with the three young women, was stabbed to death in Moscow, Idaho last November.
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said the warrants suggest police could be searching for a connection between Kohberger, 28, and his alleged victims that far pre-dates the murders.
“Interesting how far the [search warrants] went back in time? Why 1/2021? Did Bryan Kohberger somehow meet Kaylee or Maddie on a possible school visit early on?” she wrote on Twitter.
When Kohberger was arrested in December, police did not disclose his possible connection to the victims and have yet to give his motive. The warrant offers a rare glimpse into the investigation, as much of its inner workings have been sealed by a judge.
The alleged killer lived just miles away from the University of Idaho off-campus home where the slaughters took place.
Kohberger, a Pennsylvania native, was a graduate student in criminology at Washington State University before his arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to the quadruple murders and vehemently denied responsibility.
He is currently being held in a private cell in Latah County Jail, where one inmate claimed he obsessively watches TV coverage of the quadruple murders.
“He watches himself all the time,” the unnamed inmate said. “It’s really kind of bizarre.”
Kohberger also allegedly meets with a minister weekly, the Daily Mail reported.
“We do not tell folks that this will relieve them of their responsibility for their crimes,” pastor Mike Hall said. “Regardless if you’re in for some offense like that or some drug offense, we’re all on the same plane in terms of our need for grace and forgiveness from God.”