Crime House Daily: Night Watch – The Idaho College Murders, Part 3

Podcast: Crime House Daily
Host: Katie Ring
Episode Title: Night Watch: The Idaho College Murders Part 3
Date: October 22, 2025

Episode Overview

Part three of Crime House Daily’s five-part deep dive into the Idaho student murders pivots from the internal investigation in Moscow, Idaho, to the surging influence of internet sleuths and the emergence of a suspect whose disturbing background shocks the small college town and the audience alike. Host Katie Ring chronicles the escalation of online speculation, the critical role of forensic and digital evidence, and the moment detectives turn their focus toward Bryan Kohberger—a criminology PhD student whose actions eerily intersect with the horrors of the case.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Moscow on Edge & the Digital Frenzy

(00:44 – 04:45)

• Aftermath of the Murders:
  • The Moscow community reels as friends of the victims withdraw—many leave campus, others avoid public events from fear.
  • "Some of them don't even feel safe attending a vigil organized by the university's leaders. Moscow is beginning to look like a ghost of its former self." – Katie Ring (03:40)
• Online Theorizing and the Rise of Papa Roger:
  • Speculation explodes, especially in Facebook groups, notably "University of Idaho Murders Case Discussion" (220,000+ members).
  • Papa Roger: An unknown user fixates on the killer’s motives and methods, posting chilling, unusually specific questions ("Did the killer shower at the crime scene afterwards?"), prompting both suspicion and fear among members.
  • Notably, Papa Roger speculates about a knife sheath before this was public knowledge—this alarms both group admins and later law enforcement.

2. The Search for Evidence & The Mysterious White Sedan

(04:45 – 10:00)

• Police Work Intensifies:
  • Moscow PD, Idaho State Police, and later the FBI systematically canvass the area, gather videos, and pursue leads.
  • Crucial footage reveals a white sedan circling the crime scene multiple times, then speeding off at 4:20 AM—the likely time of the murders.
    • "The car passes by the house three times before showing up a fourth time at 4:04am, which is right around the time Dylan wakes up. Then at 4:20, right after Dylan spots an intruder in the house, the car speeds out of the neighborhood." – Katie Ring (06:35)
  • Law enforcement deduces premeditation due to the car’s behavior.
  • They believe the car escaped into Pullman, WA (a college town across the border), prompting interagency cooperation.

3. Forensic Breakthrough: DNA and Genetic Genealogy

(10:00 – 13:35)

• The Knife Sheath and DNA:
  • Idaho State Crime Lab finds male DNA on a knife sheath at the scene—a crucial break, but the profile yields no hits in criminal databases (CODIS).
  • Investigators engage Othram, a private forensic lab specializing in investigative genetic genealogy (IGG)—they attempt to build a family tree using public ancestry databases.
• Tracking the White Hyundai:
  • Additional video analysis allows authorities to identify a white 2015 Hyundai Elantra with a Pennsylvania plate (LFZ8649).
  • The car is registered to Bryan Kohberger, a criminology PhD student at Washington State University.
    • "Kohberger is a 28 year old white male...6ft tall and 185 pounds. Not only that, but his license photo shows that he has bushy eyebrows. All of these details fit the description of the home intruder that Dylan Mortensen provided." – Katie Ring (15:12)

4. Piecing Together Bryan Kohberger’s Troubled Past

(16:37 – 23:30)

• Early Life and Personal Struggles:
  • Kohberger was bullied as a child, suffered from depression, eating disorders, and later addiction.
  • He expressed disturbing sentiments online as a teenager, feeling empty and emotionally detached.
    • "I feel like a quote, organic sack of meat with no self worth. I have no opinion. I have no emotion. I have nothing." – Katie quoting Kohberger's post (17:30)
• Criminal Justice Obsession:
  • Kohberger’s fascination with criminology is long-standing; he even surveyed criminals on Reddit for research, using questions eerily similar to those posted by Papa Roger.
    • “How did the killer leave the scene? Did the killer clean up at all?” – Resemblance between Papa Roger and Kohberger’s Reddit project (20:45)
• Social Dysfunction and Aggression:
  • He unsettles classmates and colleagues; specific complaints mention rudeness to women and stalking behavior.
    • "He's described as being rude and belittling towards women...he would stand at their desk, stare at them and physically block them from leaving the room." – Katie Ring (22:20)
  • After a series of complaints, WSU revokes his TA position and tuition funding—unrelated to the murder investigation, but concurrent in timing.

5. The Investigative Breakthrough

(23:30 – 25:20)

• DNA Confirmation:
  • The FBI takes over the IGG investigation, matching DNA from Kohberger’s family’s trash to the knife sheath at the scene, solidifying him as the prime suspect.
    • "Bryan Coburger's history, his car and his DNA all point to him as the likely killer. This is a huge break in the case." – Katie Ring (25:00)
• Lingering Questions:
  • Despite mounting evidence, Kohberger’s whereabouts are now unknown, stoking further fear and anticipation within the community and among followers of the case.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The user's real identity is unknown, but their username is Papa Roger and their profile picture is an artistic rendition of the side of a man's face." - Katie Ring (04:05)
• "Their suspicions only grow when Papa Roger starts arguing relentlessly with other members of the group. Then one day, Papa Roger posts something especially startling... 'This leads me to believe they found the sheath.'" – Katie Ring (05:00)
• "Authorities run the profile through CODIS...and there are no hits. Basically, this means that the person whose DNA is on the knife sheath has never been convicted of a crime..." – Katie Ring (10:55)
• "He's described as being rude and belittling towards women. Specifically female colleagues and students said that he would stand at their desk, stare at them and physically block them from leaving..." – Katie Ring (22:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:44 – 04:45: Setting the scene—impact on Moscow and rise of online theories
• 04:45 – 10:00: Law enforcement’s search, surveillance, and the white sedan
• 10:00 – 13:35: Knife sheath DNA analysis and genealogy investigation
• 13:35 – 16:08: Video/vehicle evidence links to Bryan Kohberger
• 16:37 – 23:30: Kohberger’s background—mental health struggles and criminology
• 23:30 – 25:20: DNA match, next investigative phase, Kohberger’s disappearance

Episode Summary & Flow

Katie Ring delivers a gripping narrative that not only reconstructs the methodical police work but also explores the psychological and digital terrain that has defined the Idaho College Murders investigation. With detailed attention to online behaviors (Papa Roger’s posts), evolving forensic techniques, and the gradual exposure of Kohberger’s life and personality, listeners are immersed in both the procedural facts and the chilling uncertainties still facing the community. The episode ends on a note of urgency and apprehension as Kohberger’s fate—and the pursuit of justice—hangs in the balance.

For discussion and theories, tune in to the next episode, or join the Crime House community online.