Drop Dead Serious with Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: Bryan Kohberger: Classmate of His Sister Remembers Him Before the Murders | INTERVIEW
Release Date: August 28, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Guest: Mandy (former classmate of Bryan Kohberger’s sister, Amanda, and high school acquaintance of Bryan Kohberger)

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, sensitive conversation between Ashleigh Banfield and Mandy, a woman who attended high school with Bryan Kohberger's sister and knew Bryan as a younger classmate. The interview is prompted by newly surfaced photographs of Bryan as a teenager, contrasting his current infamous image with the person remembered by his classmates. The episode explores Mandy's recollections, the emotional ripple effects in their small community, and the tragic collateral damage suffered by families tied to notorious crimes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Change in Bryan Kohberger’s Appearance and Persona

• Transformation Over Time: Ashleigh introduces the topic by emphasizing the drastic physical and personal transformation of Bryan Kohberger from his high school years to the man facing murder charges.
  • "He is literally double the person that he is now back in high school...with all that weight loss, something else must have happened...the personality that you’re about to hear...is night and day." (02:00)
• Initial Reactions to Photos: The discussion opens with Mandy’s first impressions of the newly surfaced photos, describing her shock and commenting that Bryan always appeared sad and quiet to her in school.
  • "That one kind of seems like a sad...seems like he's sad." – Mandy (06:00)

2. Community Shock and Disbelief

• No Warning Signs: Mandy and her classmates found the news of Bryan’s arrest to be startling, with no prior behavioral red flags or indications that could have foreshadowed such violence.
  • "It was very shocking to a lot of us. It was very like, wait, what? It wasn’t a...‘oh, that kind of makes sense’ for us." – Mandy (06:32)
  • "There was no thought that any of us would have ever imagined that something like this would have went down. No." – Mandy (08:53)
• Immediate Reconnection Among Alumni: Upon hearing Bryan’s name in connection with the murders, Mandy and other alumni quickly contacted each other in disbelief.
  • "The group chain started immediately because, again, we do come from such a small town, so everybody who knows everybody." – Mandy (07:55)

3. The Kohberger Family as “Forgotten Victims”

• Empathy for the Family: Both Mandy and Ashleigh stress that while sympathies must prioritize the murder victims and their families, the Kohberger family endures their own intense suffering and social fallout.
  • "They did not do this. They were not complicit in this. This is Bryan Kohberger's doing...They really suffered." – Ashleigh Banfield (09:16)
  • "The Co Burgers are left with the aftermath of what he did. His poor family now has to deal with everything that he did." – Mandy (09:41)
• Collateral Damage: Mandy shares that Bryan’s sisters lost their jobs due to the association, underscoring the harshness of public and professional repercussions.
  • "She does not deserve what's happening to her, her and her sister." – Mandy (10:23)

4. Bryan’s High School Persona

• Non-Descript, Quiet Student: Mandy repeatedly describes Bryan as quiet, unremarkable, and never a source of trouble or suspicion.
  • "He...was just very to himself. He was very quiet." – Mandy (11:04)
  • "He really was just the quiet kid who just, you know, when he graduated high school, he became the security guard at the high school for a little bit..." – Mandy (12:28)
• No Notable Attitudes Against Women or Others: Contrary to later accusations of misogynistic and combative academic behavior, Mandy saw no evidence of Bryan harboring resentment or hostility in high school.
  • "He never had anything towards women or anything towards anybody. He was just very to himself." – Mandy (11:04)
  • "It just sounds like, like it's 100% transformation from, from the kid you went to school with." – Ashleigh Banfield (13:45)

5. Searching for Missed Red Flags

• Ruminating on Possible Signs: Both Mandy and her peers revisited their memories in search of clues, ultimately finding nothing that would explain the tragic events.
  • "Did you search your mind like constantly, like, what did I miss?...None of us missed anything. Obviously we all missed something." – Ashleigh & Mandy (15:46–16:11)
  • "It's bizarre. It's very bizarre." – Mandy (16:19)

6. Bullying at School

• General Culture of Bullying: Mandy acknowledges a bullying problem at their high school, admitting it’s possible Bryan could have been affected, though she saw no direct evidence.
  • "Bullying at my high school, unfortunately, was a problem. I'm not going to pretend that it wasn't." – Mandy (16:54)
  • "It would not surprise me." – Mandy, on whether Kohberger might have been bullied (17:35)

7. Support and Pain for the Family After the Arrest

• Watching Family in Court: Mandy praises Amanda and their mother for their strength in attending Bryan’s court appearances, seeing their actions as showing support both for Bryan as a family member and for the victims.
  • "I think it took a lot of strength for the two of them to do what they did...they are still losing a family member." – Mandy (18:30)
• Public Scrutiny and Social Media Backlash: Both speakers condemn the online trolling and harsh backlash the Kohbergers face, emphasizing that no one is prepared for the situation they are in.
  • "There’s no blueprint for them to process this bizarre thing that landed like an atom bomb in their life and their world..." – Ashleigh Banfield (22:41)
  • "These poor girls. This poor girl lost her job..." – Mandy (21:45)
  • "I commend her for handling it with such grace...for not letting the internet consume her..." – Mandy (22:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It was very shocking to a lot of us. It was very like, wait, what? It wasn't a. Oh, that kind of makes sense for us."
  — Mandy, on hearing of Kohberger’s arrest (06:32)

• "My heart goes out to Amanda and his family. They’re left with the aftermath of what he did."
  — Mandy (09:41)

• "He was just very to himself. He was very quiet."
  — Mandy (11:04)

• "It just sounds like it's 100% transformation from the kid you went to school with."
  — Ashleigh Banfield (13:45)

• "Bullying at my high school, unfortunately, was a problem. I'm not going to pretend that it wasn't."
  — Mandy (16:54)

• "I think it took a lot of strength for the two of them to do what they did...they are still losing a family member."
  — Mandy, on Kohberger’s mother and sister in court (18:30)

• "There’s no blueprint for them to process this bizarre thing that landed like an atom bomb in their life..."
  — Ashleigh Banfield (22:41)

Important Timestamps

• 00:52: Ashleigh Banfield introduces the episode and recounts how the interview with Mandy came about.
• 06:00: Mandy gives her initial reaction to the newly surfaced photos of Bryan Kohberger.
• 07:36: Mandy describes the immediate reaction and shock in her friend group/community upon Bryan’s arrest.
• 09:41: Mandy expresses empathy for the Kohberger family.
• 10:23: Discussion about the personal costs to Kohberger’s sisters—losing their jobs.
• 11:04–12:28: Mandy details Bryan’s high school demeanor and lack of warning signs.
• 13:54: The conversation about the drastic difference between Bryan in high school and the man described in police reports.
• 16:54: Discussion about the prevalence of bullying in their school.
• 18:30: Mandy reflects on seeing Kohberger’s family in court and the struggle they endure.
• 22:41: Ashleigh and Mandy discuss the lack of a “blueprint” for families affected by notorious crimes and the new obstacles created by online trolling.
• 23:34: Episode wraps, with thanks and closing remarks.

Tone and Style

• The episode is deeply empathetic, measured, and honest, blending Ashleigh’s reporter’s sensibility with personal candor and warmth.
• Mandy’s responses are thoughtful and occasionally repetitive—not out of a lack of insight, but genuine shock, as she continues to process the tragedy alongside her community.
• The tone remains respectful—both towards murder victims and their families, and towards inadvertently affected people like the Kohbergers.

Summary Takeaways

• No one in Bryan Kohberger’s hometown community saw this coming. Mandy, who was only ever a peripheral acquaintance, describes Bryan as quiet, unremarkable, and not flagged by any past behaviors.
• The ripple effect of infamous crimes extends far beyond the victims and perpetrators. The Kohberger family, especially his sisters, have faced job loss, public humiliation, and undeserved suspicion.
• School bullying culture may have existed, but it does not excuse or explain Bryan’s crimes. There is an ongoing, painful search for “missed signs,” but none have been found.
• Public judgment and internet trolling compound the trauma for all families involved. Both the victims' loved ones and the Kohbergers navigate unimaginable loss and survivor’s guilt under an online microscope.
• Empathy for those caught in the periphery of tragedy is crucial, but often overlooked. As Mandy says, “They did not do this. They were not complicit. This is Bryan Kohberger’s doing.”