[9] In the early morning of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho college students were stabbed to death in a shared rental home close to campus.

[15] Earlier on the evening of November 12, two of the four victims, Chapin and Kernodle, were reportedly at an on-campus party at the nearby Sigma Chi fraternity from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

They returned home at 1:45 a.m.[7][15][16] That evening, the other two victims, Mogen and Goncalves, had gone to The Corner Club, a downtown sports bar at 10 p.m., from which they departed at 1:30 a.m.[7][11][15][16] A livestreamed video on Twitch[17] by The Grub Truck, a food truck four blocks south at Friendship Square (Main and Fourth Streets), showed Mogen and Goncalves at 1:41 a.m., chatting and smiling, getting their food 10 minutes later, and leaving to take what the police initially said was an Uber ride home, a trip of about one mile (1.6 km).

[20] A DoorDash order labeled for Xana was delivered to the house around 4 a.m.[21] The two surviving roommates had allegedly returned home by 1 a.m.

"[21][13] The roommate stated she believed this was said by Goncalves,[13] although investigators also believe this might have been Kernodle speaking, as a forensic download of her cell phone showed that she was on the app TikTok at 4:12 a.m.[24] The surviving roommate stated she opened her door twice within a short span of time, and the second time, heard what sounded like crying coming from Kernodle's room and a male voice saying "it's okay, I'm going to help you.

"[21][13] Security cameras near the home picked up the sound of whimpering, a loud thud, and a dog barking numerous times starting around 4:17 a.m.[21] The surviving roommate allegedly opened her door a third time and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered his mouth and nose walking towards her.

[26][27] Before the 911 call was made, the surviving roommates reportedly summoned friends to the residence because they believed one of the second-floor victims was unconscious and was not waking up.

[28] Someone at the residence called 911 at 11:58 a.m.—over seven hours after the homicides allegedly occurred—on a surviving roommate's phone to request aid for an "unconscious person."

[15] Detectives stated they believe the killings occurred sometime between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m.[13] Upon searching the residence, officers came upon Goncalves's dog—which she shared with her ex-boyfriend—alive and unharmed on the third floor.

[37] Many students and other Moscow residents, not trusting the initial assurances of the police and fearing for their own safety, began an early Thanksgiving holiday exodus from the area.

[38][39][40] Due to weather concerns, the candlelight vigil was moved indoors to the Kibbie Dome and held on the evening of November 30.

[41] The fathers of Goncalves and Chapin criticized the limited flow of information from the police and university to the families of the victims.

[43][44][45] In response the Moscow Police Department criticized Internet sleuths for creating rampant online rumors and disrupting investigations, and in a December 2 news release said: "There is speculation, without factual backing, stoking community fears and spreading false facts.

[15][52] A surviving roommate who reportedly saw the suspect described him as a male stranger around 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m), and "not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows".

[53] On November 19, Moscow police requested the public provide any video of the house that had been recorded the night of the killings.

After receiving hundreds of tips from the public, on December 15 police announced they were searching records of approximately 22,000 fifth-generation Hyundai Elantras made between 2011 and 2013.

[54] A camera in the area captured video of a white or light colored Elantra around the time of the murders, which investigators noticed had made multiple passes along the same route near the residence.

[21] Using a public genealogy database, authorities reportedly identified a partial match to an individual with a familial connection to Kohberger.

[63] He was allegedly seen multiple times wearing surgical gloves and observed putting trash bags inside of the garbage can of a neighbor.

[66] At the time of his arrest, authorities allegedly found Kohberger in the kitchen dressed in a shirt and shorts, while wearing examination gloves and putting trash into separate zip-lock baggies.

[68] After graduating from Pleasant Valley High School in 2013, he attended Monroe Career and Technical Institute in Bartonsville but dropped out a year later.

[75][76] Kohberger had been a teaching assistant at WSU, and less than two weeks before the murders, faculty members met with him to discuss growing concerns about his behavior and conduct.

[86] On June 26, the Latah County Prosecutor's office announced they were seeking the death penalty given the alleged aggravating circumstances of the first-degree murder charges.