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Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger penned essay showing he knew how to cover tracks

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Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger penned essay showing he knew how to cover tracks


Idaho prosecutors have unveiled a college essay from student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger that shows he knows his way around a crime scene, new court filings reveal.

In the missive, written in 2020 during finals for a 300-level criminal justice course, Kohberger described how crime scene investigators use “fiber-free” overalls, gloves and booties to avoid contaminating the location with their own DNA and fingerprints.

At 1122 King Road, where he allegedly killed four University of Idaho undergrads in November 2022, police have revealed little evidence aside from a Ka-Bar knife sheath found under one of the victims that allegedly had Kohberger’s DNA on the snap.

Before the FBI identified him as a person of interest through investigative genetic genealogy, his name was unknown to detectives. 

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Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, walks past a video display as he enters a courtroom to appear at a hearing in Latah County District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. AP

He went into other aspects of a crime scene investigation, but repeatedly referenced measures police should take to protect the location, shared his thoughts about circumstantial evidence, identified domestic partners as potential suspects and warned that crime scenes could be staged.

“Prosecutors are going to talk about this when they bring up the lack of forensic evidence left by the killer,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD cold case investigator and a criminal justice professor at Penn State-Lehigh Valley.

“They’re going to say, ‘Look how much he knew about this. He talks about fiber-free clothing.’”

Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Getty Images

Kohberger mentioned fiber-free overalls, shoe covers, gloves, hair nets and more when talking about protective gear an investigator should wear to avoid contaminating a scene.

“This is not helpful for him,” Giacalone said.

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“The same way he talks about this fictitious cop about not leaving evidence behind…we might have a little insight into how, or at least an answer about, the lack of forensic evidence was left behind,” Giacalone told Fox News Digital. “He doesn’t mention it by name, but Locard’s Exchange Principle, the theory of transfer between all evidence, he does talk about transfer of evidence a number of times throughout this.”

But Kohberger also made some mistakes in the piece, Giacalone said.

This photo released by the State of Idaho, which prosecutors claim to have been taken from Bryan Kohberger’s phone, shows Kohberger, accused of slaying 4 University of Idaho students, gesturing in a selfie on Nov. 13, 2022, hours after the homicides occurred. AP

“He said staging is common,” Giacalone told Fox News Digital. “It’s not common. You know, most of the things that happen at crime scenes are mistakes or just panic mode.”

He also doesn’t believe that Kohberger, if he committed the crimes as alleged, would have had time to stage the scene after killing four people in roughly 15 minutes, then running into an eyewitness on the way out, who he did not attack.

“I think there’s no way that he didn’t see her,” he said. “So the staging part of this, I don’t find it plausible for him in that scenario.”

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Kohberger, who, through his attorneys, has argued there was blood and DNA evidence at the victims’ home that could point to potential alternate perpetrators, wrote in his essay that crime scene investigators don’t have the responsibility of vetting potentially planted evidence.

“Even if there was an item introduced to the scene by an offender to throw off investigators, it is not the job of the criminal investigator processing the crime scene to jump to conclusion,” Kohberger wrote. 

Giacalone said if Kohberger turned in the paper for one of his classes, he’d probably give it a B.

“He knows a lot, but you can get this out of any academic book,” Giacalone said. “You can learn about this, but putting it into practice and doing it are two other things.”

Kohberger graduated from DeSales University with a master’s degree and then went on to Washington State University to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology.

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The school is just 10 miles away from the University of Idaho, where he is accused of entering a house at 4 a.m. and killing four of the six students inside on Nov. 13, 2022.

The four University of Idaho students who were found dead in off-campus housing were identified on Monday as Madison Mogen, 21, top left, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, bottom left, Ethan Chapin, 20, center, and Xana Kernodle, 20, right.

The victims were Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

The three young women were all roommates. Chapin lived nearby and was dating Kernodle.

Kohberger’s trial on four charges of first-degree murder and another of burglary is set to begin on Aug. 11. Jury selection is scheduled for July 30.

A previous judge entered not-guilty pleas on Kohberger’s behalf at an arraignment in May 2023.

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He could face the death penalty if convicted. 



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3-year-old killed in Costco parking lot – East Idaho News

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3-year-old killed in Costco parking lot – East Idaho News


POCATELLO – A three-year-old girl is dead after getting run over in Pocatello Saturday afternoon.

It happened around 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Costco, according to a news release from the Pocatello Police Department.

Details about what happened are sparse, but police say the driver of a red Dodge Ram pickup ran her over. Police did not identify the driver. They are calling it an accident.

An ambulance crew took the girl to the hospital, where she passed away.

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Police are still investigating.

EastIdahoNews.com will provide updates as we receive them.

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Gem State BMX Nationals Bring 500 Riders to Caldwell

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Gem State BMX Nationals Bring 500 Riders to Caldwell


CALDWELL, Idaho — About 500 riders are competing in this year’s Gem State National, a national bike competition that’s part of USA BMX Nationals, bringing riders from across the country to the Caldwell BMX track.

“It’s a sport that’s different from any other, like a team sport. You can be on teams, but it’s an individual sport,” said Jen Hill, president of the Idaho BMX Board.

Among the competitors is 15-year-old Hope Anderson, who has been racing for 7 years after starting BMX when she was 8 years old.

“This is my home track, so I ride here weekly, so I’m really excited you know riding on the home turf, so I’m definitely very confident and really excited going into the weekend,” said Anderson.

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Anderson, who has several sponsors and rides for FLY Racing, will be competing in multiple events throughout the weekend.

“I’m doing the pro-am so it’s the pros and the amateurs, but the class I race the most is the 15-16 girl expert class,” said Anderson.

After the Gem State Nationals, many riders will continue on the national circuit with hopes of making it to “Grams,” which is essentially the Super Bowl of BMX racing.

For Anderson, mental preparation is just as important as physical training.

“I think having the mental strength to push through that and be ready to train every day and take that training into your laps, I think you need to be mentally tough to continue that,” said Anderson.

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The Gem State Nationals will continue throughout the weekend, with events starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. on Sunday at the Caldwell BMX track.





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Obituary for Connie Joyce Crystal Reed at Eckersell Funeral Home

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Obituary for Connie Joyce Crystal Reed at Eckersell Funeral Home


Connie Joyce Crystal Reed, 86, or Ririe, Idaho passed away Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at her home. Connie was born June 25, 1938, in Poplar, Idaho, the daughter of Schley Dewey Fox and Twila Frances McMurtrey Fox. She attended schools in Ririe, Idaho and graduated from Ririe High School. Connie



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