Idaho Murders

Bryan Kohberger had an emotional moment at his extradition hearing Tuesday in Pennsylvania ... telling his family he loved them right before he was hauled back to jail.

The suspected killer of four college students had just agreed to waive extradition in Monroe County, PA, and be sent back to Idaho to face murder and burglary charges stemming from the brutal November knife attack.

As police escorted him in handcuffs out of the courtroom, Kohberger reportedly turned to his family seated in the gallery and mouthed the words, "I love you." Throughout the proceeding, his parents and two sisters appeared upset, crying at times. There was also a moment where Kohberger locked eyes with his father, nodding at him in acknowledgment.

CNN said Kohberger looked back at his dad again and peered over at his family another time, cracking a faint smile. After the judge informed Kohberger of the homicide charges, his mom broke down and wept in her daughter's shoulder, prompting a court officer to bring over a Kleenex.

Following the hearing, Pennsylvania State Police Major Christopher Paris told reporters ... Kohberger will be shipped back to Latah County, ID, within 10 days after officials iron out the logistics for transporting the accused murderer. Paris could not pinpoint an exact date for the extradition ... but, in the meantime, Kohberger will be cooling his heels inside the Monroe County Correctional Facility.

As we reported, Kohberger was arrested last Friday at his parent's home in Effort, PA, and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. He's accused of breaking into an off-campus house in Moscow, ID, and fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. All four victims attended the University of Idaho. Police have not established a motive in the case.

The suspect in the Idaho murder case is in custody, but the university is not yet ready to pull back its increased security protocols that went into effect after the 4 students were killed.

Bryan Kohberger has been arrested and charged with November's quadruple murder, but it's still early in the case  ... so the school is keeping patrols up on campus as an extra security measure.

Campus security at the University of Idaho tells TMZ ... there are NO plans to scale back patrols to where they were before the murders, and personnel increases will remain in place.

We're told the feeling on the Moscow, ID campus is a sense of relief now that the suspect is in custody, with some students starting to feel safe again.

The beefed-up security around the university was part of a promise the school made to students after the murders, so kids would feel safe returning to campus.

Among the changes ... hiring a new campus police outfit and increasing the amount of guards on campus so more ground could be covered and covered more frequently.

We're also told campus security is still getting tons of tips about Kohberger, and they're sending them over to Moscow PD and the FBI.

Bryan Kohberger was stopped by Indiana cops back in mid-December in that white Hyundai Elantra, but they let him go -- and we have video of the encounter.

It happened December 15th ... a trooper with the Indiana State Police pulled the car over for following too closely. There were two men in the car -- Kohberger was driving, and the passenger presumably was his father, who accompanied him from Washington State to Pennsylvania.

Police officials say at the time of the stop they knew nothing related to the license plate or state in which the car was registered. However, more than a week before, cops asked the public's help in finding a white Hyundai Elantra -- the car in which Kohberger was driving.

Police let them go with a verbal warning. BTW, during the stop, the cop asks where they're going, and they reply, Pennsylvania ... to which the cop says, "That's a long haul. Are you guys scared of airplanes?" The cop then laughs.

During the encounter, Kohberger's dad mentions a shooting near Washington State University, adding that's where his son went to school. A man had barricaded himself in an apartment near the University and threatened to kill his 2 roommates ... he died in a police shootout.

The Indiana State Police say just minutes before that traffic stop, the 2 men were stopped by a Deputy from the Hancock County Sheriff's Dept. ... and again they were released with a verbal warning.

Kohberger was arrested 2 weeks later -- December 30th -- at his parent's home in Pennsylvania.

Bryan Kohberger was just seen for the first time since his arrest ... heading into court to face charges he savagely murdered 4 college students -- in a case that has riveted the nation.

The suspected killer is expected to waive extradition Tuesday and will be returned to Moscow, ID -- where he's charged with 4 counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. He faces a possible death sentence or life imprisonment, if convicted.

The victim's families said they'd be present for the hearings ... and Steve Goncalves -- whose daughter Kaylee Goncalves was one of the four slain victims -- told NBC News, "I want him to be sick of seeing us and sick of knowing that these people won't let it go."

Steve also told "GMA" the arrest came as a huge relief to his family -- saying it's like "seeing sunlight after being stuck in a house for a month."

As for Kohberger, his public defender Jason LaBar told "TODAY" he's acting "very calm" ahead of the hearing ... reiterating the claims Kohberger believes he'll be fully exonerated.

As we reported, Kohberger was arrested Friday by police at his parents' home in Effort, PA, in connection with the murders of Kaylee, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. The victims, all students at the University of Idaho, were found fatally stabbed in an off-campus house in Moscow, ID, on Nov. 13.

Kohberger, a graduate student in criminology at nearby Washington State University, drove cross country with his father back to Pennsylvania around Christmas.

Investigators were already hot on Kohberger's trail after tying him to the crimes, in part, using DNA evidence. Cops have not disclosed a motive for the attack, nor have they located the murder weapon, which is believed to be a combat knife.

Kohberger's attorney, Jason LaBar, told TMZ ... his client expects to be "exonerated," suggesting he's innocent of the crimes. LaBar also said Kohberger has not specifically addressed the serious charges against him, meaning he hasn't denied involvement in the slayings or admitted guilt.

His hearing is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM EST ... we'll stream it live.

The Idaho murder suspect has been placed on suicide watch while behind bars, but his time behind bars has been uneventful ... despite reports to the contrary.

Garry Haidle -- the warden of Monroe County Jail in Pennsylvania, where Bryan Kohberger has been held since his arrest on Dec. 30 -- says the 28-year-old criminology student was put on suicide watch from day 1 ... but it's not because they thought he'd take his own life.

Haidle says it's actually standard operating procedure for high-security inmates who face serious charges like the ones Kohberger is up against -- four counts of first-degree murder.

With that said, the warden notes that Kohberger's stay with them was "uneventful" ... and wouldn't elaborate further. Still, it sounds like Monroe County is shooting down any notion that Kohberger was acting out.

There've been reports suggesting Kohberger was taunting guards, threatening to cut/urinate on people, exposing himself, and even rapping violent lyrics.

Former Monroe County inmate Valerie Cipollina told the Daily Mail she was placed in a cell close to Kohberger when he was first brought in. She also claimed Kohberger was saying he didn't care what happened to him.

But, the warden seems to be saying that's not what was happening. If anything, he makes it seem like nothing was out of the ordinary while Kohberger was there -- which jibes with what his defense attorney told us. Jason LaBar says his client has remained even-keeled through all this ... but did say Kohberger thinks he'll ultimately be exonerated.

Bryan Kohberger, the man arrested for the murder of 4 University of Idaho students, was pulled over by cops 2 times during a cross-country road trip with his dad ... and soon before Moscow PD named him as the alleged killer.

Kohberger's extradition lawyer, Jason LaBar, filled in NBC about the traffic stops ... saying the 28-year-old and his father drove from Seattle to Pennsylvania over the holidays -- but got pulled over twice in Indiana.

LaBar isn't sure if a ticket was issued ... but adds, "I just know they were pulled over in Indiana almost back to back. I believe once for speeding and once for following too closely to a car in front of them."

He says Kohberger's getting updates regarding his allegations ... and claims he's still planning on waiving his extradition rights, and pleading not guilty.

As we reported, Moscow Police Chief James Fry says they're confident Kohberger is the killer of the Idaho students ... believing he will be extradited from PA, where he was arrested, to Idaho.

Chief Fry said Kohberger acted alone, and believes the community is now safe ... admitting the department was holding some of its cards close to the vest in their investigation. Moscow police came under scrutiny for not revealing any progress, but the chief says they were hot on the trail.

The Idaho murder suspect's family is urging the public to refrain from judgment, and to presume he's innocent -- this as more info about his background starts to surface, including the notion he was a black sheep in his field of study ... understanding the criminal mind.

A statement by the Kohberger family was just released -- and obtained by TMZ -- which both addresses the charges against Bryan Kohberger and the murders that happened in Idaho.

It reads, "First and foremost, we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them. We will continue to let the legal process unfold and as a family we will love and support our son and brother."

The Kohberger family adds, "We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions. We respect privacy in this matter as our family and the families suffering loss can move forward through the legal process."

In other words, they're standing by Bryan for now ... and, like everyone else, want to see what exactly prosecutors have against him that makes them believe he's the killer. The timing of this comes on the heels of a troubling profile that's emerging ... one of an outsider who was obsessive over dissecting the mind of a murderer, to a T.

The New York Times spoke to a handful of Bryan Kohberger's former classmates and colleagues while he attended DeSales University and Washington State University, pursuing degrees in criminology. By most accounts, he was deeply entrenched in his major, but to a point that it was off-putting and combative ... which reportedly led to conflict in his life.

There are two specific anecdotes that paint a picture of the type of person Kohberger was in academia -- both of which happened at WSU. In one instance, a former classmate of his tells the Times that Kohberger once got into a heated discussion with another fellow Ph.D. student about a criminology concept ... and was accused of mansplaining to the woman. She got so upset over the conversation that she left the class, leaving behind personal items.

Kohberger was also a T.A. at WSU, but a student who was in one the classes he helped teach says he avoided eye contact with them all ... and was supposedly a harsh grader, leaving extensive notes on their papers. It got so bad, the students complained en masse.

This same student also claims that later in the fall -- around the time of the Idaho killings -- Kohberger loosened up on grading, and stopped leaving notes on their papers altogether.

There are other accounts of Bryan being highly engaged in discussions about criminology -- and the NYT piece also notes he was under the tutelage of professors who focused on serial killers and gruesome crimes. The story points out that many at DeSales and WSU viewed him as quiet, awkward and on his own ... while also overly intrigued with the curriculum.

We've already heard other stories about Bryan that make him out to be aggressive and quick to anger -- but clearly, his loved ones want everyone not to jump to conclusions based on any of that.

Bryan Kohberger seems inclined not to fight Idaho authorities wanting him in their jurisdiction ASAP -- but sounds confident he'll beat the charges ... according to his lawyer.

Jason LaBar -- Kohberger's extradition hearing attorney -- tells TMZ his client is, for now, likely to waive his right to have his looming transportation back to ID heard in front of a judge ... which, if it holds true, would mean Kohberger will get shipped back Latah County this upcoming week without any further delay -- where he'd be expected to enter a plea.

While LaBar notes Kohberger has neither denied or admitted to the charges against him -- implicitly or explicitly -- he did say his client told him he felt he would be exonerated, which obviously suggests he believes he's innocent.

We're told Kohberger and his parents are shocked by his arrest -- telling us their home in PA was descended upon by feds very early Friday morning ... where they were surrounded by law enforcement and instructed to comply, which LaBar says Kohberger did without issue.

Part of the reason Kohberger might wanna get this over with quickly has to do with the fact he told his attorney he wasn't on the run. On the contrary, LaBar says Kohberger relayed that he and his father drove a white Hyundai from Washington -- where Bryan currently attends university -- back to PA on Dec. 18 ... a plan they'd apparently had all along.

The implication ... Kohberger was neither in hiding nor fleeing, as the murders occurred in mid-November. Remember, though ... Kohberger was within a stone's throw from the University of Idaho during this time -- pursuing a graduate's degree in criminology at Washington State University -- so this supposedly chill father-son road trip doesn't really clear him one way or another. It simply explains his movements during the holidays.

Of course, Kohberger has time to change his mind on the extradition hearing -- which could jam things up. Otherwise, court proceedings will begin and prosecutors will have to show their cards on what exactly they have that implicates him as the quadruple murderer.

There have been reports saying Kohberger has been getting surveilled for a while now, and that the feds were tracking his whereabouts these past few weeks. Also, the word is that the police have DNA evidence -- putting him at the scene of the crime -- and a match on the Hyundai seen in the area that night ... which they've reportedly traced to Kohberger.

A woman who says she knew the Idaho quadruple murder suspect as a teen claims she once saw him try to break a window ... and that he'd developed a mean streak as he aged.

Bryan Kohberger allegedly attempted to punch through an "unbreakable" glass window a salesman was showing his neighbor -- this while he was over at their house visiting with their kids ... according to their mother, who tells TMZ she saw this as a sign of aggression.

The woman, who's staying anonymous, says her 2 kids grew up with Kohberger in Effort, PA in the 2010s -- explaining he was mostly quiet up until around 2017, when she claims she saw him change into a bully toward her kids ... although, she says she never saw him get physical with them. Still, she insists there were troubling signs ... especially in this instance.

She tells us Kohberger wasn't able to break the glass, but the fact he attempted to on the spot shocked her. It also aligned with what she says she saw as a dark side starting to emerge in him ... also around the time when she claims she heard he started using heroin.

The woman tells us she and her daughter ran into Kohberger at a wedding some years ago, and that he told them he'd gotten clean. In light of the news about his arrest, however, the woman says she was shocked ... realizing he might not have been who he told her he was.

As you know ... Kohberger was taken into custody Friday in his home state of Pennsylvania. Authorities in Idaho say they believe they have their man, and that he acted alone. He's expected to be extradited this week and to enter a plea on first-degree murder charges.

The man charged with murdering four Idaho college students seemed to be in good spirits and more "animated" in class after he allegedly did his dirty work, this according to a classmate.

Suspected killer Bryan Kohberger was seeking a PhD in criminology and was enrolled in the graduate program at Washington State University. He had recently graduated from DeSales University in Pennsylvania with a degree in criminal justice.

B.K. Norton told the New York Times that they attended graduate studies with Kohberger at WSU -- and quickly noticed some red flags that weren't obvious earlier in the semester after the brutal slayings came to light.

“[Bryan] seemed more upbeat and willing to carry a conversation,” Norton wrote in an email to the NYT. They added Kohberger had a keen interest in forensic psychology.

They said Kohberger had a quiet, but intense demeanor, which made those around him feel uncomfortable. He also passed certain remarks that made it clear he was anti-LGBTQ.

“He sort of creeped people out because he stared and didn’t talk much, but when he did it was very intelligent and he needed everyone to know he was smart,” Norton said.

Kohberger was arrested Friday in Monroe County, PA, after an FBI SWAT team descended on a house where he was staying.

He was charged in Idaho with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the November 13th fatal stabbings of Kaylee Gonclaves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. All four victims were students at the University of Idaho. Police have not disclosed a motive.

Moscow cops say after combing through 19,000 tips and interviewing 300 witnesses, they have their man in the quadruple murders in Idaho.

Police Chief James Fry made it clear ... they are confident 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger is the killer, and he will be extradited from Pennsylvania -- where he was arrested Friday -- to Idaho.

Chief Fry indicated he believes Kohberger acted alone, saying the community is now safe.

The police chief made it clear ... they were holding some of their cards close to the vest in their investigation. The PD came under scrutiny for not revealing any progress, but clearly they were hot on the trail.

As we reported, Moscow PD got an arrest warrant for first-degree murder, after locating Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra. They also reportedly found his DNA at the murder house. The chief apparently believes the Elantra seized was the same car seen speeding away from the house shortly after the murders.

The police chief said they have not recovered the murder weapon.

The chief prosecutor, Bill Thompson, said there is a probable cause document that lays out the evidence, but for now it's sealed. It should be unsealed fairly soon.

Kohberger lives and goes to school around 9 miles from Moscow, Idaho.

He's scheduled to appear in court Tuesday and is being held without bond. The prosecutor said they don't know if he'll voluntarily waive extradition or fight it.

The prosecutor is asking the public for tips on Kohberger and his history. Authorities want tips on "anything and everything" related to him.

Kohberger reportedly had a blank stare after his bust ... and he's said to have asked cops if anyone else had been arrested.

Police say they have cracked the case of the quadruple murder at the University of Idaho -- because a suspect is now in custody ... this according to multiple reports.

A 28-year-old man was taken into custody by the FBI and police outside Scranton, Pennsylvania at 3 AM ET Friday. The suspect is a college student but does not attend the University of Idaho ... this according to FOX news sources.

ABC News in Philadelphia says a SWAT team entered the place where the suspect was staying and took him into custody. Bryan Kohberger, according to the AP, is the suspect and he's being held for extradition in a "homicide investigation for first degree murder." The arrest warrant was issued by the Moscow PD, which has jurisdiction over the murder case.

The suspect appeared in court Friday morning according to court docs ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ the man was arraigned on charges of being fugitive from justice.

We found this video of Kohberger shot earlier this year, when he got his masters degree in criminal justice at DeSales University.  As we reported, he's currently enrolled in a PhD program at Washington State University.

As you know, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were stabbed to death November 13th in the middle of the night as they slept.

Moscow PD is holding a news conference Friday at 4 PM ET. We will live stream it.

Police have all but cleared a University of Idaho professor accused by a TikTok user of ordering the brutal murders of 4 college students.

Moscow PD released a statement Tuesday, saying that at this time "detectives do not believe the female associate professor and chair of the history department" is involved in the slayings. Not only that, but police have not publicly ID'd a single suspect after 6 weeks of investigation.

Professor Rebecca Scofield filed a federal suit last Wednesday, claiming Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos accusing Scofield of ordering the fatal stabbings of Kalyee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Guillard has over 100,000 TikTok followers and received 2.5 million likes on the Scofield videos, damaging the professor's reputation.

In the docs, Scofield denies any connection to the crimes, stating that she was visiting friends in Oregon at the time of the November 13 massacre. Scofield also says she didn't know any of the victims, nor did they take any of her classes. All 4 victims were attending the University of Idaho.

The suit describes Guillard as an Internet sleuth who purports to have solved high-profile murder cases, such as the shooting death of Migos star Takeoff, by simply reading tarot cards.

Idaho police have a new lead in the unsolved murders of 4 college students ... two of the victims were caught on surveillance video inside a bar just before the massacre.

The leaked footage -- which is actually a screen grab posted to Reddit -- apparently shows Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen with some guy in the Corner Club in Moscow, ID. Other young men are seen chatting and hanging out around them. Nothing seems out of the ordinary or nefarious. The time stamp on the image reads 1:32 AM on November 13, 2022.

A short time later, Goncalves and Mogen were driven by a private cab to their off-campus house, where they were fatally stabbed with their roommate, Xana Kernodle, and herboyfriend, Ethan Chapin. All four victims attended the University of Idaho.

Moscow PD tells TMZ ... detectives have previously analyzed video from the Corner Club, which is popular among the college crowd in town. But, police stopped short of saying they had reviewed and authenticated the latest footage.

Moscow PD seems to still be struggling to find significant leads in the case of the slain college students ... but the cops investigating have been offered counseling as pressure to get answers ramps up.

The counseling services have been activated in the department as a way to take "care of our officers," according to department spokesman Captain Anthony Dahlinger ... who told DailyMail the resources are there "for anyone who needs them, and our priority is to keep our force healthy as we work until we get this investigation to its conclusion."

Capt. Dahlinger says morale is still high, however ... adding, "We're all committed to seeing this investigation through to the end – it being the holidays is kind of moot. We're just focused on that goal."

A rep for the department confirms the news with TMZ, and says "Our officers and their families are continually offered support through several avenues including our regional Peer Support Team," adding counseling will continue to be offered on an as-needed basis.

We're also told patrols around Moscow and Univ. of Idaho are constant and will continue -- thanks to the help from Idaho State Police.

A man who lived in the house where 4 University of Idaho students were brutally killed is baffled no one heard the sounds of death, because the house itself had to give off signals something terrible was happening.

Cole Alteneder, who graduated from the University, told ABC News, "It's definitely an old, creaky house ... You can't walk up any of the stairs or on any of the floors without everybody in the house knowing it."

As we reported, there were 6 people in the house at the time of the quadruple murders ... 2 people were spared and say they heard nothing. Police have said the 2 survivors are not suspects.

Cole says the house and the area surrounding it were well-known places to party, adding, "... people would hop the fences and just, like, walk away if the cops came."

Lots of people in the area knew the house and had access, and cops say they have been chasing down leads since the brutal murders.