Idaho Murders Update: Bryan Kohberger Was Hiding His DNA When Police Executed Arrest

Bryan Kohberger is escorted to an extradition hearing at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg — Reuters

The University of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger was reportedly found trying to hide his DNA when police raided his family's Pennsylvania home to arrest him.

Following the release of the unsealed search warrant, Monroe County First Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso shared new details about Kohberger's behavior on Dec. 30. 2022 around 1:30 a.m. ET when he was arrested.

"Mr. Kohberger was found awake in the kitchen area dressed in shorts and a shirt and wearing latex medical type gloves and apparently was taking his personal trash and putting it into separate zip lock baggies," Mancuso told BRCTV13.

#BREAKING After a search warrant is released, officials are revealing what Bryan Kohberger was doing when he was arrested at his family’s home in Monroe County. And we’re told it’s a “significant find.” Details live at 5 @BRCNews13 pic.twitter.com/UJnzAQTvEP
— Nicole Walters (@imnicolewalters) March 1, 2023

Catching Kohberger in the act gave officials answers after they hit a bump in the investigation. "The trash pull that was done days before recovered DNA profiles but not from him, only from his family members," Mancuso said.

Kohberger, 28, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; and Xana Kernodle, 20. The four students were killed on Nov. 13, 2022, at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.

When police executed the search warrant, they hoped it would explain Kohberger's or the victims' mental state. However, the murder suspect's decision to isolate his trash from his family's spoke volumes, according to Mancuso.

"It could very well explain some of the other aspects of the case from Idaho, some of the lengths that a person would go to to avoid having their DNA left behind when they know or should've known that there was an investigation underway," the First Assistant D.A. said.

News of Kohberger's behavior comes after the father of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old woman from Long Island who was killed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie, was asked to share advice with the Idaho victims' families and others going through similar situations.

During an appearance on NewsNation, Joe Petito stressed the importance of having a "great support system" when dealing with a tragic loss.

"These are, you know, painful, hard ways to navigate, and sometimes your brain doesn't exactly work. So when you have a bunch of people together, and really holding each other up, that helps a tremendous amount," Petito said.

Kohberger faces one count of felony burglary and four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the four students.