'She Was Trapped': Mom of Slain U. Idaho Student Speaks Out About Daughter's Attempt to Escape Killer (2024)

Kristi and Steve Goncalves, the parents of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves, are speaking out about what they believed happened the night their daughter was tragically killed at an off-campus apartment with three others.

“There's evidence to show that she awakened and tried to get out of that situation," Steve Goncalves says in a CBS News report announcing Saturday’s 48 Hours episode titled “The Night of the Idaho Murders,” which focuses on the case that shocked the nation.

Kaylee, 21, was stabbed to death alongside Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, in an off-campus apartment in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. Two additional roommates were home during the attack but were unharmed and ruled out as suspects.

Idaho Murders Timeline: Everything to Know About the Case

Authorities previously said that Mogen and Kaylee were found dead in the same bedroom on the third floor of the home. According to Steve, who cites the coroner, the killer most likely targeted Mogen first and then attacked Kaylee, per CBS News.

Kaylee's mother Kristi adds that she believes her daughter tried to escape, but it was difficult due to the way the bed was arranged in the room.

“The bed was up against the wall. The headboard was touching the wall and the left side of the bed was touching the wall. And we believe that Maddie was on the outside and Kaylee was on the inside," she explains to CBS News correspondent Peter Van Sant. "The way the bed was set up … She was trapped."

Kristi theorized that the killer may have been surprised to see the girls together in the same bed, according to CBS News. Kernodle's father believes his daughter fought back as well.

'She Was Trapped': Mom of Slain U. Idaho Student Speaks Out About Daughter's Attempt to Escape Killer (1)

“I believe so,” Jeffrey Kernodle tells Van Sant. "It's upsetting to think about."

Kernolde’s sister, who is speaking out for the first time in the 48 Hours special, adds she doesn’t know why the murders happened and wished there were answers.

“They were, all four of them were, just such great people and made such an impact on the lives around them,” Jazzmin Kernodle said, per the outlet.

On Dec. 30, 2022, nearly two months after the murders, authorities arrested 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger in Pennsylvania and identified him as a prime suspect. Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the killings.

Idaho Murder Victims' Families React to Suspect's Arrest: 'Such a Blessing and Relief'

According to a probable cause affidavit previously reviewed by PEOPLE, DNA and cell phone pings linked Kohberger to the crime scene. A motive for the killings has not been released.

'She Was Trapped': Mom of Slain U. Idaho Student Speaks Out About Daughter's Attempt to Escape Killer (2)

Kohberger — who was a Ph.D student at Washington State University studying criminal justice and criminology at the time of the murders — previously had a DNA sample taken that allegedly matched DNA found on the sheath of a knife that was left at the crime scene, CBS and CNN reported. A knife sheath was found at the crime scene, but the murder weapon has yet to be recovered.

Chilling Details Revealed as Probable Cause Affidavit is Released in University of Idaho Murder Case

Washington State University, which is in Pullman, Wash., is roughly eight miles away from the residence in Moscow, Idaho where the four students were killed.

After being indicted by a grand jury in May, Kohberger "stood silent" in court as the judge entered his "not guilty" plea for him at the time, as previously reported by PEOPLE.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Kohberger's family told PEOPLE months before that they had "fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions."

'She Was Trapped': Mom of Slain U. Idaho Student Speaks Out About Daughter's Attempt to Escape Killer (3)

Kohberger has since waived his right to a speedy trial, which was initially set to begin on Oct. 2. A new date for Kohberger's trial has not been set as it has been delayed indefinitely, according to ABC News, CNN and Fox News.

Idaho Murders Suspect Bryan Kohberger Waives Rights to Speedy Trial, Delaying Case Indefinitely

Kohberger's defense attorney Anne Taylor said previously that defense needed more time to present their case, per ABC News.Kaylee’s parents, according to CBS News, believe Kohberger is guilty and are eager to face him when the trial begins, whenever that may be.

“He's going to feel all of us just staring at the back of his head," Kristi says. “And he knows… what he did to our daughter.”

48 Hours: “The Night of the Idaho Murders” airs on CBS and streams on Paramount + on Sept. 16 at 10/9c.

'She Was Trapped': Mom of Slain U. Idaho Student Speaks Out About Daughter's Attempt to Escape Killer (2024)

FAQs

Did Maddie and Kaylee sleep in the same bed? ›

According to the police affidavit, Kaylee and Maddie were stabbed to death between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. Just as they had done since they were little girls, they were sleeping in the same bed.

How was Madison Mogens killed? ›

" Couch recalled. "I remember my last text message to her was: 'Are you OK?' I feel like right then and there, I kind of just knew that something was wrong." Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were found dead with multiple stab wounds in a Moscow, Idaho, home on Nov.

What evidence was found in the Idaho college murders? ›

The DNA found on the button snap of a leather knife sheath at the crime scene appears to be a strong match with the DNA found in the trash at the Kohberger family residence in Albrightsville, Pa. Investigators believe the homicides occurred between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m.

How were the kids in Idaho murdered? ›

Preliminary autopsy results show that the four victims were likely attacked with a large knife and died sometime after 2 a.m. from multiple stab wounds, Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt says.

What was Kohberger's motive? ›

Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger was likely motivated by "arousal" and "hatred" when he slipped into an off campus home in the dead of night and allegedly stabbed four students to death, experts told Fox News Digital.

Were Maddie and Kaylee buried together? ›

At the vigil, Goncalves said that his daughter and Mogen were in the same bed when they died. Now, Kaylee's ashes are right next to Mogen's at the Goncalves' house, NewsNation's Brian Entin reports. “These were best friends forever,” Entin said on “Banfield.” Like their daughters, the two families are also close.

Did Kohberger know the Idaho students? ›

In an affidavit outlining the case, investigators say DNA, cellphone records and surveillance camera evidence link the accused murderer, Bryan Kohberger, to the crime. But his defense attorneys say in a court filing that "there is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims."

Is Kohberger guilty? ›

His indictment allowed prosecutors to bypass the previously scheduled June hearing where the two surviving roommates of the victims would have possibly been cross-examined. The next day, Kohberger stood "silent" as the court waited for his plea. The judge ultimately entered a plea of 'not guilty' for him.

Who was Kohberger obsessed with? ›

A new book claims University of Idaho student Madison Mogen was the real target of suspect Bryan Kohberger. The chilling revelation about the murders is detailed in "When the Night Comes Falling," by Howard Blum. He believes Kohberger first saw her at a vegan restaurant off campus.

What's the evidence against Kohberger? ›

Knife sheath, cell phone records and a white Hyundai Elantra

A probable cause affidavit, which detailed the evidence used to charge and arrest Kohberger, was unsealed on Jan. 5.

Where was the knife sheath found in the Idaho murders? ›

It added that the sheath was found “partially under Madison's body and the comforter on the bed”. Investigators were able to trace the DNA evidence to Mr Kohberger by matching it to DNA found on trash recovered from his family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania.

How did they find Kohberger? ›

Mogen, who was found dead in the same bedroom as her longtime friend, Ms. Goncalves. Later, as they began searching for the car seen in the video footage, the police at Washington State University found a white Elantra registered there, identifying the owner as Mr. Kohberger.

What is Bryan Kohberger's alibi? ›

Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's "alibi" that he was driving around looking at "the moon and stars," is too vague, according to prosecutors.

How was Kaylee killed Idaho? ›

In the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, as well as Kernodle's boyfriend Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death in the girls' off-campus home. Two other roommates survived. Steve and Kristi Goncalves said there was an indication their daughter fought for her life.

What did the Idaho killer do to his victims? ›

Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.

What was the relationship between Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves? ›

She lived at the King Road house, and was also one of the four victims. Mogen was Kaylee's best friend and like a daughter to the Goncalves'. She and Kaylee met in the 6th grade and the two were inseparable ever since. "Kaylee came home talking about this Maddie girl, and the rest was history!

Was Kaylee or Maddie the target? ›

The suspect is accused of viciously stabbing both Madison Mogen (bottom right) and Kaylee Goncalves (top left) to death before also killing their housemate, Xana Kernodle (top right), and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin (bottom left). “I think Maddie was his target,” Blum told ABC News of the heinous crime.

What happened to Kaylee and Maddie? ›

Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves were murdered in November of last year at their off-campus home. The man accused of their murder, Bryan Kohberger, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Why did Kaylee Goncalves move out of the house? ›

Kristi and Steve Goncalves told Dateline that their daughter, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, was due to graduate from college early and had lined up a job with an IT firm in Austin, Texas. Kaylee Goncalves had just moved out of the house she shared with her longtime best friend, 21-year-old Madison "Maddie" Mogen.

References

Top Articles
Compliment Rice Side Dish Recipe - Food.com
Lemon Berry Crumble Recipe From Scratch | Every Purpose Home
Spasa Parish
Rentals for rent in Maastricht
159R Bus Schedule Pdf
Sallisaw Bin Store
Zachary Zulock Linkedin
Www.myschedule.kp.org
Ascension St. Vincent's Lung Institute - Riverside
Understanding British Money: What's a Quid? A Shilling?
Xenia Canary Dragon Age Origins
Momokun Leaked Controversy - Champion Magazine - Online Magazine
Maine Coon Craigslist
‘An affront to the memories of British sailors’: the lies that sank Hollywood’s sub thriller U-571
Tyreek Hill admits some regrets but calls for officer who restrained him to be fired | CNN
Haverhill, MA Obituaries | Driscoll Funeral Home and Cremation Service
Rogers Breece Obituaries
Ems Isd Skyward Family Access
Elektrische Arbeit W (Kilowattstunden kWh Strompreis Berechnen Berechnung)
Omni Id Portal Waconia
Kellifans.com
Banned in NYC: Airbnb One Year Later
Four-Legged Friday: Meet Tuscaloosa's Adoptable All-Stars Cub & Pickle
Model Center Jasmin
Ice Dodo Unblocked 76
Is Slatt Offensive
Labcorp Locations Near Me
Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlook
Experience the Convenience of Po Box 790010 St Louis Mo
Fungal Symbiote Terraria
modelo julia - PLAYBOARD
Abby's Caribbean Cafe
Joanna Gaines Reveals Who Bought the 'Fixer Upper' Lake House and Her Favorite Features of the Milestone Project
Tri-State Dog Racing Results
Trade Chart Dave Richard
Lincoln Financial Field Section 110
Free Stuff Craigslist Roanoke Va
Stellaris Resolution
Wi Dept Of Regulation & Licensing
Pick N Pull Near Me [Locator Map + Guide + FAQ]
Crystal Westbrooks Nipple
Ice Hockey Dboard
Über 60 Prozent Rabatt auf E-Bikes: Aldi reduziert sämtliche Pedelecs stark im Preis - nur noch für kurze Zeit
Wie blocke ich einen Bot aus Boardman/USA - sellerforum.de
Craigslist Pets Inland Empire
Infinity Pool Showtimes Near Maya Cinemas Bakersfield
Hooda Math—Games, Features, and Benefits — Mashup Math
Dermpathdiagnostics Com Pay Invoice
How To Use Price Chopper Points At Quiktrip
Maria Butina Bikini
Busted Newspaper Zapata Tx
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 6703

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.