Chilling details revealed in Idaho college murders case — including frantic texts from roommates and new DNA evidence

Chilling new details in connection with the Idaho college murders case have been released, including frantic text messages sent by the roommates who survived — and they reveal a terrifying, chaotic scene at an off-campus house.

Bryan Kohberger, 30, is accused of murdering 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, 21-year-old Madison Mogen, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, and 20-year-old Xana Kernodle on Nov. 13, 2022.

Newly unsealed court filings show panic-stricken text messages between Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke — the two survivors of the grisly murders.

Just before 4:30 a.m., Mortensen and Funke were texting each other and were 'freaking out' when their other roommates didn't answer their phones.

The court documents illustrate an updated timeline of the events before and after the horrific slayings of the students from the University of Idaho.

ABC News reported, "One of the two survivors, who were roommates, is shown to have messaged an Uber driver to take them from a bar to the house at 2:10 a.m. At that time, the other surviving roommate was shown to be awake and texting."

Prosecutors said Kernodle received a DoorDash order around 4 a.m.

Funke allegedly told investigators she thought she heard Goncalves playing with her dog around the same time.

"A short time" after, Funke said "she heard someone she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of 'there's someone here.'"

At 4:17 a.m., a security camera situated less than 50 feet from Kernodle's room picked up sounds of a barking dog and "distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud," according to court documents.

Just before 4:30 a.m., Mortensen and Funke were texting each other and were "freaking out" when their other roommates didn't answer their phones.

Court docs show one of the survivors — identified by the initials "D.M." — messaging the other surviving roommate identified as "B.F."

"No one is answering," D.M. told B.F., adding that he is "really confused" right now.

B.F. replied, “Ya dude WTF."

B.F. noted that Kernodle was "wearing all black."

D.M. stressed again that he is "freaking out."

D.M. told B.F. that he thought he saw a man wearing something like a ski mask in the house.

B.F. responded, "STFU."

D.M. and B.F. both admit they are "so freaked out."

According to CNN, "Then, Funke tried to convince Mortensen to go to Funke’s room so they’d be together: 'Run.'"

Funke reportedly opened her door and saw a masked man in black clothing whom she did not recognize walking toward her. She stood in “frozen shock” as he walked past her toward a sliding glass door, according to an affidavit. She then went back to her room and locked the door.

At 10:23 a.m., Mortensen attempted to contact Goncalves and Mogen by text, asking if they are awake, but neither roommate responded.

Approximately an hour later, the surviving roommates called 911 to report that Kernodle was unconscious.

A transcript of the surviving roommates' call to 911 was released on Thursday.

"The transcript shows the chaos as Mortensen and Funke pass the phone between them answering the dispatcher in fragmented responses," CNN said.

The roommates allegedly were breathing heavily and crying throughout the 911 call as they told the dispatcher that Kernodle was unconscious. They reportedly noted that Kernodle came home drunk.

The callers also said they “saw some man in their house last night.”

First responders arrived to find four college students stabbed to death in bedrooms at the home.

Kohberger's attorneys argued that the three different DNA samples discovered under the fingernails of Madison Mogen should disqualify the evidence to be brought to trial.

On Dec. 30, 2022, suspect Bryan Kohberger — a graduate student in criminal justice who lived in Pullman, Washington — was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty after a judge ruled in November 2024 that Kohberger is able to face the death penalty.

Kohberger’s defense reportedly asked a judge to take the death penalty off the table, citing autism spectrum disorder.

The recently unsealed defense motion in the capital murder case cites an evaluation by a neuropsychologist who said Kohberger “continues to exhibit all the core diagnostic features of [autism spectrum disorder] currently, with significant impact on his daily life.”

It's unclear whether Kohberger previously had been diagnosed with ASD.

As Blaze News reported, expert criminal profiler and psychotherapist John Kelly said of Kohberger: "I think he was an incel and really just hated women."

Kohberger's lawyers are also attempting to prohibit the use of phrases such as “murder,” “murder weapon,” “psychopath,” and “bushy eyebrows.” The defense contends that allowing those terms would give the jury prejudice against the defendant.

Also revealed in the newly unsealed court documents is that murder victim Madison Mogen had DNA from three different people under her fingernails.

Kohberger's attorneys argued that those DNA samples should disqualify the evidence from being brought to trial.

"Mr. Kohberger's inconclusive [likelihood ratio] is similar to almost every other person for whom an [likelihood ratio] was generated, and focusing on his ‘inconclusive’ [likelihood ratio] would mislead the jury in that it implies that the [likelihood ratio] means that Mr. Kohberger's DNA might be present in the sample," said Bicka Barlow, a defense attorney who specializes in DNA evidence and who recently was added to Kohberger's defense team.

As Blaze News reported in January 2023, law enforcement found a tan leather knife sheath lying next to Mogen on a bed.

Investigators collected trash from Kohberger's family residence to collect a DNA sample.

"On December 28, 2022, the Idaho State Lab reported that a DNA profile obtained from the trash and the DNA profile obtained from the sheath identified a male as not being excluded as the biological father of the suspect," the affidavit declared. "At least 99.9998% of the male population would be expected to be excluded from the possibility of being the suspect's biological father."

You can watch a KIVI-TV newscast on the latest developments in the Bryan Kohberger case here.

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