Newly released text messages from 2022 reveal panicked conversations between two surviving roommates in the University of Idaho murder case, providing further insight into the timeline prosecutors intend to use against the suspect.
The brutal murders of four students – Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – occurred in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022.
According to unsealed court filings, roommate Dylan Mortensen texted Bethany Funke, “I’m freaking out.” The texts revealed they discussed a masked man dressed in black inside their home around the time authorities believe the victims were killed.
This exchange happened nearly eight hours before the roommates called 911 to report Kernodle was unconscious.
The friends had returned to their shared home late after a night out. The following day, police discovered the four students dead, with no signs of forced entry.
The killings triggered weeks of investigation, frustration from the victims’ families over the investigation’s pace, and fear within the community.
Nearly two months later, Moscow Police arrested Bryan Kohberger in Pennsylvania on murder charges. Kohberger, a criminal justice graduate student from Pullman, Washington, is scheduled for trial in August. He has pleaded not guilty and faces the death penalty if convicted.
‘No one is answering,’ roommate texts the other
Mortensen told law enforcement she was awakened around 4 a.m. by sounds she believed were Goncalves playing with her dog upstairs.
Records indicate Kernodle received a DoorDash order around 4 a.m. and was using TikTok at 4:12 a.m.
Phone records show Mortensen tried calling her other roommates around 4:17 a.m., when a nearby security camera captured distorted audio of voices, a whimper, a loud thud, and a barking dog.
Mortensen texted Goncalves, “Kaylee” and “What’s going on.”
Funke responded to Mortensen’s messages while both were in their bedrooms.
Around 4:22 a.m., they exchanged the following texts:
- DM to BF: “No one is answering.”
- DM to BF: “I’m really confused rn.”
- BF to DM: “Ya dude wtf”
- BF to DM: “Xana was wearing all black”
- DM to BF: “I’m freaking out rn”
Mortensen then told Funke she saw a man with a ski mask in the house. Previously released documents detailed Mortensen’s grand jury testimony about hearing noises and seeing a masked man in black.
- Mortensen: “No it’s like a ski mask almost”
- BF to DM: “Stfu”
- DM to BF: “Like he had [something] over his head and little mouth”
- DM to BF: “I’m not kidding I am so freaked out”
- BF to DM: “So am I”
Funke then urged Mortensen to come to her room: “Run”
‘Something happened in our house,’ 911 call transcript says
Prosecutors plan to have both surviving roommates testify and use their texts to establish the timeline. Defense attorney Anne Taylor has pointed to inconsistencies in their statements.
Before calling 911, Mortensen attempted to reach Goncalves and Mogen at 10:23 a.m., asking, “Ru up??”
The 911 call transcript, released Thursday, reveals chaos as the roommates passed the phone between them, providing fragmented responses. The transcript describes heavy breathing and crying. Another friend also spoke to the dispatcher.
They reported Kernodle, 20, unconscious, saying she had come home drunk the night before.
The roommates struggled to provide their address and phone number, and said they “saw some man in their house last night.”
The transcript shows their panic and unfinished thoughts upon finding Kernodle. The dispatcher ended the call when first responders arrived, without a full account of the night.
A previous judge ruled the messages and 911 transcript admissible evidence.
Kohberger defense asks to axe his death penalty option
A recently unsealed defense motion reveals Kohberger’s personality, citing a neuropsychologist’s evaluation that he “continues to exhibit all the core diagnostic features of ASD currently, with significant impact on his daily life.” It’s unclear if he was previously diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The motion is part of efforts to remove the death penalty option. The case has captivated the public, but police have not released a motive, and a gag order prevents further details.
The prosecution’s key evidence is DNA from a knife sheath found at the scene. Investigators used genetic genealogy to connect the sample to Kohberger’s family, and subsequent testing found a “statistical match.”
Kohberger’s attorneys argue the death penalty should be removed due to the volume of discovery and the August trial date. They also challenge the legality and accuracy of the DNA testing. Trash DNA from the Kohberger residence helped identify him as a suspect. In a closed hearing, witnesses raised questions about the use of the DNA sample.
