Chilling new insights into the Bryan Kohberger murder saga have come to light. Following the life sentence imposed on the former criminology student for butchering University of Idaho scholars, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, the Moscow Police Department unveiled almost 200 photos captured within their off-campus abode.
On August 8, NBC News affiliate KTVB obtained these images, revealing glimpses of a typical college life—a foldable table laden with red plastic cups and spilled beverages, a bedroom desk cluttered with a laundry basket atop which rested a calculator, and a living room adorned with a banner reading, "Saturdays are for the girls."
Yet, these photos also encapsulate the harrowing realities of Kohberger's confession, made as part of a plea deal last month. One harrowing snapshot, sourced by the outlet, portrays a blood-soaked bed with adjacent walls splattered in crimson. Another captures droplets of blood on a bedroom floor, while a third depicts the sliding glass door, speculated to be the entry point for Kohberger into the now-razed King Road house.
Prior to the photo release, Steve Goncalves, father of victim Kaylee, expressed his desire for these images to remain concealed from public eyes. “People don’t comprehend that these are our children, and we refuse to accept such a fate,” he articulated during an interview on NewsNation’s Banfield on August 6. “I hope we can accord these kids some dignity and spare them this publicity.”
Goncalves acknowledged the public's right to be informed about the case but clarified that the victims’ families were apprehensive about their loved ones’ final moments being scrutinized by the masses. “We dread waking up one morning to find those images plastered on TV,” he continued.
Beyond the families' stance on crime scene photos, Goncalves emphasized his openness to authorities sharing other case details with the public, except for one crucial aspect. “Regarding autopsies, some wanted to keep them private, and I comprehend that,” he revealed. “They detail every injury, making them incredibly gruesome.”
Goncalves concluded, “The autopsy reports are the last things we will fiercely guard.”
