Idaho Student Killings Suspect Bryan Kohberger’s Chilling Essay Suggests He Knew His Way Around A Crime Scene

An essay penned by the Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger has sparked speculation that he knew how to cover his tracks.

The 30-year-old has been in detention without bail since he was arrested for allegedly murdering University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.

The revelations follow earlier reports that mentioned the prosecutors may call on Bryan Kohberger’s family as witnesses during the upcoming trial.

Bryan Kohberger’s Essay Hints That He Knew How To Cover His Tracks

Bryan Kohberger’s murder defense just got more challenging after Idaho prosecutors revealed a college essay he wrote that shows he had a deep understanding of crime scenes.

According to the New York Post, in the unsettling essay, Kohberger detailed how crime scene investigators use “fiber-free” overalls, gloves, and booties to prevent contaminating evidence with their own DNA and fingerprints.

Kohberger also explored multiple facets of crime scene investigation and repeatedly stressed the importance of safeguarding the area from contamination. Furthermore, he pointed out that domestic partners are often the primary suspects in criminal cases.

In another part of the essay, Kohberger discussed how perpetrators might introduce items into the crime scene to mislead investigators. He also cautioned investigators against making hasty conclusions in such scenarios.

“Even if there was an item introduced to the scene by an offender to throw off investigators, it is not the job of the criminal investigator processing the crime scene to jump to conclusions,” Kohberger wrote in the chilling piece.

Crime Scene Expert Believes The Essay Will Be Used Against The Murder Suspect

Speaking about the essay, a crime scene expert, Joseph Giacalone, claimed that it would be one of the key pieces of evidence against Kohberger in his upcoming trial.

“Prosecutors are going to talk about this when they bring up the lack of forensic evidence left by the killer,” said the former NYPD cold case investigator.

He added, “They’re going to say, ‘Look how much he knew about this. He talks about fiber-free clothing.’ This is not helpful for him.”

Giacalone also noted that Kohberger’s essay might explain why police were only able to recover minimal forensic evidence, suggesting that he tried to cover his tracks.

However, despite the murder weapon (knife) still being missing, police did find a sheath at the crime scene that contained Kohberger’s DNA.

The prosecutors have since theorized that Kohberger bought the knife and the sheath on Amazon and intend to show his shopping history at his trial.

Bryan Kohberger’s Damning Amazon Shopping History

According to court documents, Kohberger purchased a black balaclava nearly a year before a witness reported seeing a masked man inside the home of the alleged murders.

Prosecutors revealed that the suspected killer bought the face covering on January 10, 2022, at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Pittsburgh, eleven months before the fatal stabbings on November 13, 2022.

They also pointed to Kohberger’s online shopping history, which includes purchasing a combat-style knife, a sheath, and a sharpener from Amazon approximately eight months before the attack.

A knife sheath containing Kohberger’s DNA was later recovered at the crime scene. Additionally, Dylan Mortensen, a witness inside the King Road residence the night of the killings, told police they saw a man wearing a similar mask.

They later provided a drawing of the covering, which was included in court filings submitted by Kohberger’s defense attorney, Elisa Massoth, as per the New York Post.

The Suspect’s Family May Testify At His Trial

Previously, it was revealed that Kohberger’s family may testify at his trial after prosecutors argued against the defense team’s request for priority seating for the family.

“The State may call member(s) of the Kohberger family to testify at trial,” Deputy Latah County Prosecutor Ashley Jennings wrote in a court filing to Judge Steven Hippler, per the New York Post.

She added, “Prior to start of the trial, the State anticipates it will motion the Court, or the Court will on its own accord, generally exclude testifying witnesses from the courtroom so that they cannot hear other witnesses’ testimony.”

Prosecutors Claim Bryan Kohberger’s Family Doesn’t Have The Same Legal Rights As The Victims

In her objection to granting the Kohberger family priority seating, Jennings argued that the accused’s relatives do not possess the same legal rights as the victim’s family.

“Defendant requests that members of his family be granted the same rights as the victim’s families,” Jennings said. “However, the ‘immediate families of homicide victims’ have constitutional and statutory rights to attend pursuant to [the] Idaho Constitution…There is no comparable constitutional or statutory provisions affording a defendant’s family these same rights.”

Jennings also claimed that Kohberger’s family not being given priority seating does not violate his Sixth Amendment rights, contrary to the claims of his defense team.

“The Defendant has a constitutional and statutory right to a ‘public trial,’ but that does not extend to Defendant’s choosing whom sits in the courtroom,” the prosecutor included in her filing.