Bryan Kohberger’s Former Friend Offers a Disturbing Theory About the Idaho Murders

A longtime friend of Bryan Kohberger has shared a troubling theory about what may have driven the convicted killer to murder four University of Idaho students in November 2022. But even those who knew him before the crimes acknowledge that the real motive remains unknown.

Jack Baylis, who grew up with Kohberger in Pennsylvania, told the Daily Mail that he reconnected with his former friend in 2021, more than a year before the killings. Although the reunion initially seemed ordinary, Baylis recalled feeling deeply uneasy around Kohberger and said he could not explain why.

During their conversations, the two reportedly discussed dating and their difficulties forming relationships. Baylis said they had talked about being ignored or “ghosted” by women, something he remembered as a recurring topic from their younger years.

After learning about the murders, Baylis began looking back at those conversations and wondering whether Kohberger’s reported frustrations with dating had any connection to the killings. He and another acquaintance also discussed whether Kohberger might have identified with online communities associated with involuntary celibacy, often called “incel” communities.

However, these were personal theories, not an established explanation for the crime. Baylis acknowledged that he did not know whether Kohberger selected the victims for a particular reason.

Baylis also struggled to reconcile the allegations with the person he remembered from childhood. He described Kohberger as someone who could be competitive but said he had not witnessed behavior that made him anticipate such extreme violence.

Kohberger was convicted after pleading guilty in July 2025 to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four students were killed at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. Kohberger received four consecutive life sentences.

Despite the guilty pleas and sentencing, investigators have not publicly established a definitive motive. Authorities have also said they found no known connection between Kohberger and the victims before the killings.

The case has continued to raise questions about what led to the attack and whether the public will ever learn why the four students were targeted. Baylis’s account offers one former friend’s perspective, but it does not resolve those questions.

Source:  DAILYMAIL