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True Crime Friday: Bryan Kohberger, the Idaho College Murders Spree Killer


Bryan Kohberger was born on November 21, 1994, to parents Maryann and Michael Kohberger. His mother worked at the school that he attended, and his father was a maintenance worker. The couple had three children together. Kohberger earned his associate’s degree in psychology from Northampton Community College. He then attended DeSales University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in criminal justice. He was attending college to obtain a PhD in Criminal Justice at the time of the murders. He was also working as a teacher’s assistant at the university. It is said that one of Bryan Kohberger’s sisters was in a 2011 film about a serial killer. Oh, the irony!

Spree Killer Versus Serial Killer

Bryan Kohberger is a Spree Killer. What is a spree killer? A Spree Killer is someone who kills two or more victims in a short period of time at the same location or at different location. They are like Serial Killers but unlike serial killers they do not have a cooling off period in between murders. Spree killers commit their crimes in a continuous event or series of events with little to no break in between.

The Early Childhood of Bryan Kohberger

Bryan Kohberger grew up in rural Pennsylvania. The population has roughly 2,226 residents. It was said by friends and family that Bryan was overweight and was bullied in high school. To cope, he developed a heroin addiction later in his teen years. He lost over one hundred pounds while in high school. It was then that he began to have a personality change and became aggressive. Kohberger was diagnosed with visual snow syndrome, a rare neurological condition. During the filming of a documentary on Bryan's crime one of his friends said that based upon Kohberger’s personality, he was not surprised that Kohberger committed murder. That is chilling to say the least.

The Victims of Bryan Kohberger

  • Kaylee Goncalves, 21
  • Madison Mogen, 21
  • Ethan Chapin, 20
  • Xana Kernodle, 20
In the early hours of November 13, 2022, Bryan Kohberger murdered four people while they were asleep in their home. It is not quite clear why he committed the murders. Detectives theorize that he had a crush on one of the victims and was upset that she did not return his affections. This is speculation because Kohberger has not admitted to why he committed the murders. Because of the advancement in DNA, CCTV and home video camera’s criminal acts such as these can be solved. There are many crimes that go unsolved for years or never solved at all. He murdered his victims in Idaho and then drove home to Pennsylvania. He was living his life as if nothing had happened. He thought he had committed the perfect crime. Afterall, he was studying criminology and had a high IQ. The authorities were able to test his DNA from a knife sheath that he accidentally left at the crime scene. They also had video footage of Kohberger stalking the victims’ house and learning about their routines before committing the murders.

The Survivors of Bryan Kohberger

  • Bethany Funke, 20
  • Dylan Mortensen, 20

What is Femicide

Femicide is the intentional murder of women or girls because of their gender. Harmful stereotypes such as women are the weaker sex, must be submissive to men and the good girl versus bad girl genre plays a role in this complex situation. Religion also plays a huge role in femicide such as honor killings and domestic violence. The role of masculine hegemony that perpetuates the unequal power between men and women plays a strong role in these types of killings as well. Generally, a spouse or partner is responsible for 40 percent of homicides of women and girls. Spousal abuse is underreported because victims sometimes lack sufficient evidence to convict the abuser. Also, the way authorities prioritize the victim’s complaints is also significant. If the case is not taken seriously, the abuser will feel empowered to escalate his abuse which sometimes will lead to murder. Domestic violence is the main contributor to homicides of women and girls. Recently, femicide was not considered a phenomenon but awareness is beginning to increase. The more the public is aware the more the police will feel the pressure to act on the crime of domestic violence towards women.

Lady Justice

Bryan Kohberger confessed to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen,
Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. He was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus 10 years without parole. After initially pleading not guilty, Kohberger submitted a guilty plea as part of a deal to take the death penalty off the table. Kohberger is housed alone in a cell at a maximum-security prison in Idaho. He recently complained that other inmates are harassing him through the prison vents in and near his cell. Authorities say they take these complaints seriously and are investigating the matter. Kohberger told authorities that the inmates are psychologically torturing him. He is having nightmares about his safety because of the taunts. Bryan Kohberger will never be released from prison.

Reference

Idaho college murders: As Kohberger is sentenced to life in prison, here's the full timeline
Bryan Kohberger updates: Judge sentences Idaho killer to life, 1st police reports released
Man admits murders of four Idaho students in deal to avoid death penalty
Spree vs. Serial Killers
Femicide