Warnings Before the Crime

Weeks before Bryan Kohberger murdered four University of Idaho students in November 2022,

a teacher at Washington State University (WSU) warned colleagues about his disturbing behavior.

Kohberger, a PhD student in criminology, had raised red flags that led one faculty member to urge the university to cut his funding.

Concerns from Faculty

The WSU teacher feared Kohberger might misuse his position if he ever became a professor.

She told police: “He is smart enough that in four years we will have to give him a PhD. Mark my word… if we give him a PhD, that’s the guy [in] many years when he is a professor, we will hear is harassing, stalking, and sexually abusing …

his students at wherever university.” She also said he once entered a shared office space and blocked the door, making female students uncomfortable. One woman was heard saying, “I really need to get out of here.”

Alarming Behavior

According to police reports, Kohberger may have stalked multiple people and allegedly broke into a graduate student’s room. His behavior had become so concerning that staff questioned his future in academia.

A Chilling Aftermath

Kohberger was arrested a month after the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. He later pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary to avoid the death penalty. In July 2025, he was sentenced to four consecutive life terms. A fellow PhD student told police that Kohberger “enjoyed conflict, was disparaging toward women and liked to talk about sexual burglary.”

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