West
Bryan Kohberger trial: Idaho weather from night of student murders clouds 'moon and stars' alibi
It was a dark and cloudy night.
Bryan Kohberger, 30, was a Ph.D. student at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, Nov. 13, 2022, when prosecutors allege he took a short drive to the neighboring University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and killed four students in a 4 a.m. home invasion stabbing.
His defense says he was just out for a drive and didn’t go to the students’ apartment.
National Weather Service records Idaho prosecutors plan to introduce during his upcoming trial show fog, reduced visibility and low clouds at the time, according to Andrew Wulfeck, a FOX Weather meteorologist and digital producer.
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Prosecutors allege Bryan Kohberger took this selfie at 10:31 a.m. Nov. 13, 2022, about 6 hours after the murders of four University of Idaho students he is accused of killing. (Ada County Court)
It was not immediately clear why prosecutors wanted to introduce weather records in court filings, but it could be to dispute Kohberger’s purported alibi, that he “was out driving in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022; as he often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and stars.”
Prosecutors, who separately asked the court to throw that alibi out, have asked to introduce NWS records from Nov. 12 and 13, 2022, which show clouds, fog and below-average temperatures for the area.
Wulfeck said the fog didn’t appear dense enough to affect travel at the time but would have made “an unpleasant-looking evening.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER’S AMAZON RECORDS ARE ‘CATASTROPHIC’ FOR DEFENSE, ‘SMOKING GUN’ FOR PROSECUTORS, EXPERTS SAY
The former rental house at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, Nov. 16, 2022. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“In addition to the fog, the cloud deck appeared to be fairly low, which again likely contributed to it not being the greatest night for types of activities such as stargazing, if you weren’t able to find a break in the clouds,” he added.
He pulled the records himself and said he found notable points.
“Temperatures on both dates were either below or significantly below seasonal averages, which was likely due to a ridge of high pressure that had settled over the Mountain West,” he told Fox News Digital. “Data from weather observation sites provide a wealth of information, ranging from temperatures and wind speeds to sky conditions and even the typical times of sunrise and sunset.”
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Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and two other housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
The nearest observation site is at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, which is about halfway between Kohberger’s former apartment at Washington State University and the crime scene just steps off of the University of Idaho campus across the state line.
“It reported reduced visibility during the night of Nov. 12 and the morning of Nov. 13 due to fog, but the fog did not reach a level that would trigger alerts,” Wulfeck said. “Fog forms when the air temperature and dew point are at nearly identical values, which is common in eastern Washington and western Idaho during November.”
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Bryan Kohberger appears in court in Moscow, Idaho, Oct. 26, 2023. (Kai Eiselein/Pool)
Fog and clouds were in the forecast ahead of time, which meteorologists now know turned out to be accurate, he said.
While normal features may have been visible in the sky that night, he added, there was nothing remarkable like an eclipse or supermoon that a typical stargazer would be on the hunt for.
Kohberger’s team has asked the court to keep the weather records out of his upcoming trial, along with his Amazon shopping history and other key evidence.
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Exterior evening shot of the rear sliding door of the former off-campus rental house at 1122 King Road in November 2022. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
“[This is] another piece of information that does not appear to be shaping up in Kohberger’s favor,” said Boise defense attorney Edwina Elcox, who has been following the case. Last week, she said the revelation in court documents that Kohberger allegedly purchased a Ka-Bar knife and sheath set on Amazon was “catastrophic” to his defense.
The November 2022 slayings killed Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Under Mogen’s remains, police found a leather Ka-Bar sheath that prosecutors allege had Kohberger’s DNA on the snap.
Jury selection is scheduled for July 30, with an official start date of Aug. 11.
A previous judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger’s behalf at an arraignment in May 2023. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
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Las Vegas (Nev.) Arbor View quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher announced his commitment to Oregon State and broke down why he chose the Beavers.
After taking official visits to Oregon State, UNLV, UCF and Michigan, the talented signal caller announced for the Beavers moments ago.
“I’m very excited about my decision,” Thatcher said. “Coach Shep (Jamarcus Shephard) has assembled a really great staff and I’m really excited to work with coach (Mitch) Dahlen.
“Coach Dahlen has worked with so many draft picks and it’s really exciting to have the opportunity to be developed by someone like him.”
The potential to compete for early playing time was another big factor for Thatcher.
“They’re going to give me a chance to compete for a spot right away,” Thatcher said. “That’s something I was interested in and so I’m excited about the opportunity.
“My whole family gets along with the entire Oregon State staff and we really believe in Coach Shep. I really think he’s going to be able to get things back on track and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
We originally had a commit prediction in for Michigan with Thatcher and there was strong buzz he was close to committing following his unofficial visit back in early April.
Thatcher decided to take his official visits instead and the Beavers hosted him on May 29. Oregon State started to build momentum with Thatcher following the trip and the Beavs were able to hold off strong competition.
Thatcher is one of the region’s top dual-threat quarterbacks and two-sport athletes. He’s a talented basketball player as well but his fixture is on the grid-iron.
As a junior, Thatcher completed 168-240 passes (70%) for 2,625 yard and 29 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He also rushed for 605 yards and seven more scores and will be a four-year starter for the Aggies, one of the top teams in the state.
New Mexico
New Mexico AG launches criminal investigation into DEA over allegations agents let fentanyl flood state
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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Friday announced a criminal investigation into allegations that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach New Mexico communities while agents pursued larger criminal investigations.
The inquiry comes days after The Associated Press reported that DEA agents repeatedly monitored—but did not seize—large fentanyl shipments between 2023 and 2025 while attempting to build broader criminal cases.
Torrez said the investigation will examine potential legal remedies, including criminal prosecution, civil litigation and structural reforms intended to prevent similar conduct by DEA agents in the future.
“The families who have lost children, siblings, and parents to fentanyl deserve the truth about what the federal government knew and what it failed to do,” Torrez said in a statement.
‘ILLICIT’ VERSION OF FENTANYL LINKED TO DEADLY NEW MEXICO INCIDENT THAT SICKENED FIRST RESPONDERS
Photo released by the DEA shows fentanyl pills seized in New Mexico on April 28, 2025, as the agency faces scrutiny over allegations it allowed other shipments to reach the streets. (DEA via AP)
“If the DEA stood by while poison flooded our communities, that is not a bureaucratic failure,” he continued. “It is a betrayal of the people it was sworn to protect.”
Torrez said his office “will pursue every legal avenue available to hold the responsible parties accountable and make certain this never happens again.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called for the investigation earlier this week, saying she was “appalled” by allegations that federal agents knowingly allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to reach communities across the state.
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New Mexico’s attorney general has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that DEA agents allowed large fentanyl shipments to reach local communities while pursuing larger criminal cases. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
“Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway,” Grisham said. “The result: hundreds of New Mexican parents burying their kids. Hundreds of New Mexican kids growing up without stable parents. All while the federal government stood by.”
Grisham also pointed to allegations that DEA agents monitored the delivery of 74,000 fentanyl pills to a mobile home park in Albuquerque without intervening.
COLORADO DRUG BUST UNCOVERS CARTEL-CONNECTED ILLEGAL ALIENS, APPROXIMATELY 130K FENTANYL PILLS
DEA Special Agent David Howell, who filed a whistleblower complaint, poses for a portrait outside the U.S. district courthouse in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
“Shockingly, the federal government stood by while monitoring shipments, tallying exact pill counts, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets,” she said.
Current and former DEA agents, including whistleblower David Howell, told the AP the agency’s tactics gambled with public safety and may have violated Department of Justice guidelines.
While the DEA initially denied Howell’s allegations in a statement to the AP, the agency later requested that the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General conduct an independent review.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HALTS DEA’S RANDOM SEARCHES OF AIRPORT TRAVELERS AFTER REPORT FINDS ‘SERIOUS CONCERNS’
Fentanyl pills seized by the DEA in New Mexico on April 28, 2025. New Mexico officials have since launched a criminal investigation into allegations involving the agency’s handling of separate fentanyl shipments. (DEA via AP)
“Should that review identify areas of improvement, the DEA will of course implement changes to better their practices,” the Justice Department said in a statement. “We welcome a partnership with Governor Lujan Grisham, as well as New Mexico state and local leaders, to fight the scourge of fentanyl and keep her constituents safe.”
The allegations stem from enforcement operations conducted during the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, even as the DEA promoted its “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness campaign warning that even a small amount of fentanyl can be fatal.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the DEA for comment regarding the investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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