West
Any tie Bryan Kohberger has to ‘Pappa Rodger’ could become clear when gag order is lifted
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The mysterious figure emerged in late 2022 in a Facebook group dedicated to the discussion of the Idaho student murders case — and vanished around the time of Kohberger’s arrest on Dec. 30 of that year, prompting speculation that the account could have been linked to the killer.
In the final weeks of 2022, the account emerged in a large Facebook group dedicated to seeking justice for the victims: University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
Authorities have made no public comments or court filings linking Kohberger to the account. But with the gag order preventing most extrajudicial discussion of the case expected to end soon, authorities could finally address posts from the account — or the public could find out through unsealed search warrant returns, discovery disclosures, or digital forensics from Kohberger’s devices.
“At the very least, we might see warrant requests for social media accounts,” said Joshua Ritter, a former Los Angeles prosecutor and host of “Courtroom Confidential.” “Which would indicate they had the same suspicions.”
IDAHO JUDGE URGED TO REMOVE GAG ORDER ON KOHBERGER CASE FOLLOWING QUADRUPLE MURDER PLEA
Bryan Kohberger arrives at a Pennsylvania courthouse for an extradition hearing in January 2023. He pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students on Jul. 1, 2025 (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
Previously released court records show authorities sought information from dozens of tech companies, including Amazon, Google and Meta, Facebook’s parent company. The records they received remain unclear.
Using a profile photo that appeared to show a man in an old-fashioned military uniform that some have suggested looks similar to Kohberger’s actual appearance, the account was known for cryptic posts about specific evidence, including a reference to a knife sheath before police revealed they recovered one.
Some observers — in Moscow and beyond — believe Kohberger was behind the account. Especially since no one has come forward and claimed responsibility in the three years he’s been behind bars. But posts from the account have largely vanished.
BRYAN KOHBERGER BELIEVED HE COMMITTED ‘THE PERFECT MURDERS’ UNTIL ONE KEY MISTAKE SHATTERED HIS PLOT: AUTHOR
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)
Screenshots taken before the account was taken down show Pappa Rodger predicted that the killer left behind a knife sheath as early as Nov. 30, 2022. Although a Ka-Bar knife had already been identified as a potential murder weapon and other people said they had already speculated about a sheath by then, it was the phrasing that set off alarm bells for one of the administrators.
“He also didn’t say ‘a sheath’ — he said ‘the sheath,’ which is really eerie,” said Kristine Cameron, one of the people behind the “University of Idaho Murders – Case Discussion” group on Facebook.
READ BRYAN KOHBERGER’S SIGNED KILLER CONFESSION
A screenshot of a Facebook post by “Pappa Rodger” made on Nov. 30, 2022. (Courtesy of Kristine Cameron)
On Dec. 5, 8 and 21, the account posted diagrams of the King Road home that purported to show the locations of the bodies.
However — based on statements from Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson made in court at Kohberger’s plea hearing — the locations appear incorrect. He said Chapin had been killed in his sleep in Kernodle’s room — not in the living room like Pappa Rodger asserted.
“As the defendant was either coming down the stairs or leaving, he encountered Xana, and he ended up killing her, also with a large knife,” Thompson told the court on July 1, 2025. “Ethan Chapin, Xana’s boyfriend, was asleep in their bedroom — in her bedroom. And the defendant killed him as well.”
IDAHO VICTIM’S MOTHER FINDS UNEXPECTED PEACE IN KILLER’S CONTROVERSIAL PLEA DEAL
Pappa Rodger’s diagram of the Idaho student murders crime scene, as seen in a Dec. 21, 2022 Facebook post. (Courtesy of Kristine Cameron)
On Dec. 22, the account asserted that, “The killer is not in the victims (sic) immediate circle,” and, “The killer is not a student.” Kohberger was not friends with any of the victims and attended a different school nearby, Washington State University.
On Jan. 5, 2023, Cameron told Fox News Digital Pappa Rodger’s chats and posts had been “wiped from FB.”
“The night prior to Bryan getting arrested, Pappa Rodger was going back and forth with another member, calling the member names,” she said at the time. “We had spoken to him numerous times about the way he was talking.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEADS GUILTY TO IDAHO MURDERS
Exterior evening shot of murder scene on king road at night during a quadruple murder investigation. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
She recalled the poster challenging other users to “fight me” and grading comments “like a professor.”
“His particular post that asked how long the killer was in the house caused all kinds of speculation, but he was adamant that the killer was in the house for 15 minutes,” she added. Most people doubted four slayings could’ve been carried out in that span, she said, but it’s close to what prosecutors would later allege in court documents.
IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEA CAPS YEARSLONG QUEST FOR JUSTICE
Then the posts stopped around the time of Kohberger’s arrest, she said, and to this day she believes the killer could have been behind the account.
The victims of Nov. 13 University of Idaho massacre, from left to right: Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen. (Instagram)
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Kohberger himself did not respond to a question about the account from Fox News Digital for this story.
“Until prosecutors or law enforcement come forward, I’m gonna go ahead and speculate that Pappa Rodger is Bryan Kohberger,” said Lauren Conlin, a PopCrimeTV host who has been closely following the case.
In a new book by crime fiction legend James Patterson and investigative journalist Vicky Ward, the authors compared Kohberger directly to Elliott Rodger, a mass murderer who killed six students near the University of California, Santa Barbara, and injured 14 other people in May 2014.
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“No one knows that, like Rodger, Bryan is a virgin who hates women,” the book reads. “No one knows that Bryan copes with loneliness by immersing himself in video games. Like Rodger, he goes for night drives. Like Rodger, he visits the gun range. And, like Rodger, he goes to a local bar and tries to pick up women.”
An undated photo of murder suspect Elliot Rodger is seen at a press conference by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff in Goleta, California May 24, 2014. Rodger, 22, went on a rampage in Isla Vista near the University of California at Santa Barbara campus, stabbed three people to death at his apartment before shooting to death three more in a terrorizing crime spree through the neighborhood. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
Elliot Rodger, 22, wrote a 137-page manifesto airing his grievances as an “involuntary celibate,” or incel, and social outcast. Kohberber, to the dismay of many members of the public and some victims’ families, did not explain a motive for his crimes when he pleaded guilty on July 1, weeks before his trial would have kicked off.
Some of Rodger’s victims were members of their school’s Greek life — as were all of Kohberger’s.
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Rodger killed himself after the murder spree. Kohberger nearly got away with his. Authorities said they didn’t even have his name until more than a month after the murders, after the FBI used investigative genetic genealogy techniques to come up with a new lead based on the single-source DNA sample taken from the Ka-Bar sheath.
Bryan Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Pennsylvania in advance of highly anticipated extradition hearing. He’s charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
Eleven days later, they had Kohberger in handcuffs.
The plea deal took the potential death penalty off the table. Kohberger is expected to receive four consecutive life prison sentences plus another 10 years at a formal sentencing hearing on July 23. As part of the deal, he waived his right to appeal or seek a sentence reduction.
A hearing on whether the court should lift the gag order before sentencing is scheduled for Thursday.
Fox News’ Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco bar hosts immersive
Each week at Last Rites, a Duboce Triangle establishment known for its immersive atmosphere, fans gather for a watch party of the long-running reality television series “Survivor.”
San Francisco resident Kiram Maledi has been a regular since discovering the event with friends.
“We live really close by,” Maledi said. “And my good friend Emily, who turned us on to ‘Survivor,’ found out that Last Rites hosts ‘Survivor’ night. We got super into watching ‘Survivor’ in the past couple years, and the thought of an outing in our neighborhood where we get to participate in community while also indulging in this awesome season is pretty fun.”
“Survivor,” one of the longest-running reality shows in television history, is now in its 50th season on CBS.
For Maledi, appreciation for the series came later in life.
“I’m a fan of the show because I never thought I’d be into reality TV, and I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “It’s a good practice of self to challenge myself for what I think I like. The challenges are super fun to watch. It’s cool to watch and be like, ‘How bad would I be at that?’ And for me to watch the social game and be like, ‘Oh, I would be crushed by that, I would really struggle.’ So to kind of role play like, how would these people do it, how would I do it, and oftentimes just get surprised and into it.”
The bar’s carefully crafted environment adds to the experience. With jungle-inspired decor, layered sound design and even scent elements, the space is designed to evoke a tropical destination, echoing the setting of the show itself.
Screens positioned throughout the bar ensure the episode is visible from nearly every angle.
“This is such a well-crafted space,” Maledi said. “The decorations, sound design — it even smells like what I think a tropical destination bar would smell like. I guess it is that. Drinks are super fantastic. I didn’t even know there was a second side of the menu.”
At Last Rites, the weekly gathering goes beyond simply watching a television show. For fans, it’s an immersive experience, one that brings them closer to the world of “Survivor,” and to each other.
Denver, CO
Troubled apartments: Breaking down Denver’s distressed multifamily properties
The Waterford RiNo building at 2797 Wewatta Way was given to a lender in 2025. (BusinessDen file)
Denver’s apartment market is facing headwinds.
BusinessDen scoured county foreclosure records, third-party reports and court filings to determine the area’s apartment buildings that have exhibited signs of financial distress in recent months.
The list below is not necessarily comprehensive, but will be updated when we have more information, or when a particular property’s situation changes.
Foreclosed
2617-2667 W. Evans Ave., Denver
Loan: $14 million
Former owner: JTA1 Real Properties LLC AND JTA4 Real Properties LLC
Unit count: 125
456 S. Ironton St., Aurora
Loan: $25.54
Former owner: HL Lofts LLC/Summit Communities
Unit count: 112
Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
2797 Wewatta Way, Denver
Loan: $91 million
Former owner: SRGMF III Wewatta Way Denver LLC/Sares Regis Group
Unit count: 301
Foreclosure initiated
1259 Newton St., Denver
Loan: $12.65 million
Owner: AVP Newton Venture LLC/Armada Venture Partners
4510 W. Saint Clair Place, Adams County
Loan: $6.35 million
Owner: 4510 Saint Clair Apartments LLC
2038 South Vaughn Way, Aurora
Loan: $57.15 million
Owner: Arboreta Apts LLC/Summit Communities
Unit count: 268
1433, 1451 and 1463 Macon St., Aurora
Loan: $2.98 million
Owner: West Macon Street LLC
In receivership, not in foreclosure
10101 Washington St., Thornton
Loan: $17.5 million
Owner: Meadows at Town Center LLC/Summit Communities
Units: 104
7500 Dakin St., Adams County
Loan: $49.5 million
Owner: Boulder CR Apts LLC/Summit Communities
Units: 322
Bankrupt
1592 Boston St., Aurora
Loan: $3 million
Owner: 1592 Boston Street LLC/Shaul Gabbay
Unit count: 32
1960 Dallas St., Aurora
Loan: $4.8 million
Owner: 1960 Dallas Street LLC/Shaul Gabbay
Unit count: 32
Seattle, WA
Status of Seattle Mariners’ Brendan Donovan, Bryce Miller – Seattle Sports
The Seattle Mariners have two notable players on the injured list that are nearing their returns.
Mariners’ Matt Brash details side issue, doesn’t think it’s serious
Here’s a quick look at what we know about the statuses of third baseman Brendan Donovan and Bryce Miller.
Brendan Donovan
Donovan has been out of action with a left groin strain since April 18, but could be just days away from getting back in the Mariners’ lineup. The 29-year-old All-Star has reached the minimum amount for a stay on the 10-day injured list.
“The progression has gone as hoped, and he’s taken swings. I think he looks like he’s on pace to be back during the homestand at some point,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Tuesday.
Donovan was the Mariners’ key offseason acquisition, landing in Seattle from the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-team trade that also involved the Tampa Bay Rays.
Donovan underwent sports hernia surgery in October and had a few periods where he missed games in April due to injury or illness.
When Donovan has been on the field, he’s been Seattle’s primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching and among the team’s best offensive producers. He has a .304/.437/.518 slash line for a .954 OPS with three home runs in 18 games this year.
Bryce Miller
Still working his way back after oblique inflammation derailed his spring training, Miller is expected to make the third start of his minor league rehab assignment Friday in the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers’ home game against the Las Vegas Aviators at Cheney Stadium.
The Mariners will have a tough decision to make with their starting rotation when Miller returns, as Emerson Hancock (2.86 ERA, 0.981 WHIP) has been great thus far filling in for Miller. Seattle has some time before a decision needs to be made, though.
For one, Miller isn’t fully stretched out, throwing only 47 pitches and three innings in his second rehab start last Friday with the High-A Everett AquaSox. And second, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that the M’s were likely to use the full 30 days allowed on Miller’s rehab stint, which would put him on pace to join the team in mid-May.
Seattle Mariners news and analysis
• Cole Young continues breakout as Mariners win another series
• White Sox call up Jarred Kelenic before playing Mariners next week
• Julio: When it’s clicking, Mariners ‘one of the best teams in baseball’
• Luis Castillo is in a tough spot in Mariners’ rotation
• Seattle Mariners seeing early payoff from Jose Ferrer trade
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