Text messages reveal chilling moments during University of Idaho murders

Boise, ID (CBS2) — Newly released text messages have provided a glimpse into the terrifying moments experienced by two surviving roommates during the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students. The messages, disclosed in court filings, are anticipated to be pivotal in the prosecution's case against Bryan Kohberger, who is suspected of killing four University of Idaho Students.

The brutal murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin took place in November 2022 at an off-campus residence in Moscow, a town of about 25,000 people. The surviving roommates, exchanged frantic messages about a masked man in their home around the time police believe the murders occurred.

"I'm freaking out," one of the roommates wrote to the other, according to the court documents. This exchange happened nearly eight hours before the roommates called 911 to report Kernodle unconscious at the residence.

According to CNN, the group of friends had been out in the college town and returned to their shared home late. The next day, police discovered the four students dead inside, with no signs of forced entry or damage. The slayings led to a lengthy investigation, frustrations from the victims' families about the pace of police work, and fear in the local community of a mass killer on the loose.

Nearly two months later, Moscow Police arrested Kohberger, a then 28-year-old graduate student in criminal justice at Washington State University in Pullman. He is set to face trial in August, with a not guilty plea entered on his behalf. Kohberger faces the death penalty if convicted.

One of the surviving roommates' told law enforcement she was awakened around 4 a.m. by what she thought was Goncalves playing with her dog. Court documents show Kernodle received a DoorDash order at approximately 4 a.m. and was using TikTok at around 4:12 a.m. Phone records indicate the roommates attempted to call the other four roommates but received no response. Around 4:17 a.m., a nearby security camera captured distorted audio of voices, a whimper, a loud thud, and a barking dog.

One roommate who is identified by the initials DM texted Goncalves, "Kaylee" and "What's going on." The other roommate who is idented by the initials BF responded to the first's messages while they were both in their bedrooms. Their exchange included:

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"

DM described seeing a man with a ski mask in the house, saying, "No it's like a ski mask almost." BF urged DM to join her in her room, texting, "Run."

Prosecutors plan to use the text messages to illustrate the timeline of the night. Defense attorney Anne Taylor has highlighted inconsistencies in the roommates' interviews with law enforcement.

Before calling 911, DM tried again to reach Goncalves and Mogen at 10:23 a.m., asking if they were awake: "Ru up??" A transcript of the 911 call, made more than an hour later, reveals the chaos as the two surviving roommates passed the phone between them, struggling to provide their address and phone number. They reported Kernodle unconscious and mentioned seeing a man in their house the previous night.

The judge in Latah County had previously ruled the messages and 911 transcript as permissible evidence before the case was moved to Ada County.

In a separate development, Kohberger's defense team has filed a motion to remove the death penalty option, citing an evaluation by a neuropsychologist who found Kohberger exhibits core diagnostic features of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The defense argues that the death penalty should be removed due to the overwhelming amount of discovery material, which they claim cannot be reviewed in time for the August trial.

The prosecution's key evidence includes a DNA sample from a knife sheath left at the crime scene, which was linked to Kohberger through investigative genetic genealogy. Kohberger's attorneys have questioned the legality and accuracy of the DNA testing process.