New Evidence Exposes Bryan Kohberger's Mother's Text To Her Son About Idaho Murders Before His Arrest
By Favour Adegoke on September 3, 2025 at 6:15 PM EDT
Forensic experts have revealed that Bryan Kohberger received a text from his mother, MaryAnn Kohberger, regarding the Idaho student killings.
The message reportedly arrived four days after the murders and is believed to have come through while the convicted killer was on the phone with MaryAnn.
Weeks later, Bryan Kohberger was arrested in connection with the murders of Xana Kernodle, Madison "Maddie" Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Ethan Chapin.
The Text Was Made During A Phone Call With The Idaho Killer
As Kohberger serves his four consecutive life sentences for the murders of four Idaho students, revelations have continued to emerge about his case, which were previously unknown prior to his sentencing.
Forensic experts have now disclosed to NewsNation's Banfield another startling detail, revealing that the convicted killer received a text from his mother about the Idaho murders just four days after the killings.
The experts claimed that MaryAnn Kohberger had texted her son a news article on the case, and that the text came in while she was on a call with the former PhD student.
They believe it was likely that the duo was conversing about the murders during the call, although the details of the conversation remain unknown.
Interestingly, experts pointed out that no written reply from Kohberger was found in response to his mother's text, suggesting he may have addressed it during their phone call.
They also found no evidence that MaryAnn Kohberger knew her son was the killer, noting it was more likely she brought up the murders out of concern because of how close he lived to the crime scene.
Bryan Kohberger Became Frantic After Police Linked A Vehicle To The Idaho Murders
In the weeks after the murders, it took some time before police announced they were searching for a suspect connected to the killings who drove the same type of car Bryan Kohberger owned.
The revelation reportedly sent Kohberger into a frantic state, with reports indicating he carried out a series of unusual online searches soon after, per Fox News.
"I think the vehicle was a huge stress point for him," said Jared Barnhart of Cellebrite, a digital forensic company that works with law enforcement.
According to Barnhart, investigations into the searches revealed that Kohberger downloaded a PDF list of Hyundai Elantras from Washington State University. He also spent some time searching for an auto detailing shop and even shopped online for a different car altogether.
"If you weren't the bad guy, you wouldn't care, but he was scrambling, and he thought the police were on him," the digital forensic expert added about Kohberger's behavior. "And they were. They were at that point."
Where Is Bryan Kohberger?
A day after conducting the online searches, Kohberger was arrested and charged with the murders of the Idaho students.
Investigators were led to him after discovering a knife sheath at the crime scene that contained his DNA.
Despite the DNA match and other incriminating evidence, Kohberger maintained his innocence for years before eventually agreeing to a plea deal in July, receiving four consecutive life sentences.
The plea deal removed the death penalty from consideration, a punishment Kohberger would likely have faced had the case proceeded to trial.
After his sentencing, he was transferred to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, a facility that houses some of the state's most violent offenders.
Photographs Of Bryan Kohberger's Home And Office Were Recently Released
Late last month, the authorities released a series of photographs appearing to show Bryan Kohberger's home and office.
One of the pictures featured a whiteboard with a message, "Take It Easy! Don't Give Up!" scrawled across it.
Another image depicted his sparsely furnished room, containing little more than basic items like a chair and a table.
The authorities also photographed his reading materials, which included several books on criminal justice and one specifically focused on the sexual victimization of women on college campuses.
See all the chilling images here.
An 'Improvement Plan' Was Issued To Bryan Kohberger By WSU
Additionally, police documented personal items such as "happy birthday" cards addressed to Kohberger and an "improvement plan" issued by Washington State University.
The convicted murderer had been pursuing his PhD in criminology at the school and reportedly had issues with several students in the community.
Other notable findings photographed by the police included stacks of papers, a card featuring Theodore Roosevelt printed over a T-Rex, and multiple tickets from WSU.
