Bryan Kohberger’s Communications Following Idaho Murders

Shortly after the brutal killings of four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger made multiple phone calls to his mother. On November 13, 2022, he called her at 6:17 a.m. upon arriving at his residence at Washington State University, after the quadruple homicide in Moscow. Prior to that, he first attempted to contact her around 6:13 a.m., and when she did not answer, he promptly called his father, according to investigators.

She eventually answered, and they spoke for about 36 minutes. During the conversation, Kohberger was believed to be en route back to the crime scene, which he visited around 9 a.m. for roughly ten minutes. About an hour after their initial lengthy call, he contacted her again at 8:03 a.m., resulting in a 54-minute discussion. These contacts suggest he was updating her during his drive back to the scene.

Throughout the day, Kohberger’s calls with his mother totaled nearly three hours. He also had a brief two-minute call at 4:05 p.m. and a lengthy 96-minute call at 5:53 p.m., which was likely shortly before he was near the crime site. Phone records reveal he sometimes contacted her as early as 4 a.m., all while using a Samsung Galaxy phone purchased in June.

Interestingly, Kohberger powered his phone off completely during the murders, between 2:54 a.m. and 4:48 a.m., a move believed to be for self-protection. His phone was fully charged at the time he turned it off, countering defense claims that the device simply lost power. Investigator Heather Barnhart noted this moment was pivotal, providing significant insight into his behavior during the incident.

As the investigation unfolded, Kohberger’s communication patterns indicated close ties with his family but a lack of contact with friends outside it. Recently, he pleaded guilty to the murders to avoid the death penalty, receiving a life sentence. During his sentencing, he showed no emotion towards his family and was escorted out of court in handcuffs. He is currently housed at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.