TRUE CRIMEBryan Kohberger Upcoming Trial: 'Dateline' Report Uncovers Alarming New Details
'Dateline NBC' revealed disturbing new evidence as Bryan Kohberger prepares to stand trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students.
May 26 2025, Published 2:27 p.m. ET
Bryan Kohberger's trial is approaching in August, and Dateline NBC unearthed disturbing new evidence that deepens public intrigue surrounding the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
Investigators combed through Kohberger’s phone and found dozens of saved photos featuring young women from Washington State University and the University of Idaho — many pictured in swimsuits. Several of these women reportedly had close ties to the victims: Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen. Ethan Chapin, who was dating Xana, also died in the attack at their off-campus house on November 13, 2022.
Bryan Kohberger’s phone reportedly contained saved images of women in swimsuits.
What Exactly Happened During the Quadruple Idaho Killings?
In late 2022, four University of Idaho students — Chapin, Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves — were fatally stabbed in an off-campus residence in Moscow town.
The crime prompted a large-scale investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Kohberger, a Ph.D. student, was arrested and charged. The ongoing legal proceedings included DNA evidence and court rulings, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty.
New evidence shows Bryan Kohberger searched about psychopaths weeks before the 2022 killings.
Unnerving Patterns and Earlier Sightings
- Quadruple Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Took Creepy 'Thumbs-Up' Selfie Hours After Idaho Killings: Report
- University of Idaho Murder Victim's Father Pushes for Bryan Kohberger to be Executed by Firing Squad: 'There's No Reason to Have Capital Punishment If This Isn't the Case for It'
- Idaho Quadruple Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Claims He Went for a Drive to 'See the Moon and Stars' During Brutal Stabbings
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Eyewitnesses spotted Kohberger at a Moscow, Idaho, pool party months before the murders. FBI cellphone data shows he made at least a dozen trips to the area surrounding the time of the crime.
His phone pinged a nearby cell tower on the night of the killings, placing him within 100 meters of the King Road residence where the students were murdered.
Dateline reports that Kohberger’s searched for terms like "Sociopathic traits in college student" in September 2022. After police pulled him over in October, his internet activity turned more disturbing.
A chilling selfie found on Bryan Kohberger’s phone draws comparisons to footage of serial killer Ted Bundy.
He looked up explicit content with troubling keywords such as "drugged" and "sleeping." Five days later, he searched: "Can psychopaths behave prosocially?"
Investigators also found a selfie dated December 28, 2022. In the photo, Bryan wears a black hoodie and stares into the camera — a look eerily similar to a video of serial killer Ted Bundy, which he had searched online. The image only adds to the dark narrative surrounding the suspect.
'Dateline' reports that Bryan Kohberger made at least 12 trips to the area where the Idaho students were murdered.
DNA Evidence and Legal Strategy
Prosecutors allege that Kohberger left a knife sheath containing his DNA at the crime scene. Surveillance footage and phone data tracked his white Hyundai Elantra speeding away from the area that night. He faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
Kohberger has remained silent during court proceedings. His attorneys maintain his right to present a full defense and suggest that alternative theories could emerge during the trial.
With his trial just months away, the chilling findings in Dateline's latest report add new layers of horror to an already disturbing case.
