Bryan Kohberger Victim's Family Slams Release of Graphic Crime Scene Photos: 'Murder Isn’t Entertainment'

The family of one of Bryan Kohberger's four murder victims is speaking out after graphic crime scene photos were released.

Kaylee Goncalves' loved ones condemned the photo drop by the Idaho State Police on Tuesday, January 20, revealing they weren't given proper notice about the images being made available for public viewing.

"We got a call at 11:04 am that photos would be released this afternoon," a post on the family's Facebook page read. "By the time the call ended (12 minutes later) the photos had already been released (likely they had been available before the call we just didn’t know it yet). That’s the 'heads up' we received."

The Goncalves' message continued, "Please be kind & as difficult as it is, place yourself outside of yourself & consume the content as if it were your loved one. Your daughter, your sister, your son or brother. Murder isn’t entertainment & crime scene photos aren’t content."

The post, which included photos of the slain student, went on to say, "We know so many of you arm chair detectives will turn this into your show (profits) zooming into things, 'analyzing blood splatter,' suggesting that things 'don't add up' yada yada yada. It's disrespectful and gross."

The family concluded their response with a heartbreaking note: "Kaylee Jade, I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I am so sorry that people who never even knew you, now post about you, suggesting things about your life that are so untrue. We will never quit fighting for you. The best thing about all of this is that you are in Heaven and you have no idea of the hate and ugliness. I love you, Kaylee Jade."

Kohberger, 31, took the lives of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20, in November 2022.

He snuck into the victims' off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, at around four in the morning, coming for the college kids after a fun night of partying.

Redacted photos of the bedrooms where the victims were brutally stabbed to death depict a bloodbath. The images show blood smeared on the floors and walls and drenched on the sheets, painting a picture of the horrifying struggle that took place.

The knife sheath that Kohberger left behind on Mogen's bed, a piece of evidence that helped lead to his December 2022 arrest, can be seen in several photos.

Users on Reddit were quick to respond to the devastating images published on Tuesday.

One person wrote, "For some reason seeing the room slightly messy with clothes on the floor makes me so sad. Looks just like my room when I was in college after getting ready to go out. Bless their hearts man. Still makes me so sad and angry."

Another said, "The phone on the nightstands about took me out. Especially Maddie’s beside her water cup. As a mom of two girls.. it’s absolutely terrifying to see. Those poor kids man."

A third user echoed the aforementioned, writing, "There’s something so sad about seeing their phones knowing they never used them again."

They also added, "Xana fought for her f------ life."

"D---. The sheath wasn’t even hidden, it’s literally right there. Idk why I always assumed it was something found once they moved Maddie," another person commented.

Kohberger, a former criminology PhD student who worked at nearby Washington State University, is currently serving life in prison after pleading guilty to avoid the death penalty in July 2025.

It was revealed earlier this month that the families filed a lawsuit against Washington State University, alleging the brutal killings were preventable.

The lawsuit claimed the murders "should not and would not have occurred if WSU had acted appropriately" in response to complaints and concerns about Kohberger's "inappropriate, predatory and menacing behavior."