Four University of Idaho Students Found Stabbed to Death in Their Beds as Investigators Search for Answers

Four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. The killings sent shockwaves through the university community, leaving students fearful and families desperate for answers.

The victims were identified as Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. Their bodies were discovered on November 13, 2022, after police responded to a report of an unconscious person at the residence.

According to the Latah County coroner, the students had likely been asleep when they were attacked. Each suffered multiple stab wounds, and at least one victim had injuries consistent with trying to defend herself.

A Night Out Before the Deadly Discovery

Investigators reconstructed parts of the students’ final hours through witness accounts, surveillance footage and other evidence.

Chapin and Kernodle had attended a gathering at the University of Idaho campus before returning to the rental home. Mogen and Goncalves had spent part of the evening at a local bar and were later seen at a food truck in downtown Moscow.

The two women appeared on a livestream while waiting for their food at approximately 1:40 a.m. They did not appear to be in distress, according to the food truck manager who later spoke to CNN.

Authorities said the four students were back at the house by approximately 1:45 a.m. The bodies were discovered later that morning.

Two other roommates were inside the residence at the time of the killings but were not physically injured.

A Community Left on Edge

The killings created widespread fear in Moscow, a college town where students were accustomed to a close-knit campus environment.

As investigators worked to identify the perpetrator, police urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. Many students chose to leave town or return home while the investigation continued.

Authorities initially faced a large number of unanswered questions, including who had carried out the attack and what motive might have been behind it.

Investigators also examined reports that Goncalves may have had a stalker, although the early reports did not establish that the alleged stalking was connected to the murders.

The Investigation and Arrest

The investigation eventually led authorities to Bryan Kohberger, a criminology doctoral student at Washington State University. He was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

Prosecutors presented evidence including DNA findings and surveillance information as the case moved through the courts.

Kohberger later pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the murders and burglary. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, along with a fixed 10-year sentence for burglary.

The guilty plea brought the criminal case to a conclusion without a trial.

Remembering the Four Students

The deaths of Chapin, Mogen, Kernodle and Goncalves left their families, friends and classmates grieving four young people whose futures had been abruptly cut short.

Friends and relatives described them as people with close relationships, personal ambitions and lives that extended far beyond the circumstances of their deaths.

Their names became synonymous with one of the most closely followed college homicide cases in the United States, while the tragedy continued to affect the University of Idaho community long after the initial investigation.

Source: ABC11