The King Road Killings Update: A Longer Road to Justice

Summary

The King Road Killings Update: A Longer Road to Justice

Introduction & Context

In the chilling winter of 2022, four University of Idaho students—Kaylee Gonzalez, Madison Mogen, Zanna Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—were brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus residence on King Road in Moscow, Idaho. This heinous crime sent shockwaves through the small community and garnered national media attention. In the latest episode of The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery, ABC News Correspondent Kayna Whitworth provides a comprehensive update on the case against Bryan Kohberger, the 29-year-old criminology PhD student charged with the murders. Released on February 2, 2024, the episode titled "The King Road Killings Update: A Longer Road to Justice" delves deep into recent developments, the struggles of the victims' families, and the ongoing quest for justice.

Court Hearing Developments

Technical Dispute and Trial Date Setting

The episode opens with Whitworth's return to Moscow, Idaho, where she attends a critical court hearing for Bryan Kohberger. The King Road house, the grisly crime scene, was demolished in December, marking a significant milestone in the community's healing process.

Prosecutor Bill Thompson emphasizes the urgency of moving the trial forward, stating, “We really need to move forward” [06:10]. The defense, led by Ann Taylor, raised a technical dispute regarding the grand jury's indictment, questioning the jury instructions. Taylor argued for the ability to appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court, explaining the immense volume of evidence the defense must review:

“To put it in perspective, one terabyte can hold 250,000 pictures. One terabyte and we have 51 of those or 500 hours of high-definition video. So 500 hours times 51 or 6.5 million document pages and that's equal to 1300 filing cabinets. And we have 51 terabytes, not just one. So that's a lot.” [08:10]

Prosecutor Jeff Nye countered, warning that an appeal would cause significant delays:

“The idea that we would hit the pause button and take power away from this court...it's not something that this court or any court should tolerate. It's time for a trial, you, Honor.” [04:26-04:31]

Ultimately, Judge John Judge denied Kohberger's request for an appeal, aligning with the prosecution's stance that further delays would only prolong the community's anguish.

Setting a Trial Date

The prosecution proposed scheduling the trial for the summer of the same year to minimize disruption to the small town, highlighting logistical challenges such as limited hotel accommodations:

“At this time right now, we believe that we could be prepared for trial summer of this year.” [06:42]

However, the defense opposed this timeline, advocating for a summer 2025 trial to adequately prepare their case. Ann Taylor detailed the extensive preparation required, including reviewing 51 terabytes of evidence and interviewing fewer than 10% of 400 potential witnesses.

The judge, torn between the need for timely justice and the defense's need for thorough preparation, ultimately did not set a definitive trial date, leaving families in a state of uncertainty.

Victims' Families' Perspectives

Kaylee's Family's Struggles

The heart of the episode centers on the devastating impact on the victims' families, particularly Kaylee Gonzalez's parents, Steve and Christy Gonsalves. They express profound frustration and sorrow over the prolonged legal process:

“These are the last moments of your child's life and you're sitting here fighting with somebody who just doesn't care.” [01:21]

Steve Gonsalves shares the emotional toll of waiting for justice:

“It's already been over a year...we have felt every minute of that year.” [14:05]

Christy echoes this sentiment, highlighting the loss of control over their lives:

“You just get used to letting them represent your child. But they're gonna do it in their own way...you just have to roll with that.” [14:36]

University of Idaho's Response

The University of Idaho faced criticism from the families regarding its handling of the crisis, notably through a book published by the university president, Scott Greene. The Gonsalves family felt the university prioritized institutional metrics over genuine empathy:

“Business over justice. That's really what that's saying. You know, we had a job and we got to get our enrollment numbers up.” [16:27]

Despite efforts to create a healing garden and manage the return of personal belongings, families remain dissatisfied with the transparency and sensitivity of the university's actions.

House Demolition Controversy

The demolition of the King Road house, where the murders occurred, became a flashpoint of contention. The Gonzalves family, alongside other victims' families, vehemently opposed the destruction of the house, fearing it would erase a critical piece of evidence and memorial for their loved ones.

Steve Gonsalves recounted the moment of the house's demolition:

“I turned on the TV and the house was being torn down. They were actually taking a swipe at Kaylee's room. Right when I turned on the TV, the whole front was gone. And I was literally like, that's literally Kaylee's room. That's why I think just took. It was horrible.” [21:20-21:22]

Despite a petition garnering thousands of signatures and last-minute pleas from the families, the university proceeded with the demolition three days after Christmas, citing the need to reduce the crime scene's sensationalization and alleviate the impact on the student body.

Handling of Personal Belongings

A significant source of distress for the families revolves around the handling and return of the victims' personal items. The Gonsalves family, in particular, struggled to retrieve meaningful possessions from the house. They criticized law enforcement for withholding items, including Kaylee's cell phone, which contained irreplaceable photos and videos:

“The reason we felt like we had to get legal counsel is because we went and we asked multiple times, like, what items do you have of hers? And they refused to give us even a legal list of the things that they took of our daughters.” [22:47]

While some items were returned through a staged modular home setup, the families felt the process was impersonal and incomplete. Steve Gonsalves noted discrepancies in the evidence collection:

“The way things were labeled felt impersonal to Kaylee's parents...nothing said Kaylee. It was all bedroom number two.” [24:24]

Retired NYPD Chief Robert Boyce explained that all items containing human DNA are tested and only irrelevant items are returned, which can include contaminated evidence. This rigorous process, while standard, left families questioning the thoroughness and sensitivity of the evidence handling.

General Community Impact

The atrocity has left an indelible mark on Moscow, Idaho. The community grapples with fear, grief, and frustration as the legal process drags on. Whitworth highlights the diverse reactions within the courtroom, from local reporters to grieving family members, all united in their desire for closure.

Judge John's deliberation reflects the broader tension between ensuring a fair trial and delivering swift justice. The prosecutor's plea to avoid delays underscores the community's need to move forward, while the defense's request highlights the complexities of handling an overwhelming amount of evidence.

Conclusion: Ongoing Struggle & Upcoming Trial

As Bryan Kohberger maintains his innocence, the path to justice remains fraught with challenges. The victims' families, particularly the Gonzalves, continue to endure immense emotional pain, questioning whether the death penalty can ever truly bring closure.

Chris Gonsalves poignantly states:

“There is no justice. You know, him dying is not going to bring her back.” [31:44]

With a lack of a set trial date and the possibility of a summer 2025 trial, the community remains in limbo, yearning for answers and justice. The King Road Killings series promises to keep listeners informed as the case progresses, offering a window into the enduring impact of this tragic event on Moscow, Idaho.

Notable Quotes

• Steve Gonsalves: “The house was coming down?” [20:35]
• Christy Gonsalves: “Business over justice. That's really what that's saying.” [16:27]
• Ann Taylor (Defense Attorney): “There is no way that I am effective assistance of counsel. I haven't looked at every bit of discovery that's available.” [09:25]

Final Thoughts

The King Road Killings Update: A Longer Road to Justice provides a poignant and detailed exploration of the ongoing quest for truth and closure in the aftermath of a tragic crime. Through heartfelt interviews and meticulous reporting, ABC News Correspondent Kayna Whitworth captures the emotional and procedural complexities faced by a community striving to heal while seeking justice.

Transcript

[Kana Whitworth]

The sun is coming up now. It's gorgeous. It's a gorgeous pink, pink sky. I'm Kaina Whitworth. I came back to Moscow, Idaho, recently to bring you some updates. Sometimes from the wee hours of the morning, we spend a lot of time driving around Moscow at weird times to accommodate all the shows that we file for on abc. And so we see Moscow in a lot of different lights or really, really dark. I came for a court hearing for Brian Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022. Kohberger, now 29 years old and a former grad student in criminology, maintains his innocence. In the town of Moscow, the King Road house where the murders took place is gone. It was torn down in December.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Early this morning, the home that once stood here on King Road reduced to rubble and away. And while some are ready to move forward on the healing journey, others worry that this may all be too soon.

[Kana Whitworth]

The victim's families have retrieved their children's possessions from the house, but there are still some precious items they're pushing law enforcement to return, particularly photos on a cell phone.

[Christy Gonsalves]

These are the last moments of your child's life and you're sitting here fighting with somebody who just doesn't care.

[Kana Whitworth]

In December, the president of the University of Idaho published a book on crisis management, including his handling of the tragedy.

[Bill Thompson]

So we just received our books, the University President's Crisis Handbook, and we're about to do an opening here and see what they look like.

[Kana Whitworth]

After the initial trial date was postponed from last October, the families are still waiting for their day in court.

[Bill Thompson]

It's time for a trial, you, Honor.

[Kana Whitworth]

This is the King Road killings. UPDATE along a road to justice. Foreign.

[Bill Thompson]

We are on the record. This is State of Idaho vs Brian Coburger, case number CR 2922.

[Kana Whitworth]

This hearing last Friday, January 26th, in Brian Coburger's case wasn't like a lot of others I'd been to in the late county courthouse in the past. They were full of national media for the first time, this one was live streamed. But inside the courtroom, it mostly appeared to be locals. There were reporters from the University of Idaho student newspaper, the Argonaut. There were students wearing Vandala sweatshirts and a row full of younger college aged girls. I sat behind family members of Kaylee Gonzalez and Madison Mogan, who you'll remember were two of the victims. The other two were Zanna Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. In the courtroom, all seven or so of Kaylee and Maddie's family Members were squeezed into one row. They could have spread out. The courtroom was fairly open, but it was like they wanted to be a united front, shoulder to shoulder. And when Brian Coburger walked in, I saw their heads pop up. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a yellow shirt and a yellow tie. His attorney, Ann Taylor, walked in wearing a plum colored suit. Her long blonde hair was curled. She was joined by a couple of other defense attorneys. The prosecutor, Bill Thompson, was there, along with his assistant prosecutors. His long white beard is probably the first thing anyone notices about him. The hearing was focused on two things. First, the defense had raised a technical dispute. And second, it was time to set a trial date, a trial the nation will be watching for. A crime that's plagued this small community for more than a year. On the first issue, the technical one, the defense wants the grand jury's indictment thrown out. They object to how the jury instructions were given. Judge John Judge, yes, that's his name. Had already denied that request. But Jay Logsdon from the defense team wanted him to reconsider it and allow them to appeal to a higher court.

[Bill Thompson]

What we're asking the court to do is to give us the court's blessing to take up the issue to the Idaho Supreme Court.

[Kana Whitworth]

The prosecution's Jeff Nye argued that an appeal would significantly delay the trial.

[Bill Thompson]

The idea that we would hit the pause button and take power away from this court because there is a interesting issue for the Idaho Supreme Court to address, is not something that this court or any court should tolerate. It's time for a trial, you, Honor.

[Kana Whitworth]

Remember, this is a death penalty case. And in their efforts to sway the judge, the defense tried to illustrate exactly how high the stakes are with every decision the court makes.

[Bill Thompson]

Whether or not the case makes its way to trial at some point is, in our mind, just part of what the court has to look at. Particularly in a case where the state's decided that it wants to try to kill someone.

[Kana Whitworth]

The state's decided that it wants to try to kill someone. It was a dramatic line, but it seemed to fall flat in the courtroom. There wasn't much reaction, except for prosecutor Bill Thompson, who really took issue with it. He pushed back hard.

[Bill Thompson]

He makes the allegation the state is trying to kill someone here. And frankly, I find that offensive. We are simply trying to fulfill our responsibilities under the law. To characterize it as the state is trying to kill someone, it's just simply appealing to raw emotion, and it has no place in this courtroom. We would ask that that not be.

[Kana Whitworth]

Allowed any further Ultimately, the judge denied Bryan Kohberger's request for an appeal over the grand jury instructions. The judge agreed with the prosecution that an appeal would only stall the process. And if the indictment were thrown out, another grand jury would almost certainly re indict him.

[Bill Thompson]

We really need to move forward.

[Kana Whitworth]

And then they moved on to the one thing everyone had been waiting for.

[Bill Thompson]

I think we are ready to go to setting a trial or at least a schedule.

[Kana Whitworth]

The judge approached this cautiously. He knows how many people both inside this courtroom and around the country are invested in this trial getting started. The courtroom was silent, in wrapped attention. The prosecution proposed a start date.

[Bill Thompson]

At this time right now, we believe that we could be prepared for trial summer of this year.

[Kana Whitworth]

They said summer would be less disruptive for the community.

[Bill Thompson]

I say that because right across the street there is Moscow High School. The chairs, parking all around the courthouse with everybody else who's going to have an interest in this case and being here. And we've already encountered the conflict between those interests. We can't sustain that for weeks and weeks on end. That's just not fair to the students, it's not fair to the school district, it's not fair to the media. It's not fair to anybody.

[Kana Whitworth]

The prosecutor also cited the lack of hotel rooms to put up all the expert witnesses and media and other people who will jam into this small town. The defense had a potential solution to that dilemma. They said they planned to file for a change of venue and this week they did just that. Kohberger's attorneys wrote in part, a fair and impartial jury cannot be found in Latah county owing to the extensive inflammatory pre trial publicity. As for the timing of the trial, Kohberger's lead attorney, Ann Taylor, said summer of 2024 wasn't realistic in any way. Her proposal summer of 2025. Then Taylor launched into a lengthy list of all the work she still has ahead of her to be ready for trial. Remember the 51 terabytes of evidence collected by investigators? Coburger's defense attorneys have to go through all of it.

[Ann Taylor]

To put it in perspective, one terabyte can hold 250,000 pictures. One terabyte and we have 51 of those or 500 hours of high definition video. So 500 hours times 51 or 6.5 million document pages and that's equal to 1300 filing cabinets. And we have 51 terabytes, not just one. So that's a lot. There's a lot to go through in this case.

[Kana Whitworth]

Taylor also said there are 400 potential witnesses and they've talked to fewer than 10% of them. She said many don't want to talk to her. And crucial expert witnesses haven't been hired yet. Since the murders took place, 9, 000 tips have come into the FBI and the Defense has to review all of them. As Taylor was listing all the things she'd need to do to prep for Coburger's trial, there was a moment where she looked down at her client and he looked back up at her, wide eyed, taking it all in. But as Taylor went through her list, the judge looked a little bored. He had his chin in his hand and shifted back and forth in his chair a few times. But then Co Burger's attorney said something that really seemed to catch the judge's attention.

[Ann Taylor]

There is no way that I am effective assistance of counsel. I haven't looked at every bit of discovery that's available. That's the duty I owe to Brian. That's his right for effective assistance of counsel to have me do those things.

[Kana Whitworth]

Effective assistance of counsel. As soon as Taylor uttered those four words, the tide changed in that room. It's something the judge is alert to because if Kohberger is convicted and can later prove his attorney made a big mistake, he could appeal the case and get retried. And the judge doesn't want that to happen.

[Bill Thompson]

So it doesn't come back.

[Kana Whitworth]

One trial, one time. It's something he said over and over again. So bottom line, the judge doesn't want to rush the defense. At the same time, this quadruple homicide happened in November of 2022. A trial in 2025 means making the victim's families wait nearly three years for their day in court. And the judge was clearly struggling with the weight of that.

[Bill Thompson]

It's really hard for me right now to set something in 2025, even though that might be just the reality. My heart goes out to the victims. I can't even imagine the pain, the grief because you can't really go forward with your life is hanging over your head. So sorry.

[Kana Whitworth]

In the end, no trial date was set. I didn't have to see the Gonzalez family's faces to know how they were reacting to all of this. They were crestfallen. It was another in a string of disappointments.

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[Kana Whitworth]

All the victims families have been waiting for a court date. Before our visit to Moscow, we reached out to them. Ethan, Zanna and Maddie's parents declined to be interviewed at this time. But Kaylee's parents, Steve and Christy, were willing to meet with us. They have a lot on their minds, like Kaylee's phone data. They've gotten some of it back from authorities, but not all. They hope to get a few more glimpses of Kaylee's life. The day before Kohberger's hearing, I drove to Coeur d'Alene about 90 minutes north of Moscow to talk with Kristi and Steve and bring their story to Good Morning America. As we hear from the family of Kaylee Gonzalez, they're sharing never before released images of their daughter. And our Kana Whitworth sat down with them and joined us from Moscow, Idaho. Good morning, Kaina, Michael, Good morning. An incredibly emotional conversation. Kaylee's mom says she feels like they've been in limbo now for more than a year. And while she's. We set up our cameras in an Airbnb. There's a lot going on in the Gonzalez household these days with two new grandbabies, and we wanted a place where they could talk without any interruptions. Christy had her makeup and hair done. She was wearing several necklaces, and one that stood out to me had the letter G on it for Gonzalez. Yep, Here we go. You guys okay?

[Christy Gonsalves]

Yep.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Are you ready yet?

[Kana Whitworth]

As we were getting ready to start, Steve gave Christy a little kiss on the cheek like he always does. And then she cozied into him and we started rolling. Since we've met each other, I promise I'm not going to ask the question of how are you, but where are you? So where are you right now?

[Christy Gonsalves]

Just one day at a time.

[Steve Gonsalves]

It's already Been over a year, like, you know, and, I mean, we have felt every minute of that year.

[Kana Whitworth]

Christy and Steve are both eager for the trial to get started, and they say they'll fight to the end to get justice for Kaylee, but the case is out of their hands.

[Steve Gonsalves]

It's just really hard to put your. Your trust, your hope, your faith in the hands of other people. You know, it's like, it's so hard. Your life is out of control. When you can't have control of your own life, it's out of control.

[Christy Gonsalves]

You just get used to letting them represent your child. But they're gonna do it in their own way. They're not gonna do it in the way that you would do. So you just have to roll with that. But it just makes it that much more that you want it to be over with so you can have control of your own life.

[Kana Whitworth]

The Gonsalves family has also felt at odds with the University of Idaho in how it's communicated with them. And it was a bit of a surprise to them when the murders showed up as a chapter in a book co authored by the University of Idaho's president, Scott Greene. The book came out this past December and was titled the University President's Handbook of Crisis Management. Here's a clip from a promotional video on the university's website.

[Bill Thompson]

When I started as president at the University of Idaho in 2019, I knew.

[Kana Whitworth]

There were challenges awaiting. But no one could have predicted that.

[Bill Thompson]

Our community would have to manage three.

[Kana Whitworth]

Major crises in four years. Did you know the president was going to publish a book that would have a chapter about the murders?

[Christy Gonsalves]

He sent an email one time saying that he was.

[Kana Whitworth]

The chapter is dedicated to the four victims, and President Green writes that there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't think about them. Proceeds from the book will go to funding a healing garden on campus. I'm going to share a passage with you that stood out to me, he writes. One metric that would determine how well the university handled the crisis would be spring enrollment. And on January 27th of 2023, the university reported that spring enrollment at the University of Idaho was up. Undergraduate Enrollment increased by 3.5%.

[Christy Gonsalves]

Business over justice. That's really what that's saying. You know, we had a job and we got to get our enrollment numbers up.

[Kana Whitworth]

I've never been able to interview President Green, and I've been asking him since the day after the murders. ABC's requests to speak with him about his book were also declined, but a spokesperson did respond Writing we recognize this entire situation is the most emotional for the families of the victims. The book is not intended to diminish that in any way, but to speak to how the University of Idaho responded and kept its entire student body and staff, as well as the victims and their families, at the forefront of all decisions. One small world connection that we learned that wasn't in the book is, is that President Green's family once owned the King Road house. They bought it in the late 60s and sold it in the early 70s when the president was a small boy. It was one of several properties owned by the family. We were told by the university that President Green has no memories of the house and did not grow up there. To Kaylee's parents, though, not mentioning such a personal connection to the home where their daughter was killed seems remarkable.

[Christy Gonsalves]

Just come out. I mean, you can't help but if your family owned an investment property, let's nothing be ashamed of. Just come out and own it. Quit doing these sealed bodies.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Everything is just so secretive.

[Kana Whitworth]

And just a few weeks after the book came out, 1122 King Road became a point of contention between the Gonzalez family and the university again. This time, the fight would be about the fate of the home itself. Remember, the university now owns the property. The private landlord donated it after the murders, and Kaylee's parents wanted the house to remain standing at least through the trial, so there'd be the possibility that the jury could walk through it. The university had delayed the demolition once in the fall of last year for the sake of the families, but ultimately they made the decision to move ahead with tearing down the house. The university said both the prosecution and the defense have had access. The FBI took measurements and pictures to construct a physical model of the home so jurors can see the layout. And according to a university press release, neither the defense nor the prosecution asked for the home to be retained. Ethan Chapin's parents released a statement saying, we're supportive of the decision to take down the King street house for the good of the university, its students, including our own kids, and the community of Moscow. Remember, Ethan didn't live in the King Road house, but his two surviving triplets still attend the University of Idaho. And you could see the home from the Sigma Chi frat house where Ethan's brother Hunter is a member. For the University of Idaho's part, they put out a press release on December 14th of last year that quotes President Green saying, the house is the grim reminder of the heinous act that took place there. The university said it Wanted the house demolished to decrease further impact to the students who live in the area. And in the past, the university has said it believes leaving the house would further sensationalize the crime scene. Christy doesn't agree.

[Steve Gonsalves]

I don't want to say that we could care less about the community there. Of course not, you know, but you know, the way, I mean, from my understanding of where the house is, it's not like smack dab where everybody has to drive, you know, it's kind of in a location that you really only have to go buy it if you want to or if you live right there, you know, so, you know, you don't have to go buy that house. And I understand, being a neighbor. I mean, I do sympathize with that, but that shouldn't. I don't know.

[Kana Whitworth]

Steve and Chrissy say they found out the demolition was coming over email just hours before the university put out a press release to the public.

[Steve Gonsalves]

An email?

[Kana Whitworth]

Yeah, you wait, the university told you via email?

[Steve Gonsalves]

Yes.

[Kana Whitworth]

The house was coming down?

[Steve Gonsalves]

Yes.

[Kana Whitworth]

No one called to talk to you about it? They fought it to the last minute. So did others. Someone launched a petition on Change.org that collected thousands of signatures. The day before the excavator came to tear down the house, the Gonzalez family, along with Zana Kernodles, put out a statement pleading to keep the house standing. But three days after Christmas, the demolition went ahead.

[Steve Gonsalves]

I was up at like 3 that morning. Steve and I were sitting there talking. He left for work and it was a little after 6:40ish, 6:42 before the.

[Kana Whitworth]

Sun'S up in the dark.

[Steve Gonsalves]

I turned on the TV and the house was being torn down. They were actually taking a swipe at Kaylee's room. Right when I turned on the tv, the whole front was gone. And I was literally like, that's literally Kaylee's room. That's why I think just took. It was horrible.

[Kana Whitworth]

Here we go. My producer Timmy and I drove to the site where the house on King Road once stood. Oh, my heart's racing actually. Oh my gosh. This is totally gone. The lot is now a big empty patch of dirt with a metal construction type fence around it. They've covered the soil in straw. So empty and sad. There was a lot of life in that house at one point and there is not a single thing left of it. Kaylee's parents, like the other victims families, did get to retrieve their daughter's belongings from the house before it was torn down. But they've been critical of the way law enforcement has communicated with them.

[Christy Gonsalves]

The reason we felt like we had to get legal counsel is because we went and we asked multiple times, like, what items do you have of hers? And they refused to give us even a legal list of the things that they took of our daughters.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Like what things were, like, evidence.

[Christy Gonsalves]

There's just things missing that are not anywhere. And they don't even say that they're coming back to us. They don't even acknowledge they have them.

[Kana Whitworth]

ABC News reached out to law enforcement in Moscow to ask about this, but there's a gag order in effect on the case, preventing the authorities from talking with us. But for the belongings that were returned to the Gonzalez family and the other victims families as well, the university staged a modular home with all the contents released by investigators. Family members could walk through and gather what they wanted to take home. Christy describes the scene.

[Steve Gonsalves]

It was kind of like a garage sale style, like tables. There was a living room area. There was a. The upstairs bathroom. So everything from the bathroom, the upstairs bathroom, was Kaylee and Maddie's. There was, you know, the kitchen. I mean, even the food items. They even.

[Kana Whitworth]

It was dark inside. And Christy and Steve say they were given headlamps to see the items they were supposed to pick up. The modular home had all the contents of the house laid out like a snapshot frozen in time from November 13, 2022, the day of the murders.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Even the dirty dishes, like, exactly how they were, were. Were bagged up in clear plastic bags and in the kitchen area of the modular. So, yeah, we. Yeah, like, literally moldy dishes that were in the sink.

[Kana Whitworth]

The way things were labeled felt impersonal to Kaylie's parents.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Nothing said Kaylee. It was all bedroom number two. So our daughter is bedroom number two.

[Kana Whitworth]

And the waste paper basket in bedroom number two was still full of trash.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Her little garbage can in her bedroom with her garbage in it laying on top was a little squeezy applesauce thing that you would give to, like, a toddler. I'm like, Kaylee with their little apple. Squeezy applesauce lay right on top.

[Kana Whitworth]

Wait, but I'm sorry, was the trash can full?

[Steve Gonsalves]

Yeah, it did not appear to have been gone through.

[Kana Whitworth]

And that made Steve and Kristi question whether all the evidence had really been collected. Now, Kaylee and Maddie's bodies were found in Maddie's room, and the trash can was in Kaylee's room, where none of the victims were located. But we know from sources that there were other objects boxed up for return to families that were spattered in Blood. We reached out to retired NYPD Chief of Detectives and ABC News contributor Robert Boyce to understand what's typical when it comes to returning items to families while at the same time preserving evidence. The retired chief said every item at a crime scene that contains human DNA get sent to be tested. And evidence from high profile cases like this one gets carefully screened.

[Bill Thompson]

Let's understand there's three different agencies, at least, who are involved in this crime scene. The FBI, the state police, and also the local police out there as well. So these three agencies, all getting together with a singular prosecutor's office, has to go through each thing that's released back to the families. So there's certain high level of scrutiny here.

[Kana Whitworth]

After the testing is done, anything that's deemed irrelevant to investigators gets returned to the families. That means food, encrusted plates, garbage, even things contaminated with blood are given back. And as hard as that might be, they're returned exactly how they were.

[Steve Gonsalves]

You know, it was sad seeing, you know, like, her deodorant and things like that, you know, like a brush.

[Kana Whitworth]

Yeah, you put the lid on it and think, we'll use it tomorrow. In all, police have said they gathered more than a hundred pieces of physical evidence from the King Road home, along with some 4000 photos and 3D scans of the residents. The person at the university who had to oversee returning the students possessions to their families was Blaine Echols, the Vice Provost for Student affairs and dean of students. We talked about it as we walked through the site of the proposed healing garden on campus. He says they took it all very seriously and tried to be sensitive, both emptying the house and returning the personal effects to families.

[Blaine Echols]

We put a very intentional process in place on how we could very deliberately and sensitively extract the belongings from the house and get it into a different location so that the families could come in on their time, take the time they needed to go through and collect whatever belongings they wanted. And so we were able to identify another building on campus with multiple rooms to where we could put the belongings that came out of one bedroom into that another one there and created a space so the families could walk through at their own pace to take what we want. And then, you know, with their understanding and permission, then when everyone went through, we got rid of it.

[Kana Whitworth]

Echols says the university tried to give all the families a chance to retrieve their loved ones belongings, whether they could make it to Moscow or not.

[Blaine Echols]

That was an emotional process, but again, I marvel at how the families navigated through it. One family we worked with on Zoom they were not local. We walked through the stuff, my associate dean and I holding the video, and then we're going through the boxes for them.

[Kana Whitworth]

It was a heartbreaking job for Steve and Christy, going through those everyday objects that Kaylee would never touch again. But the Gonzalves family got it done.

[Steve Gonsalves]

We did go down with a big truck and a flatbed trailer in her car, and we got everything that we could. It was sad.

[Kana Whitworth]

One item they did not come home with is Kaylee's cell phone. They want to see the photos Kaylee took on her last visit home. Selfies Kaylee took with her mom walking the dogs. Pictures of her and her sister. These were memories of her last days, and they want them. What they did get recently is a thumb drive. They say police promised them at least 4,500 photos from Kaylee's iCloud account. Instead, they say they got a fraction of that. 450 random pictures and three videos.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Some are older pictures. Some are newer. Some are just duplicate. Duplicate. Over, over, over, same picture. Over, over, over, over. There's no time frame. Like, oh, this is the months of this. I mean. And like I said, there's not even. I mean, you could scroll once, twice on a laptop screen, and you're at the bottom.

[Kana Whitworth]

I looked at the photos with Steven Christie. They showed Kaylee from junior high up through college. Pictures of her in a cowboy hat down in Boise celebrating her 21st birthday. They also showed me videos, too. Like one where Kaylee's tubing in a river with some other girls, including Maddie. Her back is sunburned. She's wearing sunglasses on her head, a Bud Light in her hand, telling her friends a story and making them laugh. One time, my grandma took us on a float. She swore by it.

[Steve Gonsalves]

She loved it.

[Kana Whitworth]

This exact thing happened where she's like.

[Steve Gonsalves]

It'S just right around the corner. Pretty soon, sun was going down.

[Kana Whitworth]

It was literally like 50 degrees outside.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Our all our tubes had popped.

[Christy Gonsalves]

These are the last moments of your child's life, and you're sitting here fighting with somebody who just doesn't care. He doesn't care.

[Kana Whitworth]

Law enforcement can't talk with us about the phone data because of the gag order. Before I let Kristi and Steve go, there was one last thought that had been on my mind for a while that I wanted to put to them. The man accused of killing your daughter had a birthday.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Mm.

[Kana Whitworth]

In the Latah County Jail.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Mm.

[Kana Whitworth]

You've had two grandbabies.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Mm.

[Kana Whitworth]

And Kaylee didn't get to see her birthday.

[Christy Gonsalves]

Nope.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Nope.

[Christy Gonsalves]

His birthdays are going to come to an end, too. But we just got to get this case over. We got to get a schedule. Let's stop playing these delayed tactics. Let's just get it done. Success is justice. And figuring out we got the right guy and the community came together, jury members, the whole nine. And then the message is, you know, you come to Idaho, you do something like this, and you die for it. That's the message, and that's success.

[Kana Whitworth]

Bryan Kohberger maintains his innocence and has provided an alibi that he was out driving alone on the night of the murders and has spent more than a year in jail awaiting trial. Christy knows the death penalty won't bring an end to the pain, and she questions if it's even justice for what.

[Steve Gonsalves]

Happened, you know, in a way, even though, you know, we. We say it all the time, we're seeking justice, seeking justice, you know, but there is no justice. You know, him dying is not. Is not going to bring her back, you know? Yeah. I mean, it will be very short lived. You know, this is like a book, and that chapter will be closed, but the book never will be.

[Kana Whitworth]

The wound of these murders is going to continue to ache for Kaylee's parents and for the loved ones of all four victims. And as long as Bryan Kohberger maintains that he didn't commit these crimes, there will be a trial and it will be up to a jury to decide if he was the one who killed Kaylee, Maddie, Zanna, and Ethan. We'll be back with another update when there's more news on the case and once the trial is underway, which, according to what we heard in court, could be 2025. We'll be there wherever it takes place. The King Road Killings is a production of ABC Audio. This podcast was written by Timmy Truong, Meg Fierro, Vika Aronson, and me, Kana Whitworth. Our supervising producer is Sasha Eslanian. Fact checker Amira Williams. Original music by Soundboard Ariel Chester is our social media producer. A special thanks to Julie Scott, Josh Margolin, Sasha Pesnik, Santina Lucci, Nicholas Cerrone, and Liz Alessi. Josh Cohan is ABC Audio's director of public 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 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.