The latest on the Idaho student killings investigation

We’ve wrapped up our live coverage for the day. You can read more about the case here, or scroll through the updates below.

The suspect in the murders of four University of Idaho students was identified with the help of genetic genealogy, a source with knowledge of the case tells CNN.

Unknown DNA found in Idaho during the course of the investigation was taken through a DNA public database to find potential matches for family members, the source said. Once potential family matches were found, subsequent investigative work by law enforcement led to the identification of suspect Bryan Kohberger, according to the source.

Friday brought the most significant news yet in the closely-watched case of four college students who were killed in Moscow, Idaho, in November.

While authorities have now arrested a suspect, many key questions about the events surrounding the killings remain unanswered.

What we learned today:

What we still don’t know:

More context: State law limits what information authorities can release before Kohberger makes an initial appearance in Idaho court, Fry told reporters, and that could have to do with the lack of further details. The police chief thanked the public for its patience and acknowledged frustrations with the pace of updates on the case.

Washington State University confirmed that the suspect in the case of four murdered Idaho college students, Bryan Kohberger, attends the school as a graduate student.

In a statement released Friday, a school spokesperson said Kohberger completed his first semester as a PhD student in the school’s criminal justice program earlier this month.

University officials also confirmed that the college’s police department helped Idaho law enforcement search Kohberger’s apartment and office, which are both located on the school’s Pullman campus.

CNN had previously reported Kohberger’s attendance based on a since-removed school directory.

“On behalf of the WSU Pullman community, I want to offer my sincere thanks to all of the law enforcement agencies that have been working tirelessly to solve this crime,” said Elizabeth Chilton, chancellor of the WSU Pullman campus, in the statement. “This horrific act has shaken everyone in the Palouse region.”

“We also want to extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and Vandal colleagues who were impacted by these murders,” Chilton said. “We will long feel the loss of these young people in the Moscow-Pullman community and hope the announcement today will be a step toward healing.”

A court request has halted the cleanup process at the home where four college students were killed last month, the Moscow, Idaho, police chief said Friday.

On Thursday, Moscow police said a private company would begin “remediation activities” the next morning, and that the 1122 King Street residence would remain an active crime scene under police authority.

But “the house cleanup has been halted, and that came by a legal request from the court,” chief James Fry told reporters Friday. 

Remediation activities include removing potential biohazards and other harmful substances used to collect evidence, Moscow police explained in a news release earlier this week.

“There is no timeline for completion, but the property will be returned to the property management company when finished,” the department said at the time.

Fry did not offer further details about why the cleanup has been halted.

Bryan Kohberger, the suspect arrested Friday in connection with the Idaho student killings, had an initial appearance in front of a judge in Pennsylvania and is being held without bond, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said during tonight’s news conference.

“And the warrant from our magistrate judge here also provides for no bond. We understand that he’s scheduled to be back in court in Pennsylvania next Tuesday afternoon and that a public defender has been appointed for him there,” Thompson said.

Once Kohberger is in Idaho, he is expected to make an initial appearance before a magistrate and further hearings will be scheduled.

“This is not the end of this investigation. In fact, this is a new beginning,” Thompson said.

Because Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania, he has the opportunity either waive extradition and return to Idaho voluntarily. If he chooses not to return voluntarily, Moscow police will initiate extradition proceedings through the governor’s office, Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry said during the news conference.

“If we do that, it can take a while for him to get here,” he said.

Records show Kohberger was arraigned Friday morning in Pennsylvania and he has a court hearing on extradition Jan. 3.

Moscow, Idaho, resident Erin Staheli became emotional while expressing her relief at the news of an arrest in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.

“It’s just been very scary not knowing who’s out there,” Staheli told CNN, noting the fear that has permeated the Moscow community for weeks. “I had doubts that the killer would be caught because it’s been so long, you know.”

Staheli praised the work of the police agencies and FBI for the arrest.

“I knew that they would, but it’s just taking so long and I’m so happy for their families and everybody that’s been worried that all the students, everybody that may not have come back to school,” she said.

Moscow, Idaho, Police Chief James Fry said that investigators are still actively searching for pieces of evidence in the case, including the weapon used to kill the four college students.

Fry also said the suspect’s motive in the attack is still part of the investigation and would not publicly say whether suspect Bryan Kohberger knew the victims.

“That’s part of the investigation as well; it won’t be something that will come out at this point in time,” Fry said. “But as we continue the investigation, and as this case goes to trial, that will be brought forth.”

The police chief also did not specify whether a specific tip led to Friday’s arrest, which occurred in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania.

“All I know is that he lives in in Pennsylvania,” Fry told a reporter when asked about Kohberger’s connection to Pennsylvania. He declined to provide any other detail.

State law limits what information authorities can release before Kohberger makes an initial appearance in Idaho court, Fry told reporters.

University of Idaho President Scott Green said he was thankful for both local and national support for the investigation into four slain students.

“While we cannot bring back Maddie, Kaylee and Xana and Ethan, we could carry their legacy in the work that we do. Our students come first and that was proven each and every day of this investigation,” he said.

Green expressed gratitude for law enforcement in providing security to the school.

“We never lost faith that this case could be solved and are grateful for the hard work of the Moscow Police Department and their law enforcement partners,” he said.

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson told members of the public that investigators are not done building their case against the suspect in the Idaho students’ murder, and that officials still need help gathering more information.

“You will now know the name of the person who’s been charged with these offenses,” he continued, referring to the suspect identified by authorities, 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger. 

“Please get that information out there. Please ask the public, anyone who knows about this individual, to come forward, call the tip line, report anything you know about him to help the investigators and eventually our office and the court system understand fully everything there is to know about not only the individual, but what happened, and why,” he said.

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said a criminal complaint was filed yesterday charging suspect Bryan Kohberger with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary.

“There’s a pending case now in court and I and any office and the investigators have to live with the restrictions that our Supreme Court places on pretrial publicity. That said, I promise you we will share with you, through the court process or otherwise, whatever we are allowed to. I just appreciate your patience on that,” he said in a press conference.

Thompson said factual basis for the charges are summarized in a probable cause affidavit, which is on file with the court. 

“According to the rules of the Idaho Supreme Court, that is sealed until Mr. Kohberger is physically back in Latah County and is physically served with the arrest warrant. At that time, we expect that that affidavit will be available to you so you could share the true facts with all of your readers and your watchers and your listeners and all of the people,” he said, addressing reporters in the room.

“It’s sad to be here but happy to here at the same time,” he added.

Kohberger had an initial appearance in front of a judge in Pennsylvania and is being held without bond, Thompson said.

“And the warrant from our magistrate judge here also provides for no bond. We understand that he’s scheduled to be back in court in Pennsylvania next Tuesday afternoon and that a public defender has been appointed for him there,” he said.

Once Kohberger is in Idaho, he is expected to make an initial appearance before a magistrate and further hearings will be scheduled.

CNN’s Elizabeth Joseph contributed reporting to this post.

Moscow, Idaho, Police Chief James Fry acknowledged frustrations from the victims’ family members and Idaho residents who were anxious for more updates during the course of the investigation.

“This was a complex and extensive case. We developed a clear picture over time … and be assured that the work was not, the work is not done,” Fry said.

“I recognize the frustration with the lack of information that has been released. However, providing any details in this criminal investigation might have tainted the upcoming criminal prosecution or alerted the suspect of our progress,” the chief continued. “We will continue to provide as much information as we can as the process moves forward.”

He went on to thank the investigators from multiple agencies involved in the case, the members of the public who reported tips and the media for helping sharing calls for help with the investigation.

Moscow, Idaho, Police Chief James Fry confirmed the arrest of 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, on a warrant for the murders of four University of Idaho students.

He said the suspect resides in Pullman, Washington, and is a graduate student.

Fry said police will aim to prove as much information they can about the extradition to Idaho and the criminal process, but due to Idaho state law they are limited in the information they can share today until the suspect has his initial appearance in court.

Because Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania, he has the opportunity to either waive extradition and return to Idaho voluntarily. If he chooses not to return voluntarily, Moscow police will initiate extradition proceedings through the governor’s office, Fry said.

“If we do that, it can take a while for him to get here,” he said.

Fry expressed appreciation for community members and people around the country for providing the department with tips. He noted that the department received more than 19,000 tips and conducted over 300 interviews. 

CNN’s Elizabeth Joseph contributed reporting to this post.

Police opened Friday’s news conference by confirming the arrest of a suspect in the killing of four University of Idaho students and laying out a series of key events in their investigation.

Here’s a timeline of some of the major developments in the case:

Nov. 12: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were students at the University of Idaho who lived at a nearby off-campus residence in Moscow, a college town of about 25,000 people. They had two other roommates at the three-floor, six-bedroom apartment.

That night, Chapin and Kernodle went to a party on campus, and Mogen and Goncalves went to a downtown bar, police said.

Nov. 13: Mogen and Goncalves ordered at a late-night food truck at about 1:41 a.m., the food truck’s live Twitch stream shows. As they waited for their food, they could be seen chatting with each other and with other people standing by the truck.

The two students did not seem to be in distress or in danger in any way, said Joseph Woodall, 26, who manages the truck.

Chapin and Kernodle are believed to have returned home around 1:45 a.m., and Goncalves and Mogen used a private party for a ride home at about 1:56 a.m., according to police.

Two other roommates at the home who were not injured woke up later in the morning and summoned friends to the home because they believed one of the victims had passed out and was not waking up. A call to 911 was made just before noon about an unconscious person at the residence, police said.

Arriving officers found the door to the residence open and discovered the bodies of four fatally stabbed students.

There was no sign of forced entry or damage, police said.

Nov. 15: Moscow Police issued a statement saying an “edged weapon such as a knife” was used in the killings. No suspects were in custody and no murder weapon had been found, police said.

Nov. 16: Police Chief James Fry held a news conference – the department’s first in the case – and reiterated there was no suspect. He also noted that the two other roommates who were home at the time of the attack were uninjured. The chief said authorities are not focusing on them.

“We’re focusing on everybody that may be coming and going from that residence,” he told reporters.

Nov. 18: Investigators said they had determined the victims were “likely asleep” before they were attacked.

Detectives by then had conducted 38 interviews with people “who may have information” about the killings and had taken the contents of three dumpsters near the house in case they held evidence, they said. Investigators also asked local businesses if there had been any recent purchases of a “fixed-blade knife,” according to the police update.

Hoping for tips from the community, investigators released a map and timeline of the victims’ movements last weekend. The map shows the four students spent most of the night separated in pairs.

Nov. 20: Police had fielded 646 tips and conducted more than 90 interviews, Chief Fry said at a news conference. He declined to identify who placed the 911 call from the home where the students were slain, saying only the call came from the phone of one of the surviving roommates. He wouldn’t confirm which one placed the call, but said that the caller is not a suspect.

Nov. 30: Moscow Police release a list of people who they believe are not involved in the crime, including the two surviving roommates, a man in the Grub Truck surveillance video, the private party driver who took Goncalves and Mogen home, the man Goncalves and Mogen called numerous times the night they were killed and any person at the home when 911 was called. Police believe the attack was indeed “targeted,” but investigators have not concluded if the target was the residence or its occupants.

Dec. 5: Regarding Goncalves’ possibly having a stalker, police said investigators identified an incident in October in which two men were seen at a business and one man appeared to follow Goncalves inside and as she exited to her car. The man did not make contact with her.

Investigators contacted both men and learned they were trying to meet women at this business. Detectives said they believe this was an isolated incident and not a pattern of stalking and said there was no evidence to suggest the men were involved in the killings.

Dec. 7: Investigators say they are interested in speaking with the occupant or occupants of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra spotted near the crime scene around the time of the killings.

CNN’s Veronica Miracle, Jason Kravarik, Ray Sanchez, Andi Babineau, Caroll Alvarado and Sharif Paget contributed to this report.

Law enforcement officials in Moscow, Idaho, have started their news conference on today’s major developments in the case of four murdered University of Idaho students.

The following officials are expected to speak, according to a police handout outside the conference:

The Moscow Police Department in Idaho will hold a news conference around 4 p.m. ET to announce developments in the case of the four University of Idaho students who were killed in November.

CNN reported earlier Friday that a suspect was arrested in Pennsylvania on an active arrest warrant for murder in the first degree in connection with the killings, according to documents and sources.

If you’re just tuning in, here’s what we know so far about the suspect and his arrest:

More on the case: The arrest comes a day after police said they had received about 20,000 tips through more than 9,025 emails, 4,575 phone calls, and 6,050 digital media submissions, while having conducted over 300 interviews.

The slain students – Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20 – were likely asleep when they were each stabbed multiple times in the early morning hours, authorities have said. Some of the victims had defensive wounds, a coroner has said.

CNN’s Paul P. Murphy, Veronica Miracle and Stephanie Becker contributed reporting to this post.

Bryan Kohberger, the man arrested Friday in connection with the murders of four University of Idaho students, is a graduate student in justice and criminology at a nearby college, according to a now-removed university graduate directory.

The original link listing Kohberger’s name in Washington State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology was seen by CNN earlier Friday. 

WSU has not responded to CNN’s requests for comment.

A student at Washington State University also confirmed to CNN that Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminal justice. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington, and is just under seven miles away from Moscow, Idaho — the town where the four murders occurred.

A CNN team filmed law enforcement outside a WSU graduate residence that Moscow police say is connected to Kohbergher. WSU police are searching the apartment at the request of Moscow police, the Idaho department confirmed to CNN.

Kohberger had previously been an undergraduate and graduate student, at DeSales University, according to a statement on the school’s website. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2020 “and completed his graduate studies in June 2022,” according to the statement.

In a post removed from Reddit after Kohberger’s arrest was made public, a student investigator associated with a DeSales University study named Kohberger as a person who sought participants for a research project “to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.”

“In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with an emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience,” the post said.

CNN reached one of the principal investigators of that study, a professor at DeSales University, but they declined to comment on the matter. The university has not responded to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Northampton Community College confirmed to CNN that Kohberger was a student at the college and graduated with an associate degree of arts and psychology there in 2018.

Authorities narrowed their focus to suspect Bryan Kohberger — who was arrested on a first-degree murder warrant in connection with the killings of four University of Idaho students, according to documents and sources — after tracing his ownership of the white Hyundai Elantra seen in the area of the homicides, according to two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

Kohberger’s DNA has also been matched to DNA recovered at the scene of the deaths, according to the sources.

Authorities discovered he had left the area and gone to Pennsylvania, the sources said. 

An FBI surveillance team from the Philadelphia Field Office had been tracking him for four days in the area where he was arrested, according to the sources. 

He was kept under surveillance while investigators from the Moscow Police Department, the Idaho State Police homicide bureau and the FBI worked with prosecutors to develop sufficient probable cause to obtain the warrant.  

Once the arrest warrant was issued, the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police were able to make the arrest.

Bryan Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania Friday on an active arrest warrant for murder in the first degree issued by the Moscow Idaho Police Department in connection with the murders of four University of Idaho students, documents and sources say.

According to the criminal complaint, Kohberger was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder issued by the Moscow Police Department and Latah County Prosecutors office in Idaho.

State and local officials say the murder warrant is in connection to the murders of four University of Idaho students.

He was taken into custody Friday in Monroe County, the document states.

According to the paperwork, the Pennsylvania State Police were assisting Moscow with its criminal homicide investigation. 

Records show Kohberger was arraigned Friday morning and that he has a next court hearing on extradition Jan. 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The University of Idaho identified the four students killed as Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; and Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

They shared a house off-campus at the University of Idaho, authorities said.

These are the stories of the victims.

Xana Kernodle

Kernodle was a junior studying marketing and was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, the university said.

Her sister Jazzmin Kernodle describes her as “a positive, funny woman” who was “loved by many” and was “one of a kind.”

“Xana was one of the best people I have ever known,” Jazzmin Kernodle said in a statement to CNN. “I wish I could have had more time with her. She had so much life left to live.”

“You rarely get to meet someone like Xana,” Jazzmin Kernodle added. “She was so lighthearted, and always lifted up a room.”

“Our hearts go out to Kaylee, Maddie and Ethan and all their families as well,” Kernodle said. “They were all amazing people and were loved so much. My sister was so lucky to have them in her life.”

Jazzmin reminded people to tell their loved ones how much they mean to you. She wishes she could have had one more hug with her little sister.

Ethan Chapin

Chapin was a freshman majoring in recreation, sport and tourism management and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, the university said.

His mother, Stacy Chapin, describes her son as a kind, loyal and loving person who “lit up every room he walked into.”

“Words cannot express the heartache and devastation our family is experiencing,” she said in a statement. “It breaks my heart to know we will never be able to hug or laugh with Ethan again, but it’s also excruciating to think about the horrific way he was taken from us.”

Chapin was one of a set of triplets, all of whom are enrolled at the University of Idaho, the family said in a statement.

Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen

Goncalves was a senior majoring in general studies and a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, according to the university. Mogen was also a senior. She was studying marketing and was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Alivea Goncalves sent a statement to the Idaho Statesman on behalf of her younger sister Kaylee’s family and Mogen’s family.

“They were smart, they were vigilant, they were careful and this all still happened,” she said. “No one is in custody and that means no one is safe. Yes, we are all heartbroken. Yes, we are all grasping. But more strong than any of these feelings is anger. We are angry. You should be angry.”

The man arrested in connection to the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students is Bryan Christopher Kohberger, according to state and local officials and court documents.

Pennsylvania’s Monroe County Correctional Facility has released a booking photo of the 28-year-old. CNN obtained the booking photo from Sgt. Gregory Armond from the facility.

The name was confirmed to CNN by a federal law enforcement source as well as a court source in Pennsylvania, where records show Kohberger was arrested and arraigned Friday morning. 

The arrest was made by FBI agents and members of the Pennsylvania State Police, a federal law enforcement source told CNN.

The FBI made the arrest in connection to the Idaho student murders investigation in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, two area officials confirm to CNN.

The suspect was arraigned before a judge in Monroe County Friday morning, a state official said. 

Monroe County is in the Pocono Mountains area of Pennsylvania, between Scranton and Allentown.

A suspect was taken into custody in connection with the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students, two federal law enforcement sources confirmed to CNN.

The sources told CNN the arrest was made by the FBI in northeastern Pennsylvania.

A federal law enforcement source described the suspect as a man in his 20s and told CNN the arrest took place Friday morning.

The home of the four college students killed near the University of Idaho in November, will be remediated but remain an active crime scene under police control, according to an updated provided by Moscow Police on Thursday.

Police said while the crime scene remains active, they have worked with a property management services to start remediating the home, including removing “potential biohazards and other harmful substances used to collect evidence.” Once the remediation is done, the home will be turned over to the property management company, the update said.

Meanwhile, Moscow police say they have received nearly 20,000 tips through more than 9,025 emailed tips, 4,575 phone tips, and 6,050 digital media submissions, while having conducted over 300 interviews in the case. 

“Investigators believe someone has information that adds context to what occurred on the night of the murders and continue requesting additional pictures, video, and social media content. Our focus remains on the investigation, not an individual’s activities displayed in the tip,” the update said.

According to police, progress on locating the white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra, believed to have been in the immediate area of the home during the early morning hours of Nov. 13, also continues.