Summary

On November 13, 2022, a 911 call was made from 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, a small city that is located on the Idaho/Washington border. In the early morning hours of November 13, four University of Idaho students, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, and 21-year-old Madison Mogen, were murdered in an off-campus home located in Moscow, Idaho. The call to 911 was made by a surviving resident of the King Road home.

Officers from the Moscow Police Department responded to the scene, launching a homicide investigation. During the initial forensic examination, investigators recovered unknown male DNA from the snap of a knife sheath found near one of the victims. Traditional STR testing was used to generate a DNA profile, which was then submitted to the CODIS database. However, no match to a known individual was found.

At the time, Othram had an existing contract with Idaho State Police Forensic Services (ISPFS) to support forensic DNA analysis. The two organizations had successfully collaborated on cold cases in the past. However, this marked the first time ISPFS considered applying Othram’s advanced technology to an active, real-time homicide investigation. Investigators reached out to determine whether Othram’s forensic sequencing and genealogical tools could help identify the source of the unknown male DNA and move the case forward.

Representatives from Idaho State Police Forensic Services and the Moscow Police Department personally transported the forensic DNA evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Using the same forensic DNA evidence that had previously been used to generate the STR profile, Othram scientists applied Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a high-resolution SNP profile. The profile was developed in a matter of days, reflecting the urgency of the active investigation where a continued public threat would continue to exist until the suspect could be identified.

This was an unprecedented process at the time, demonstrating that high-resolution forensic DNA profiles could be generated real-time to support active investigations.

Shortly after the development of the SNP profile, forensic genetic genealogy enabled law enforcement to identify close relatives of the unknown suspect. These leads quickly converged on a single individual, Bryan Kohberger. At the time of the murders, Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University, located just across the state line from the University of Idaho.

In December 2022, investigators collected a DNA sample from discarded trash outside the Pennsylvania home of Kohberger’s parents, where he was visiting during winter break. A forensic DNA profile was developed from the discarded trash and then compared to the forensic DNA profile generated from the crime scene evidence. The comparison helped law enforcement link Bryan Kohberger to the crime scene.

Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. At the time of his arrest, investigators had received over 19,000 tips, including more than 9,000 via email, 4,500 by phone, and over 6,000 digital media submissions, and had conducted over 300 interviews as part of the investigation.

Following his arrest, Kohberger was extradited to Idaho, where he appeared before a judge. When asked to respond to the charges, he exercised his right to remain silent, prompting the court to enter a plea of “not guilty” on his behalf.

A gag order was subsequently issued, sealing many of the investigative documents, and prohibiting the individuals and organizations, with direct knowledge of the case, from making public statements.

With the rescheduled and relocated trial set to begin in August 2025, Kohberger accepted a plea deal: he would plead guilty to all charges in exchange for life in prison. Prosecutors had planned to seek the death penalty if the case had gone to trial and resulted in a conviction. On July 23, Kohberger was formally sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

This case exemplifies why Othram was built—to overcome the limitations of traditional forensic DNA technology and bring certainty to investigations, whether current or cold. It marks the beginning of a new era in criminal justice, where answers are possible for everyone, regardless of circumstances, origin, geography, or time.

The identification of Bryan Kohberger represents the 7th case in Idaho where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. As of July 2025, Othram technology has been publicly recognized in more than 500 publicy announced case solves.