@Idaho College Murders

[starlily]

Jan 6, 2023 9:07:35 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Jan 6, 2023 9:01:18 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

Is it known whether this guy had any connection to the victims, or was it just a random thing? If it was random, that makes the whole thing even more disturbing.

Nothing's been shared yet about any connection. Given that he only moved to the area in August from across the country, there may be a connection but not a super close one. Like maybe they crossed paths somewhere, which is also really disturbing.

I'll be interested in seeing if they obtain and/or release any info from his phone or computer regarding any social media interactions with any of the victims. We had a local triple murder recently that stemmed from the murderer (who was a cop) catfishing a minor.

[tiramisu]

One of the other things that's upset me about how this has been covered was seeing on one of the news channels (can't remember which one, sorry) that he was a good student, nice, etc. None of that matters! Thankfully that doesn't seem to be a dominant part of the narrative, but that it was included at all is awful.

[mrsukyankee]

Jan 6, 2023 16:02:35 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

One of the other things that's upset me about how this has been covered was seeing on one of the news channels (can't remember which one, sorry) that he was a good student, nice, etc. None of that matters! Thankfully that doesn't seem to be a dominant part of the narrative, but that it was included at all is awful.

Seems to always happen when the killer is white.

[melmaria]

Jan 7, 2023 4:50:52 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

Jan 6, 2023 16:02:35 GMT -5 tiramisu said:

One of the other things that's upset me about how this has been covered was seeing on one of the news channels (can't remember which one, sorry) that he was a good student, nice, etc. None of that matters! Thankfully that doesn't seem to be a dominant part of the narrative, but that it was included at all is awful.

Seems to always happen when the killer is white.

This is all true, although I’ve also seen plenty of opposite coverage - that he was bullied in high school and lashed out at people, that he made misogynistic comments to women at a bar, that he made offensive comments to people in class at grad school and was kind of a loner, etc.

The coverage of “who the person was” - good or bad - definitely happens more with white criminals, I’m not disputing that, just to be clear.

[devonpow]

His coverage over being a good student etc I’m reading more as “how fucking scary this guy who seemed to be a well functioning member of society may be the killer” as opposed to a Brock Turner/white privilege coverage like “let’s give him a break, he has such a bright future!” But I may not have read all the coverage.

[hermione]

What made police first turn to this guy? I know about the cell pings and the trash and the dna. But what made them look for those in the first place?

[frlcb]

Jan 7, 2023 10:37:23 GMT -5 hermione said:

What made police first turn to this guy? I know about the cell pings and the trash and the dna. But what made them look for those in the first place?

They had his car on camera. I believe they searched for that vehicle heading towards WSU and his name came up, and then they looked at him, saw the bushy eyebrows, and went from there. That's a very basic explanation, I know.

[tacokick]

Jan 7, 2023 10:37:23 GMT -5 hermione said:

What made police first turn to this guy? I know about the cell pings and the trash and the dna. But what made them look for those in the first place?

I read somewhere that he had been spotted multiple times in their area in the time leading up to the murders but I can’t find the link. My guess is they were casting a wide net and thought it was weird someone who didn’t live there was in the neighborhood so much and he had left the area.

[Velar Fricative]

Jan 7, 2023 10:37:23 GMT -5 hermione said:

What made police first turn to this guy? I know about the cell pings and the trash and the dna. But what made them look for those in the first place?

They knew quickly a car of interest was found in the area that night. After they figured out likely make and model, they passed it along to other LEs. One at WSU found a car there. Obviously not a slam dunk but I’m assuming they ruled others out for various reasons.

[InBetweenDays]

Jan 7, 2023 10:37:23 GMT -5 hermione said:

What made police first turn to this guy? I know about the cell pings and the trash and the dna. But what made them look for those in the first place?

I don't know if this is what first led the police to him, but after the Moscow police made the alert about the white Elantra a WSU police ran a search of any on campus. And his car turned up in that search.

www.cbsnews.com/amp/philadelphia/news/university-of-idaho-students-stabbings-bryan-kohberger-white-hyundai-elantra-car-vehicle-search/

"On Nov. 25, the Moscow Police Department asked regional law enforcement to look for a white Elantra. Three nights later, a WSU police officer ran a query for any white Elantras on campus.

One came back as having a Pennsylvania license plate and being registered to Kohberger. Within half an hour, another campus officer located the vehicle parked at Kohberger's apartment complex. It came back as having Washington state tags. Five days after the killings, Kohberger had switched the registration from Pennsylvania, his home state, to Washington, the affidavit said."

[tiramisu]

Jan 7, 2023 10:18:02 GMT -5 devonpow said:

His coverage over being a good student etc I’m reading more as “how fucking scary this guy who seemed to be a well functioning member of society may be the killer” as opposed to a Brock Turner/white privilege coverage like “let’s give him a break, he has such a bright future!” But I may not have read all the coverage.

That's a good point and I hope that's what it was. I saw it on TV coverage on one of this board's (any my) least-favorite 'news' channels because it was on at work. I was talking to someone, so I didn't hear all of it. It struck me as more of what I'd expect for a white preparator. Thankfully at least, my coworker also scoffed at the "...says he was a good student" nonsense. He even responded that he was pretty sure people thought Ted Bundy was a nice guy, too. I think it especially surprised me because I'd recently read about his behavior at that bar in PA. But it was Fox, so my expectations for journalism from them should be in the toilet.