Ep. 3: The Investigation

Summary

Summary of "Ep. 3: The Investigation" from The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery

Hosted by ABC News Correspondent Kayna Whitworth, Episode 3 delves deep into the intricate investigation surrounding the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students on King Road. This episode reconstructs the relentless pursuit by the Moscow Police Department (MPD) and larger investigative bodies to apprehend the suspect, Bryan Kohberger.

---

Introduction: The Weight of Tragedy

The episode opens with a poignant conversation between Kayna Whitworth and Moscow Police Chief James Fry. Chief Fry reflects on the personal toll the tragedy has taken on the community and the police force.

Chief James Fry [00:04]: "Any tragic event, it's close to home for us. You know, when you're dealing with students, we all have children. We all are dads."

Chief Fry emphasizes the emotional burden of investigating the murders, highlighting that the MPD is a small, tight-knit team inherently connected to the community they serve.

Chief James Fry [01:12]: "We love being the protectors. The community is who we are and we are part of the community."

---

Initial Challenges in the Investigation

Despite the urgency, nearly three weeks post-murders, the MPD had not identified a suspect, leading to heightened anxiety and skepticism among Moscow residents.

Chief James Fry [01:46]: "We understand everybody wants to know, everybody wants answers... we want to ensure that, and we owe it to our community."

The department's limited resources—comprising only 35 officers—posed significant challenges in handling such a high-profile case, a stark contrast to their usual responsibilities involving minor incidents.

---

The Crime Scene and Emerging Evidence

The King Road residence, a six-bedroom house known for hosting parties, became the central crime scene. The MPD faced the daunting task of distinguishing between typical household clutter and potential evidence of the gruesome attack.

Kayna Whitworth [02:18]: "There hadn't been a homicide in Moscow in seven years. And for the officers who first walked into that King Road house, it was horrific."

Over the ensuing weeks, over a hundred items were sent to the Idaho State Crime Lab. The house's layout, with exposed entries and multiple bedrooms, complicated the scene analysis.

Coroner Kathy Mabbit provided critical insights:

Kathy Mabbit [08:34]: "In the apartment... it was a pretty traumatic scene to find four dead college students in a residence."

Further forensic analysis suggested that the victims were likely asleep when first attacked, with defensive wounds indicating a violent struggle.

---

Community Frustration and Police Communication

Steve Gonzalez, father of Kaylee Gonzalez, expressed deep concerns about the investigation's direction and the potential that his daughter was specifically targeted.

Steve Gonzalez [09:36]: "It's a fear of mine... there's only one real bad person."

The MPD's call for public assistance via outdoor camera footage inundated the department with tips, many of which were unhelpful or hesitant to be shared due to fear of repercussions.

Steve Gonzalez [10:48]: "Police officers' main job in nine town is to keep people from drinking and driving... you've got better things to look at."

In response, Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell clarified the intent behind the evidence collection, aiming solely to apprehend the murderer without targeting students for their activities.

---

Breakthrough: Identification of the White Elantra

On December 7th, over two weeks into the investigation, the MPD issued a bulletin for a white Hyundai Elantra (2011-2013), marking a pivotal lead.

Kathy Mabbit noted the community's initial optimism:

Kathy Mabbit [14:06]: "When we heard about the white car, I feel like a lot of locals really thought... maybe we're getting somewhere with this."

However, the sheer volume of similar vehicles in the area, coupled with the influx of tips, soon overwhelmed the investigative efforts.

---

Surveillance and Ride-Along Insights

Kayna Whitworth and her producer, Timmy, secured a ride-along with Sergeant Kurt Sproat of the Idaho State Police, providing an on-the-ground perspective of the heightened security measures and community anxiety during a heavy snowstorm.

Sergeant Kurt Sproat [16:53]: "It kind of just shows the mindset of community members and students around here with what happened."

Sproat's unwavering confidence in the suspect's presence within Moscow underscored the determination of law enforcement.

Sergeant Kurt Sproat [17:35]: "I think he's here. God is not on his side. We're gonna get him."

---

The Arrest of Bryan Kohberger

On December 29th, a significant breakthrough occurred when Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology PhD student from Washington State University, was arrested in the Poconos, Pennsylvania—2,500 miles from Moscow.

Whitworth recounts the rapid developments:

Kayna Whitworth [19:05]: "We got off the plane and started the 90-minute drive to Moscow. ... the phone in my hotel room started ringing. ABC had a source in the FBI telling us an arrest had been made in the Poconos."

Kohberger's extradition hearing in Pennsylvania was a media spectacle, showcasing the intense national interest. The courtroom drama was palpable, with a heavily guarded suspect in a bulletproof vest and a distraught family in attendance.

Kayna Whitworth [22:26]: "Kohberger bent awkwardly to sign the document with his left hand... he looked back at his seated family and, clear as day, mouthed the words, 'I love you.'"

Following his extradition, Kohberger arrived in Moscow to face charges, marking the culmination of a seven-week nationwide manhunt.

---

Forensic Evidence and DNA Breakthroughs

A cornerstone of the case against Kohberger lies in the forensic evidence recovered from the crime scene:

1. Touch DNA on Knife Sheath:

   The MPD found DNA on a knife sheath near Madison's body. Dr. Daniel Padini elucidates the significance of touch DNA:

   Dr. Daniel Padini [32:56]: "The sample collected from the button of this knife sheet yielded a single source male DNA profile..."

   Further analysis through familial DNA linked the sheath to Kohberger's biological father, with a 99.99998% probability.

2. Cell Phone Data Trails:

   Kohberger's cell phone pings were meticulously tracked, establishing a timeline that placed him near the crime scene during the crucial hours.

   Kayna Whitworth [34:34]: "We can say that there's 99.99998% probability that the individual that left their DNA... is the biological father of the individual that touched the button of the knife sheet."

These breakthroughs transformed the investigation from a daunting task into a focused pursuit, reinforcing the MPD's case against Kohberger.

---

Reevaluating Police Strategy and Public Perception

Initially perceived as struggling, the MPD's strategic withholding of information was later understood as a calculated move to prevent tipping off the suspect.

Kathy Mabbit [40:43]: "A lot of times when the police are working a case like this... they're sometimes using the public information forms to throw people off..."

This tactic, though initially sowing doubt, ultimately strengthened the investigation's integrity and success.

---

Conclusion: A Community in Transition

With Kohberger's arrest, Moscow breathed a collective sigh of relief, though numerous questions remained unanswered.

Sergeant Kurt Sproat [42:42]: "This is not the end of this investigation. In fact, this is a new beginning..."

The episode closes with Whitworth reflecting on the profound impact of the arrest and setting the stage for the next installment, which promises to explore the suspect's background and motivations in greater depth.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Chief James Fry [00:04]: "Any tragic event, it's close to home for us..."
• Steve Gonzalez [09:36]: "It's a fear of mine... there's only one real bad person."
• Sergeant Kurt Sproat [17:35]: "I think he's here. God is not on his side. We're gonna get him."
• Dr. Daniel Padini [32:56]: "The sample collected from the button of this knife sheet yielded a single source male DNA profile..."
• Sergeant Kurt Sproat [42:42]: "This is not the end of this investigation. In fact, this is a new beginning..."

---

“The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery” is an immersive five-part narrative series by ABC Audio, meticulously unraveling the complexities of a case that shook a small community to its core. Episode 3, "The Investigation," masterfully encapsulates the tension, dedication, and procedural intricacies that define true crime journalism.

Transcript

[Chief James Fry]

Any tragic event, it's close to home for us. You know, when you're dealing with students, we all have children. We all are dads.

[Kayna Whitworth]

So we understand that makes it a little harder. Yeah. Moscow Police Chief James Fry was leading the investigation into the most heinous crime his city had ever seen. The brutal murders of four University of Idaho students. The pressure was on, on to find out who killed Kaylee Gonzalez, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. In late November, just over two weeks after their deaths, Chief Fry sat down with me for his first network TV interview. It was emotional. You want a tissue?

[Chief James Fry]

Yeah.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Chief Fry has lived in Moscow most of his life, so. So have many of the other officers working this case. A lot of them also went to the University of Idaho. They love this town. They've raised their kids here. Chief Fry has college age kids of his own.

[Chief James Fry]

We love being the protectors. The community is who we are and we are part of the community.

[Kayna Whitworth]

But nearly three weeks after the murders, police hadn't identified a suspect. They seemed no closer to solving the case. Residents were on edge and impatient. As we mentioned in the last episode, some doubted the Moscow PD would be able to solve the case. It must be hard to feel so close to this and to also hear public criticism at the same time.

[Chief James Fry]

Yeah, we understand everybody wants to know, everybody wants answers, and we understand that. We want to give those answers as soon as we can. But there's some integrity that we have to withhold in this case. And that starts from the very onset of the case, all the way through prosecution. We want to ensure that, and we owe that to our community. We're going to continue to provide safety for our community. We're going to continue to work hard on this case. We're not going to let our guard down. We're going to continue. We owe it to them.

[Kayna Whitworth]

The Moscow Police Department is small, only 35 people. They're more accustomed to responding to reports of animals on the loose and stolen bikes. There hadn't been a homicide in Moscow in seven years. And for the officers who first walked into that King Road house, it was horrific. These were the same officers who'd responded to noise complaints about the house. They'd talked to and interacted with these students before, and now they were investigating their murders.

[Chief James Fry]

What you see sometimes shocks the conscience. And we're taking care of our officers. We brought in counselors, but we're going further than that. We took the counseling to the families as well, wives, kids, because we know that if we can build a Strong family unit that that helps us serve our community even better.

[Kayna Whitworth]

The one source of comfort Chief Fry could offer his officers, the the victims, families and the community of Moscow would be putting the person responsible for these deaths behind bars. Could his small department, in the glare of the national spotlight, hunt down a killer? I'm Kayna Whitworth, a correspondent with ABC News. And I've been covering this case since the day after the four students bodies were discovered in the house on King Road. Today we're turning our attention to the police investigation into the murders. As we mentioned in the last episode, we didn't hear a lot from Moscow PD in the early days of the investigation. And all that silence, it bred fear. Fear that the killer was still out there and could hurt more people. And fear that law enforcement might not be up to the task of solving a big high profile case like this. But police did make an arrest six weeks after the murders, some 2500 miles away from the crime scene. The suspect accused of brutally murdering four University of Idaho students in November. Now back in Moscow to face charges touching down. In this episode, we'll reconstruct how they did it. We'll talk through the evidence gathered from inside this popular home now turned crime scene to learn about the clues the killer left behind. And we'll follow police as they sift through thousands of crowdsourced tips and search through literal trash to identify their suspect. This is the King road killings. Episode three, the investigation. At 11:58am on November 13th, the Moscow Police Department received that mysterious 911 call that has yet to be made public. It was seeking help for an unconscious person at a house on King Road. But as soon as officers entered the house, it was clear they were dealing with something much more serious. They discovered four bodies and the victims were far beyond saving. The mayor told me the officers carefully backed out of the house, closed the door and applied for a warrant allowing them to enter the home and begin processing it as a crime scene. Once Chief Fry learned the severity of the situation, he said he called Idaho State Police right away, followed by the FBI. Moscow PD would remain the lead on the investigation because the killings weren't a federal crime, but the bigger agencies would lend more investigative heft to the small department. The mayor told me that initially Moscow PD had a hard time determining what might be evidence, what might be remnants of a struggle with a killer, and what was just an untidy college house. Over the next few weeks, authorities say they sent more than a hundred items to the Idaho State Crime Lab for processing Remember, this is a six bedroom house where five college kids lived. It's also a big party house where tons of people came and went. There were fingerprints and DNA everywhere. The amount of evidence to collect and items to process within the home was staggering. The layout of the house on the hill is really important to understanding the crime scene. The three level home is incredibly exposed. There's no fencing. It's easy to see inside when you're looking at the front of the house. The main entryway is decorated with a golden wreath. The door unlocks with a keypad. You open that front door and on either side of the entryway is a bedroom, one of which was occupied by a surviving roommate on the night of November 12th. The other was empty. You go up the stairs to the second floor. This is where Zanna Kernodle's bedroom was. Police found her body in her room along with the body of her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. Down the hall on the other side of the second floor was the other surviving roommate's bedroom. Directly outside the roommate's door, according to court documents, officers discovered a shoe print similar to a van skateboarding shoe with that distinctive diamond shaped sole pattern. There's also another entrance on this floor, a sliding glass door that opens up to a ground level patio. When you continue up the stairs, you'll find two more bedrooms. These were Kaylee and Maddie's rooms. Kaylee's dad said the bodies of both women were found in Maddie's room, on Maddie's bed. On Thursday 17 November, four days after the murders, the coroner, Kathy Mabbit, released her report and talked with our local affiliate kxly. There was quite a bit of blood.

[Kathy Mabbit]

In the apartment and you know, it was a pretty traumatic scene to find four dead college students in a residence.

[Kayna Whitworth]

The coroner also released an additional statement saying she believed the four students were likely asleep when they were first attacked with an edged weapon and that some of them showed evidence of defensive wounds. Two weeks after the murders on November 28, Steve Gonzalez told me that Kaylee and Maddie were cremated and that he was in possession of both girls earns and death certificates. Steve learned from the death certificates that his daughter's injuries were far more significant than Maddie's. And that left him with a chilling question. Was Kaylee the killer's intended victim? He worried that the other students might simply have been collateral damage. Do you think that Kaylee specifically was targeted?

[Steve Gonzalez]

It's a fear of mine. When you have something like this happen, the last thing you want to do is hurt the other family and you don't want to have any kind of responsibility for those people to feel like they were just casualties. And that goes for theirs child. If, if one of their children was a target. I have no ill will whatsoever. There's only one real bad person.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Steve wanted to put all of his energy into catching the person who was actually responsible for the loss of his daughter. And he was worried that police were missing some critical evidence. Authorities had been urging everybody with an outdoor camera to send in video from the night of the attacks. They made it a point of stating that anything, even something happening in the background, might be significant. But without clear direction as to exactly what they were seeking, they were flooded with tips from the community. Hundreds of calls a day. Even with all those videos, Steve thought police might be missing footage of that night shot by students who might be hesitant to share their party photos or video that could get them in trouble for underage drinking or other illicit activities.

[Steve Gonzalez]

Police officers main job in nine town is to keep people from drinking and driving and to go into parties and to calm that thing down. They give a lot of warnings out. And if I got a warning and I'm scared to get kicked out of school and I got a picture that I'm about to submit and there's a bong or some kind of paraphernalia in the background and I'm there and I've got a beer, do I want to send it to the officer? They let me off the hook two weeks ago. Not if I don't have a way to make it anonymous. So I told him, at least come on and say that you have one goal in mind and none of this has to do with drinking or drugs use. You've guys got better things to look at. You got way more pressure on you right now to worry about those things aren't going to be worried about for quite a while.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Police took Steve's concerns to heart, and the next day, Idaho state police spokesperson Aaron Snell did his best to let community members know their goal was to catch a killer, not bus students for partying.

[Steve Gonzalez]

We want that video and that evidence. Our goal in our venture to get that is not to reprimand anybody or to really be concerned about the activities that were taking place. We're trying to gather evidence in a homicide. That's what we're focused on, not anything else at this point in time.

[Kayna Whitworth]

But I think when you end it with at this point in time, I think even that could scare a student. What if there is a picture and there is something there, but it shows Them doing something illegal, they don't want to turn that in. They don't want to face potential charges later.

[Steve Gonzalez]

Well then let's be definitive. We are not interested in that activity. We are interested in any potential evidence for the homicide. That is our goal, to gather that information.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Weeks passed, and while police didn't name a suspect, they did tell the public who they thought wasn't involved. Their list of cleared suspects included the two surviving roommates, the male friend who was with Kaylee and Maddie in the grub truck live stream and Kaylee's ex boyfriend. Fall turned to winter in Moscow and the victims families began their first holiday season without their loved ones. It wasn't until December 7th that they received some hopeful news from law enforcement. Three and a half weeks after the murders, police finally had what appeared to be a promising lead. Moscow PD issued a bulletin that they were on the hunt for a very specific vehicle, a white Hyundai elantra made between 2011 and in 2013. They hoped to learn if its occupant or occupants had any information in regards to the case.

[Kathy Mabbit]

The police started communicating with everyone, putting the word out via press releases, interviews, we want footage. They gave us maps of all the areas they were trying to pull, any surveillance footage from people's cameras, doorbells, whatever they could find to get footage of this white Elantra.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Lauren Patterson, the public radio reporter, remembers the community's excitement at a single concrete clue, something they could help search for.

[Kathy Mabbit]

When we heard about the white car, I feel like a lot of locals really thought, okay, maybe we're getting somewhere with this. We had something to go on. There was a tip, there was something specific.

[Kayna Whitworth]

However, the excitement over the lead was short lived when citizens began to realize just how daunting a task it would be for police to sift through such a high volume of tips and surveillance footage. Katie, a close friend of the murder victims, recalls the frenzy. I mean, I'm like, I've seen a trillion white little cars. And I'm like, I don't know if I've ever seen a launcher. I'm not sure. So I was like, I'm sure somebody knows. So I was like, just assuming. It was going to be pretty quick. After that, this new call to action for the community brought in yet another deluge of tips. So many that police had to redirect the tip line to the FBI global call center. Idaho State police were also visible on the ground in Moscow supporting the investigation. But like Moscow pd, they didn't share much information. It wasn't until my producer Timmy got a parking ticket on campus and chatted up an officer that we finally got permission to do a ride along.

[Sergeant Kurt Sproat]

This town is. It's a little bit eerie here.

[Kayna Whitworth]

That's how we ended up driving through campus with Sergeant Kurt Sproat from Idaho State Police. He was working on the investigation, and on this particular day, he was on campus doing patrols at the request of the University of Idaho. On the day of our ride along, in mid December, a month after the murders, there was a huge snowstorm. As we drove, we watched the campus become absolutely covered by a blanket of thick, wet snow. So right now we're driving sort of this road that kind of almost wraps around the outskirts of campus. Campus is on our left. Fully secured, lights everywhere, cameras everywhere. Right to the right. This is fraternity Row. And then right down here. So this is the hill, and then there's. There's the murder scene. Right, right there. Sergeant Sproat was based in Boise, six hours away. But like so many in the area, he felt the statewide pain of these murders. There were memorials for these students in Boise and other places in the region. Sergeant Sproat was glad to be patrolling the campus, proud to be protecting it. I know that, you know, authorities have said they've received an influx in calls, really, from people that were on edge.

[Sergeant Kurt Sproat]

Yeah, I. I spoke to someone who lives in the area yesterday. I had made a traffic stop over by his residence, and he wanted to make sure everything was okay. And there was no reason to be be of concern, and it was important to the investigation, but it kind of just shows the mindset of community members and students around here with what happened.

[Kayna Whitworth]

One of the questions I wanted to ask him is where he thought the killer was. Do you think that this person has left town, or do you think this person is assimilated and is in Moscow?

[Sergeant Kurt Sproat]

Yeah, I'm not going to answer that one.

[Kayna Whitworth]

But you do have an opinion? Yes. Okay. He didn't want to say more on camera, so we spoke privately, and he told me now it's okay if I share this conversation. I asked him with this huge head start, and given that we're only, what, a few hours from the border to Canada, did he think the suspect had made a run for it and could be anywhere? He looked at me right in my eyes and said, I think he's here. God is not on his side. We're gonna get him. That really stuck with me, just this gut feeling he had. I kept it in the back of my mind as detectives kept working the case and I kept working the story. I had no idea if the killer was in our midst or far away, it would turn out to be both.

[Brad Milke]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. It's Brad Milke, host of ABC's Daily News podcast. Start Here. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

[NerdWallet]

Listeners, Are you looking for a shortcut to better auto insurance for you? Something that takes all the research off your plate. Something that's easy. Something that matches you with lower rates? Something genius. That's where NerdWallet comes in. Their nerds already did the work for you. Just answer a few questions and ta da, you'll be matched with top insurance providers in your area. Find the right rate for [e-mail] after all, using NerdWallet is more than smart. It's genius. Not all applicants will qualify for the lowest monthly payments. NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. California resident license number OK 92033 like your favorite travel.

[Sergeant Kurt Sproat]

Guide, T Mobile's network knows all the spots because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network switch. Now, keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more at t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines via virtual prepaid card left 15 days qualified unlocked device credit service port in 90 plus days device ineligible carrier and timely redemption required Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Kayna Whitworth]

On December 29, around four in the afternoon, I was at the grocery store at home in California by myself, which as a parent of two young kids, is a moment you relish. As I was checking out, I got a call from a law enforcement source who said, you need to come back to Moscow. When I said, I'll try to fly out first thing in the morning, they said, if that's the best you can do. So my producer Timmy and I boarded a plane that night to Spokane, Washington. When I let my source know, they said something like, that's good, you'll be here in time. We got off the plane and started the 90 minute drive to Moscow. It was late and dark. We didn't really know why we were doing this. But then I heard from a Source again, still vague, but they said tomorrow is going to be a good day. I was racking my brain, what could be happening at that point. Every little trickle of information on this case felt so huge. You know, it could have been something kind of small, and it still would have gripped the nation. We didn't go to bed till around 7am and an hour or so later, the phone in my hotel room started ringing. ABC had a source in the FBI telling us an arrest had been made in the Poconos. The Poconos, Pennsylvania. What? It's 2,500 miles away from Moscow. What's the connection? And why would he single out this group of students? Later that morning, Chief Fry made an announcement.

[Chief James Fry]

Last night, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation detectives arrested 28 year old Brian Christopher Coburger in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania on a warrant for murder of Ethan, Zana, Madison, and kaylee.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Finally, after 47 days of Moscow holding its breath, police had a suspect in custody. Nearly seven weeks after the stabbing deaths of four college students in Idaho, a break in the case that has gripped this nation. Police arresting a suspect, PhD student Brian Kohberger. In a chilling twist, police say the alleged killer studies criminology at Washington State University in Pullman. His apartment just over the state border, 15 minutes away from the crime scene. Moscow PD didn't share any further details, but they were very clear that Brian Coburger was their only suspect. My producer Timmy and I spent the next two days reporting in Moscow trying to find any connection between the suspect and the victims. Then on New Year's Eve, we got ready to fly to Philadelphia and drove to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, near where the suspect was arrested at his family's home. Coburger was already being held at the Monroe County Correctional Facility. We started to see his mugshot in the press. The public was starting to put a face to the suspect authorities had been searching for. Could this be the man at the center of the story that had gripped the nation? The next day, Brian Coburger's extradition hearing was scheduled at the Monroe County Courthouse. As I waited outside in the rain with the rest of the media, I took a minute to record some thoughts about the scene around me. It's Tuesday afternoon, January 3rd, and media has descended on the courthouse here. There's tents everywhere. There's more than 100 media credentialed to be in this extradition hearing for Bryan Coburger today. They have already actually brought him into the courthouse. They brought him in the back. I mean, hours before his hearing officers have the streets blocked off. There's the sheriff's department out here as well, some of them with long guns sort of patrolling the area, trying to keep everything safe and calm. A lot of anticipation to. To see Bryan Coburger, to see his demeanor in court. We know he's going to waive this extradition hearing, according to his lawyer. And his lawyer says, look, this is going to take 15 minutes. It's going to be quick. Nobody seems to care. Everybody wants in there. Everybody wants to see it. There was so much media present, the hearing had to be moved to a larger room. Appropriately for the drama of it all, the new venue felt less like a courtroom and more like a gorgeous old theater. A beautiful polished wood interior with dark purple drapes framing the judge's bench. Kohberger was dressed in a bulletproof vest, specifically for his walk from the prison van into the courthouse. That would put him in plain view of the public, and authorities were concerned someone might try to harm him. The Kohberger family sat directly in front of me. His mother, Mary Ann, wore all black and sobbed all the way through the hearing. His sister Melissa, sat next to her mother and tried to comfort her. Somehow Melissa's dark eye makeup didn't smear through her own tears. Next to Melissa sat his other sister, Amanda, who looks just like him. At the end of the bench, Bryan Kohberger's father, Michael, his face dissolving into tears even before the hearing began. Throughout the proceedings, Kohberger turned around to look at his family, giving them glances and nods. He waived his right to extradition, which meant he'd return to Moscow immediately to face charges. Some legal experts believe he may have waived his right to extradition as a tactical move. If he returned to Idaho right away, the state would need to be ready to prosecute him. Whereas choosing to fight extradition would have stalled matters and given the prosecution extra time to prepare their case. Kohberger bent awkwardly to sign the document with his left hand. He was still in cuffs as he was ushered out of the courtroom. He looked back at his seated family and, clear as day, mouthed the words, I love you. Kohberger left for Moscow the morning of January 4th on a plane so small it had to stop partway across the country to refuel. When he landed at the Pullman Moscow airport, there was a crowd gathered. The community wanted to see the man arrested for the killings. All the media was there again. Timmy and I had flown through the night to be in place, our cameras ready. This morning, Bryan Kohberger, the suspect Accused of brutally murdering four University of Idaho students in November. Now back in Moscow to face charges touching down overnight. On January 5, Kohberger was set to appear in Layta county court to officially receive the charges against him. This is a small courthouse in a small town unaccustomed to dealing with this level of attention from the press. As we made our way into the courtroom, all the national media, all the local media, newspapers, radio and the general public, I mean, everybody was talking and chatting in this narrow corridor. We were all crammed together and it was really loud. And then all of a sudden, the probable cause affidavit that lays out the case against Bryan Kohberger was posted on the court's website. You have never seen a group of media turn silent faster. Everybody pulled out their phones, racing through the document. The site crashed multiple times. Timmy and I were trying to open it on our computers. I was taking screen grabs of the affidavit on my phone to read it offline. Eventually, everyone from the press just sat down on the floor like they were cramming for a final exam. We didn't know how much time we would have to read it. We were going to be called into the courtroom at any second and we would have to leave our computers and phones behind. I remember hearing people's audible gasps as they read the document. A typical probable cause affidavit is pretty short, just a few pages. This document was 19 pages long. It contained information from the two surviving roommates, details about the evidence gathered in the King Road house, and Bryan Kohberger's alleged whereabouts in the early morning hours of November 13th. I didn't make it through all 19 pages before I had to go into court, but I immediately honed in on one part in particular, that one of the surviving roommates allegedly saw a figure inside the home the night of the murders. The affidavit goes through the alleged timeline the night of the murders. We've told you some of this timeline already. How one of the surviving roommates told authorities she was woken up around 4am by what she thought was Kaylee playing with her dog. She heard a voice saying what sounded like, there's someone here. But she couldn't quite tell who was speaking. According to the affidavit, that same roommate then opened the door to her second floor bedroom to investigate, but didn't see anything. She opened her door again after she heard what sounded like crying coming from Zanna's room, followed by a male voice saying, it's okay. I'm going to help you. She opened her door a final time and froze in shock when she saw a male figure dressed in black, wearing a mask covering his nose and mouth. As he began walking towards her, one set of features in particular leapt out at her. His bushy eyebrows. She stood in her doorway, unable to move, and watched the figure walk toward the sliding glass door leading outside to the back patio. When finally she could move again, she shut her bedroom door and locked herself in. In addition to the roommate story, we also learned that at 4:17am a neighbor's outdoor camera picked up distorted audio of what sounded like whimpering or maybe a voice followed by a loud thud. I was later told by a source that police believe these were the sounds of Kaylee fighting her attacker. At the same time, a dog, possibly her dog Murphy, could be heard barking. But perhaps the biggest bombshell we learned in the affidavit is that law enforcement was able to collect DNA from the scene of the crime that they believe belongs to the killer. According to the affidavit, the Idaho State Crime Lab found DNA on a knife sheath that they recovered from Maddie's bed next to her body. A law enforcement source told me later that saying the sheath was located on the bed next to Madison is a bit misleading that it was discovered sort of underneath her. Giving investigators an indication that the suspect might have lost sight of it during the attack. The sheath belonged to a military fighting knife described as a K bar with a 7 inch blade. We talked with an expert in forensic sciences to better understand what's called touch DNA. Dr. Daniel Padini explains how easy it is to leave your DNA behind.

[Dr. Daniel Padini]

The sample collected from the button of this knife sheet yielded a single source male DNA profile, meaning that it originated from a single individual. To confirm that they were the person that left their DNA on the knife sheet, they had to collect a sample directly from him or direct relatives.

[Kayna Whitworth]

And this is where the investigation started to feel more like something out of a TV show.

[Dr. Daniel Padini]

So what they did is they went through the trash of the family and were able to generate the DNA profile from objects that were collected from the trash. And the DNA profile was consistent from originating from the biological father of the DNA from the knife sheet.

[Kayna Whitworth]

We learned from the Pennsylvania State Police that for four days before his arrest, the FBI had Coburger under surveillance at his family home in the Poconos. According to the affidavit, on December 27, law enforcement seized some household garbage the Kohberger family had left outside for collection. They obtained DNA from the trash that they could compare with the sample from the knife sheath. And they got a match, a familial match.

[Dr. Daniel Padini]

Based on the results obtained in this case, we can say that there's 99.99998% probability that the individual that left their DNA on the trash that was tested is the biological father of, of the individual that touched the button of the knife sheet.

[Kayna Whitworth]

I was told by a source Coburger's DNA was later taken in jail and found to be a match to the DNA found on the sheath. Again, this is huge. It means DNA experts were able to show with a really high level of certainty that at some point Bryan Kohberger came into contact with the knife sheath left at the crime scene. The other big piece of evidence disclosed in the affidavit, the cell phone pings from Kohberger's phone in the early morning hours of November 13, before and after the murders took place. Authorities say they matched the location of Kohberger's cell phone to the places where a white Elantra was caught on camera, including the King Road neighborhood. According to the affidavit, Kohberger drove a white 2015 Hyundai Elantra. On one of our visits to Moscow, my producer Timmy and I retraced the 10 mile route. Law enforcement says Coburger's phone traveled from Pullman, Washington, where he lived, to King Road and the longer out of the way route they say he took back. So if this is the route, he would have driven directly past two cell towers. At 2:42am on November 13, the night of the murders, authorities say Coburger's phone pinged off a cell tower in Pullman near his residence. Five minutes later, at 2:47, the phone pinged off a different tower. It was now traveling south, headed out of town. We're at an intersection and you see the signs must go one way home. In the other, there's another cell tower right there. Cell phones rely on these towers for service and leave behind a data trail of where the phone has connected. A connection with a tower is referred to as a ping. The cell phone data doesn't pinpoint the exact location of a phone, but can give a rough idea of the area where the phone has been. A cell tower's range can be anywhere from under a mile in densely populated areas to about 25 miles in rural sprawls. According to the affidavit, while Kohberger's phone was on its way out of Pullman, at 2:47am the phone stopped reporting to the network, indicating it was either turned off or put on airplane Mode. A half hour later, security cameras in Moscow picked up a white Elantra passing the house on King Road three times between 3:20am and and 4:04am Authorities believe the murders took place between 4 and 4:25am The Elantra was then seen passing by the house a fourth and final time around 4:20am heading south out of town. The phone didn't report to the network again until 4:48am at which point it was on State Highway 95 south of Moscow. At 5:30am the morning of the murders, Coburger's phone traveled back to Pullman toward his home. As we were driving, we immediately realize this is a really roundabout way to get from the crime scene back to Pullman. There's a much more direct route between the two towns that would take about 20 minutes. It took us roughly 50 minutes to get from the murder scene back to Bryan Kohberger's apartment following the cell phone pings mentioned in the affidavit of how authorities believe he returned home. So that's strange and it's tough to know what to make of that route and the fact that according to authorities, Coburger's cell phone seems to turn off and on. The affidavit says the suspect's phone made one more trip back to Moscow the next morning, well after the murders. Between 9:12 and 9:21am Coburger's cell phone pinged off a tower that shares service with King Road. But the house would have still been quiet. No police or emergency medical services outside, no crowd of observers, no media reporting on the horrific crimes. Yet it would still be two and a half more hours before anyone would call 911. The house held a secret that authorities say only the killer knew. When I learned of his alleged final visit, I couldn't help but wonder if police indeed had the right suspect in custody. What was he hoping to see when he went back? Had he hoped to see an active crime scene? Panic and mayhem. At the start of this investigation, the lack of information shared by Moscow PD was confusing, leading the community to wonder if detectives were in over their heads. Lauren Patterson is the local public radio reporter who was so shocked when she went down to the police station the morning after the murders and learned police weren't answering any questions. Lauren says in hindsight, it makes more sense.

[Kathy Mabbit]

A lot of times when the police are working a case like this, they're sometimes using the public information forms to throw people off, to make the suspect think that they're not onto him. They don't have anything. So it's sort of ironic that everyone thinks that the cops were a great big joke this whole time, when in reality that can be a tactic. If you think and you're laughing to yourself that the local police force doesn't have a clue, maybe that's a chance for someone to slip up.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Looking back, what we were interpreting as struggling now looks more like a calculated strategy. Knowing what I know now, it's more understandable why Moscow PD was so tight lipped as they conducted their search. It turns out police believe they had a lot of information, all recounted in that affidavit. The touch DNA taken from the scene, the white Elantra caught on camera near the house the night of the murders, and the whereabouts of the suspect's cell phone before and after the murders took place. In talking with people in Moscow, I could tell right away they were breathing a collective sigh of relief knowing there had been an arrest, especially the families of the victims like Steve Gonzalez, who never stopped working to keep the case in the headlines.

[Steve Gonzalez]

It felt like a cloud was lifted off of us. It definitely provided relief and comfort to know that things were progressing.

[Kayna Whitworth]

But then, of course, Bryan Kohberger's arrest raised all kinds of different questions. Questions like, did he know the victims? And if he is the killer, why did he target these four college students? The day of the arrest, Bill Thompson, the prosecuting attorney, said there was still a great deal left to learn about Coburger. And now it was his turn to ask for the community's help.

[Sergeant Kurt Sproat]

This is not the end of this investigation. In fact, this is a new beginning. You all now know the name of the person who has been charged with these offenses. 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.

[Kayna Whitworth]

In our next episode, we'll learn about the man police believe is the killer and hear from people who knew him.

[Kathy Mabbit]

One of the last things he said.

[Kayna Whitworth]

To me is, I love you guys.

[Kathy Mabbit]

Meeting our friend group and I will.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Always love you guys even if we stop talking one day.

[Kathy Mabbit]

So at the time it was really endearing.

[Kayna Whitworth]

Now it's kind of creepy, but the King Road Killings is a production of ABC Audio. If you value this reporting, please share it with others and give us a review on Apple Podcasts. This podcast was written by Timmy Truong, Meg Fierro, Vika Aronson and me, Kayna Whitworth. Our supervising producer is Sasha Eslanian. Our story editor is Tracy Samuelson. Fact checkers Amirah Williams and Anna Cabal. Original music by Soundboard mixing by Rick Kwan. Arielle Chester is our social media producer. Special thanks to Erin Katursky, Julie Scott, Lisa Soloway, Sean Dooley, Josh Margolin, Santina Lucci, John Cappell, Nick Cerrone, Olivia Oster, Jenna Harrison and Liz Alessi. Josh Cohan is ABC Audio's director of podcast programming. Laura Mayer is our executive producer.

[Brad Milke]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. It's Brad Milke, host of ABC's Daily News podcast Start Here. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer. To compare rates for multiple car insurance companies all at once, try it at progressive. Com, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.