Idaho murders: Retired NYPD sergeant says Bryan Kohberger is not as 'smart' as people think he is
This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.
MOSCOW, IDAHO: A retired NYPD sergeant claimed that Bryan Kohberger is not as 'smart' as people think he is as he left so many 'traces' after the Idaho quadruple murder. Professor Joseph Giacalone, a retired detective sergeant from the NYPD who currently teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, told the Daily Beast, “If somebody like this was really a student of criminal justice and criminology, then he would understand certain things like Locard’s Exchange Principle,” adding that “every contact leaves a trace.”
“It shows you the arrogance of people like him, where he thinks he’s smarter than the cops because he read something in a book. At the end of the day, experience trumps academics every day of the week and twice on Sunday,” Giacalone added. Giacalone, who also writes textbooks on conducting criminal investigations, claims that while it's not impossible for a student to misuse their education, and doing so is incredibly uncommon.
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He said, “Someone asked, ‘Are you worried about making better criminals? It’s always a concern, you always have that in the back of your mind. But [Kohberger] is behind bars right now. So, maybe he wasn’t as good a student as everybody thought.” Kohberger reportedly finished a graduate degree in criminal justice earlier this year at DeSales University, a Catholic college in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. Kohberger is a first-year Ph.D. student and teaching assistant at Washington State University in Pullman, roughly 10 miles from the crime scene.
He also studied there under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland, who is the author of more than 70 publications, including 'How to Catch a Killer,' ‘The Psychology of Death Investigations,’ and ‘The Mind of a Murderer.’ According to one now-deleted article, Kohberger also advertised online for ex-offenders to participate in a study project. Kohberger told potential participants he was interested in "how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime," in addition to how they prepared for their crimes, and how a person approached their target before "making your move."
He also asked about people's "most recent criminal offense" and, their "thoughts and feelings throughout [the] experience.” Investigators think Kohberger, 28, was behind the brutal killings of Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20, and the two best friends, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21. According to officials, the four were stabbed to death early on November 13 while they slept in their off-campus rental home in Moscow. How or whether Kohberger knew any of the victims is still a mystery. The murder weapon, which police identified as a ‘fixed-blade knife,’ has not yet been located.
As many things still remain a mystery, Giacalone noted that “it will be really interesting to find out, as we go, if he came prepared. Did he wear gloves, and a Tyvek suit, what was he doing to not get caught? Was he covering his hair? Did he wear booties over his shoes, knowing that he’s going to be stepping in a lot of blood? Those are behavioral aspects, where [prosecutors] can say, ‘This was well thought-out and planned.”