Bryan Kohberger, convicted in the quadruple murder of four University of Idaho students, called his mother multiple times in the hours following the killings, including while he returned to the crime scene, according to a new report.
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse, for his sentencing hearing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death nearly three years ago. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)
Forensic expert Heather Barnhart, who analyzed Kohberger’s phone and devices, spoke to PEOPLE about the case and said that she found that he called his mother at 6:13 a.m. on November 13, 2022 — less than two hours after the murders. He called her again at 8:54 a.m. when he returned to the crime scene.
Phone records show Kohberger was on the phone with his mother while back at the crime scene in the 9 o’clock hour. In his contacts, his parents were simply listed as “mother” and “father.”
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In one text message to his father, Kohberger wrote: “Father, why did mother not respond? Why is she not answering the phone?”
According to other reports, Kohberger is struggling with prison life. Inmates are allegedly tormenting him at all hours, taunting him through the vents in his cell, according to a former homicide detective with knowledge of his treatment. In a statement to TODAY.com, the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) said, “We are aware of Kohberger’s complaints about what he considers taunting. Incarcerated individuals commonly communicate with each other in prison. Bryan Kohberger is housed alone in a cell, and IDOC security staff maintain a safe and orderly environment for all individuals in our custody.”
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At his sentencing hearing, Kohberger declined the opportunity to address the court and the families of the victims.
Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin after pleading guilty.
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