What Bryan Kohberger's Life In Jail Is Really Like
In 2022, the murder of four students rocked a small town in Idaho — and sent shockwaves across the nation. But where is the killer now, and what do we know about his life in jail?
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00:00In 2022, the murder of four students rocked a small town in Idaho and sent shockwaves
00:05across the nation.
00:06But where is the killer now, and what do we know about his life in jail?
00:10When four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in their beds in the early
00:13morning hours of November 13, 2022, residents of the college town of Moscow were overcome
00:19with fear and grief.
00:20These murders have shaken our community, and no arrest will ever bring back these young
00:26students.
00:27The victims were Madison Mogen, Kaylee Gonsalves, Zanna Kernodl, and Ethan Chapin.
00:33The three girls rented a house off-campus with two other housemates, and Chapin was
00:36with his girlfriend Zanna that night.
00:39For weeks, police seemed baffled as the families of the victims and the people of Moscow anxiously
00:43awaited news of an arrest.
00:45There was no obvious motive for the brutal slaying of the students, but the killer left
00:48something behind.
00:50According to a Latak County police affidavit, a tan leather knife sheath was lying in the
00:53bed next to Mogen's body.
00:55DNA found on the sheath turned out to be a match to a then-28-year-old Ph.D. candidate
01:00named Brian Koberger, who was studying criminology at the nearby Washington State University.
01:05More evidence came from neighborhood surveillance footage along with findings from Koberger's
01:09cell phone.
01:10He was arrested at his parents' home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, on December 30, 2022.
01:15After being extradited back to Idaho, he was charged with four counts of murder in the
01:19first degree and one count of burglary.
01:21Since January 4, 2023, Koberger has been housed at the Latak County Jail while he awaits
01:26his trial.
01:27Currently, his trial is set to begin in June 2025.
01:30A testament to the low crime in Latak County, Idaho, the local jail only holds a maximum
01:34of 38 people of mixed gender.
01:37The small detention center, which is located under the county courthouse, is run by a team
01:41of seven deputies — a bailiff, two corporals, two sergeants, and a captain.
01:45Brian Koberger is allowed an hour a day for some kind of recreation.
01:49He can choose whether he wants to go to the library or to the yard, or visit both.
01:53He also has access to a phone and a tablet, a commissary, and substance abuse education
01:57and worship services.
01:59Visitors are only allowed three days per week for 20 minutes at a time, and only if they
02:03have appointments.
02:05As of September 2023, Koberger's family in Pennsylvania had not visited him in jail,
02:09and that appears to still be the case, but they have been in contact with him on the
02:13phone.
02:14The Idaho murder suspect was said to be a model prisoner who doesn't make waves and
02:18keeps to himself, which may not be too hard since he's segregated.
02:22As NewsNation reported in March of 2023, Koberger had his own TV with basic cable in his cell,
02:27and overall, he tended to avoid involvement with other people.
02:30He reportedly turned down mental health services, but spent about a half-hour a week with a
02:34pastor for Bible study and prayer.
02:36You know, we just go in there, have Bible studies, usually about 20-30 minutes, and
02:43pray together.
02:44The Daily Mail sent a reporter to the Lata County Jail to meet with inmates there to
02:48talk about what Brian Koberger is like and how he spends his time.
02:51From what can be gleaned in that report, Koberger is not friendly, avoids conversation, stays
02:56in a cell a lot, and keeps his eyes forward when he walks through the facility.
03:00According to one inmate,
03:01"...he always has the same expression, or non-expression.
03:04He just looks straight ahead.
03:05I've never even seen his eyebrows or mouth move.
03:07He never says anything."
03:09The only people he seems to talk to are the pastor he sees weekly and his attorneys.
03:13He's also said to be very interested in watching the news coverage involving his case.
03:17One person being held at the Lata County Jail told the Daily Mail reporter,
03:20"...he watches himself all the time.
03:22It's really kind of bizarre."
03:24All in all, Koberger seems to be an unsettling presence in a small jail mostly populated
03:28by people who are there for far less serious crimes.
03:31Kyler Lede was released from the jail, but told the Daily Mail that he'd seen Koberger
03:35just a few times, and although he was always flanked by guards, Lede and the others were
03:39nonetheless wary of him.
03:40He said,
03:41"...nobody liked the guy, I could tell you that.
03:43There's a lot of hatred, but we were in awe of him.
03:46Something like that really happens around Moscow, it shocked a lot of people."