Second Weapon Possible in Kohberger Murders, Panic May Have Spared Roommate

Idaho prosecutor Bill Thompson stated that investigators are not ruling out the possibility of Bryan Kohberger using a second weapon during the murders of the four University of Idaho students. He believes the killer may have spared the surviving roommate, Dylan Mortensen, due to panic and a hasty escape.

Thompson noted that some injuries sustained by victim Kaylee Goncalves, 21, seemed to have been inflicted by something other than the knife used in the attack. He stopped short of confirming a second weapon, but acknowledged the possibility. Court documents detailed the extent of the November 2022 attack on Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. Authorities revealed that Goncalves suffered "more than 20 stab wounds," in addition to blunt-force trauma.

Regarding Mortensen's survival, Thompson suggested that Kohberger panicked. He stated that it was difficult to imagine the killer not seeing Mortensen. He believed that the killer, having been in the house longer than anticipated and having killed more people than planned, may have been scared and decided to leave, unsure if law enforcement had already been contacted.

Mortensen reported encountering an intruder with "bushy eyebrows" on the night of the attack at the rental property. The intruder had told her he was "here to help." James Fry, the former chief of the Moscow Police Department, mentioned various theories for Mortensen's survival, including the possibility that Kohberger was exhausted from the quadruple murders.

Thompson also highlighted the crucial role of DNA evidence in solving the case. He emphasized that the DNA linking Kohberger to the knife sheath was critical to the strength of the case for trial purposes. Without it, securing a conviction might have been extremely difficult.