Two roommates who were spared in the massacre that claimed the lives of four Idaho college students were frantically messaging each other in the moments immediately after the suspect left their home.
On Thursday, a new court filing revealed excerpts of text messages between two surviving roommates in the early morning hours on November 13, 2022 — the night Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogen were killed. Bryan Kohberger was later arrested and charged with their murders.
Prosecutors previously said Kernodle received a DoorDash order at 4am that morning, before a security camera near her room picked up “distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud” at 4:17am. The attacker is believed to have left the home around that time.
Per the new filing via FOX News, just a few minutes later, at 4:19am, one of the two roommates — Dylan Mortensen, who saw someone in the home — tried calling three of the victims, but received no answer. At 4:22, Mortensen then began texting Bethany Funke, saying, “No one is answering. I’m rlly confused rn.”
She then texted victim Goncalves, asking, “Kaylee … what’s going on.” Funke then allegedly responded to Mortensen saying, “Ya dude wtf … Xana was wearing all black.”
“I’m freaking out rn,” said Mortensen, per the docs, adding, “No it’s like a ski mask almost.”
After Funke allegedly said, “Stfu … actually,” Moretensen responded, “Like he had sometbinf over is for head and little nd mouth … I’m not kidding o am so freaked out.”
When Funke said she was too, Mortensen told her that her phone was about to die, prompting Funke to tell her to “come to my room.” Funke then added, “Run. Down here.”
At 4:24, Mortensen then allegedly called victim Chapin, who did not answer, before texting Funke, “Im scRwd tho.” Funke responded by writing, “Ya IK but it’s better than being alone.”
The next morning, around 10:34am, the logs show Mortensen texted both Goncalves and Mogen — pleading with the former to “Pls answer,” while asking both of them, “R u up??”
Around noon the same day, someone finally called 911 after Kernodle was found unresponsive.
“One of our, one of the roommates who’s passed out and she was drunk last night and she’s not waking up,” the caller said, per the court docs. “They saw some man in their house last night. Is she passed out? She’s passed out. What’s wrong?”
Dispatch then told them to stop passing the phone around, before someone says Kernodle is not breathing. As first responders arrive at the scene, someone else says, “I think we have a homicide.”
The texts and call log were filed as prosecutors begin to detail the evidence they hope to include at trial. The surviving roommates are also expected to testify, per the docs.
Kohberger was arrested after a manhunt in December 2022. He has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count burglary.
A judge later entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Earlier this week, Kohberger’s defense argued his autism diagnosis should prevent a death penalty sentence if found guilty.
