'He just wanted to be liked': Bryan Kohberger's ex-friend says Idaho murder suspect 'wasn't a bad guy'

'He was a little weird and he was a little socially awkward,' Rich Pasqua said, adding, 'He was alright'
UPDATED JAN 9, 2023
Bryan Kohberger is on trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students (Instagram@Kaylee Goncalves , Monroe County Correctional Facility)
Bryan Kohberger is on trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students (Instagram@Kaylee Goncalves , Monroe County Correctional Facility)

This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently

MOSCOW, IDAHO: Bryan Christopher Kohberger, the primary suspect in the November 13 quadruple homicides at the University of Idaho, was captured in Pennsylvania on December 30, 2022. After being extradited, Kohberger is now on trial for the alleged murders of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves.

Since his arrest, many of his acquaintances, former classmates, and neighbors have shared crucial details about him. Recently, Rich Pasqua, a former friend of Bryan Kohberger, reflected on the 28-year-old's behavior and suggested he didn't appear to be capable of such a gruesome crime.

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Pasqua said that Kohberger was just your "average guy." "I met him through some friends, and they told me that he was a little weird and he was a little socially awkward, I guess you could say, but he wasn't a bad guy," he said, as reported by Fox News. "So he, like, would do anything to fit in. He just wanted to be liked by everybody. But he wasn't a bad kid, like, he was alright." 

Kohberger kept a low profile

Earlier, WSU employee Justin Williams, 34, Kohberger's neighbor, told Fox News that he rarely saw the alleged murderer. "I'd see him go check his mail; that was it. Other than that, I've only seen him like twice the whole time, and I've lived here since July 2021," Williams said, adding that he found "nothing unusual" about the alleged killer's behavior. Neighbors state that the Steptoe Village building is part of a WSU housing complex and that the "quiet" Pullman, Washington area is known for its security, as reported by MEAWW.

However, till now, law enforcement has not revealed Bryan Kohberger's motive or connection to the victims. Authorities discovered his DNA at the crime scene, and a match was made by checking his parents' garbage bin, according to Insider.

What led to Kohberger's arrest?

Kohberger was apprehended on Friday, December 30, following a SWAT raid at his parents' Albrightsville, Pennsylvania home. A white Hyundai Elantra matching the vehicle caught on the house's security camera at the time of the murders was recovered by police. However, according to a law enforcement source, Kohberger "cleaned his car, inside and outside, not missing an inch," CNN reported.

He was frequently observed outside his parents' residence in Pennsylvania wearing "medical gloves." According to the source, who requested anonymity, the PhD candidate, who had been observed for four days, was once seen leaving the house at 4 am and placing bags in neighbors' garbage cans. Agents discovered the trash bags and brought them to the Idaho Crime Lab.

Kohberger's trial after extradition

Following his extradition from Pennsylvania, Kohberger was incarcerated in the Latah County Jail on January 4. On January 5, he appeared in court for the first time in Idaho and did not enter a plea. His bail request was also denied. He will be held in jail until his next court appearance on January 12. Last month, Kohberger finished his first semester of the criminal justice program at Washington State University, located around ten miles from the University of Idaho in Pullman, Washington.

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