MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — A 28-year-old man was arrested today in the Pocono Mountains in connection with the murders of four students at the University of Idaho. According to Monroe County officials, the suspect is Bryan Kohberger, of Albrightsville.
Pennsylvania State Police arrested Kohberger, according to a statement saying in part, "[Kohberger] was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant early this morning by members of Troop N and the Special Emergency Response Team at a home in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County]." Court paperwork shows the location of Kohberger's arrest to be the Indian Mountain Lakes Community (pictured above) in Chestnuthill Township, near Albrightsville, in Monroe County.
ABC News reports officials in Idaho knew who they were looking for and tracked the man to Pennsylvania. Local police and the FBI made the arrest Friday morning, and Kohberger appeared before a judge at 8:30 a.m.
Arrest paperwork filed in Monroe County Court says Kohberger was being held for extradition to Idaho on a warrant for first-degree murder. Moscow Police say a press conference will be held with more details on the case at 4 p.m. EST.
A Ph.D. student by Kohberger's same name is listed in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University, which is a short drive across the state line from the University of Idaho. The Associated Press left messages seeking more information for officials at WSU.
DeSales University, where Kohberger earned a master's degree, released the following statement, "On Friday, December 30, DeSales University learned of the arrest of Bryan Kohberger in connection with the murders of four University of Idaho students. Kohberger received a bachelor's degree in 2020 and completed his graduate studies in June 2022. As a Catholic, Salesian community, we are devastated by this senseless tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families during this difficult time."
The Idaho students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — were stabbed to death at a rental home near campus sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13. The slayings initially mystified law enforcement, with investigators unable to name a suspect or locate a murder weapon for weeks.
But the case broke open after law enforcement asked the public for help finding a white sedan seen near the home around the time of the killings. The Moscow Police Department made the request Dec. 7, and by the next day, had to direct tips to a special FBI call center because so many were coming in.
Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho; Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls, Idaho; and Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington, were members of the university's Greek system and close friends. Mogen, Goncalves, and Kernodle lived in the three-story rental home with two other roommates. Kernodle and Chapin were dating, and he was visiting the house that night.
Autopsies showed all four were likely asleep when they were attacked. Some had defensive wounds, and each was stabbed multiple times. There was no sign of sexual assault, police said.
Police said Thursday the rental home would be cleared of “potential biohazards and other harmful substances” to collect evidence starting Friday morning. It was unclear how long the work would take, but a news release said the house would be returned to the property manager upon completion.
The stabbing deaths shook the small town of Moscow, Idaho, a farming community of about 25,000 people — including roughly 11,000 students — tucked in the rolling hills of the northern Idaho’s Palouse region.
The case also enticed online sleuths who speculated about potential suspects and motives. In the early days of the investigation, police released relatively few details publicly.
Fears of a repeat attack prompted nearly half of the University of Idaho students to switch to online classes for the remainder of the semester, abandoning dorms and apartments in the normally bucolic town for the perceived safety of their hometowns. Safety concerns also had the university hiring an additional security firm to escort students across campus and the Idaho State Police sending troopers to help patrol the city’s streets.
This is a developing story, please check back for details.