Investigators study cold cases that may be linked to Bryan Kohberger, Internet says 'not his first kill'
This article is based on sources and we have been unable to verify this information independently.
MOSCOW, IDAHO: Bryan Kohberger, the suspect arrested for the Idaho murders, reportedly had a clean report apart from a drug problem. He was a PhD student in Washington State University’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and maintained a disciplined diet and fitness routine. His brutal crime has now prompted cold case investigators to take interest in him.
"One thing about cold cases is you always look to see if your case is connected to any others, and the reason behind that is many times those cases will hold clues for each one," Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant who was the commanding officer of the Bronx Cold Case Squad from 2007 to 2009, said, according to Fox News.
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Giacalone is now a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He said that since not all criminals are not serial offenders, all cases do not turn up links. If they are repeat offenders, however, investigators can study patterns across crimes committed in different areas with ties to the suspect. "Any time you have a suspect where you believe there could be companion cases, you look at every place they lived, every place they worked," Giacalone said.
Kohberger, 28, has been accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in their off-campus three-story rented home on November 13, 2022. It has been revealed that he returned to the crime scene area and may even have stalked their homes about 12 times before the attack. His cell phone pinged its location in the area of the house where the crimes were committed at around 9 am on November 13, which was just five hours after he killed the students. He was arrested in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, on December 30, following a massive manhunt. He now reportedly plans to fight the probable cause evidence in a June 26 preliminary hearing, according to his attorney, Kootenai County Public Defender Anne Taylor.
Giacalone noted that many unsolved cases took place along interstate highways along which Kohberger and his father went on a 2,500-mile cross-country road trip after the Idaho murders. Investigators in many counties are now looking into potential similarities in open cases.
What did the regional crime database show?
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said that after he heard of Kohberger's arrest, he immediately checked a regional crime database, according to the Seattle-based KING-TV. What came back was a 911 call Kohberger had made after leaving his car parked behind a gate, which was locked up later. "As part of the office’s Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center, a search of Mr. Kohberger’s name just turned up one police report that states he was on a walking trail and the parking lot area closed at 5 p.m.," Martin's office told Fox News Digital. "Mr. Kohberger called police to assist him in getting the gate unlocked to remove his vehicle."
A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, Pamela Lehman, claimed investigators there looked at the database and said they did not believe Kohberger was involved in any of the other cases in the county. Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck, meanwhile, said his office had been looking for any possible connections. "Nothing with respect to Kohberger has come about in our investigations of cold cases or unsolved cases to this point, but we always continue to investigate and pursue leads," he said.
Investigators will now have access to the federal Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, or ViCap, as the FBI is involved, Giacalone said. "We kind of understand what happened in Idaho, to a degree of course, so they’ll look for patterns," he stated. "They have the FBI on board on this case already, so they have ViCap, which is designed to do just that, identify cases based on similarities, based on MO, based on signature, and a variety of things. They put it in a database, and it becomes searchable."
Reports of a skinned dog in Idaho, which some initially thought may be connected to Kohberger, were soon ruled out by investigators, as were a trio of unsolved bedtime stabbings in the region. His arrest and extradition in the Idaho murders are the only case court records in his home county show. The district attorney's office in Philadelphia also confirmed there were no earlier cases reported that involved Kohberger, or could be connected to him.
'This wasn't his first kill'
Social media users reacted to the news, with some claiming they believe this was not Kohberger's first crime. "Not necessarily used same mo in past...study the essays ..things he said, put dogs on his parent property etc...I still there is more to uncover ...seems there would be missed connection to the house ..," one user commented on Facebook. "As it should. I already knee this wasn't his first kill," another wrote. "Well, interest in cold cases is probably the good thing that will come from this case. I'm glad cold cases are getting another look at now," one user wrote on Twitter. "This is a great idea, but apparently just a kind of wishful thinking formality. Another article that I read said that they have found no connection between him and any cold cases," said another. One said, "As sloppy as he was one would think it was his first time in Idaho, then again if he committed crimes before and wasn't caught he might have thought it all works out just fine. If he is guilty of course, innocent until proven guilty!"
Well, interest in cold cases is probably the good thing that will come from this case. I'm glad cold cases are getting another look at now.
— Lynn Via (@LynnVia7) February 9, 2023
This is a great idea, but apparently just a kind of wishful thinking formality. Another article that I read said that they have found no connection between him and any cold cases.
— Fist Bumps and Fanny Packs (@Deff812) February 8, 2023
As sloppy as he was one would think it was his first time in Idaho, then again if he committed crimes before and wasn't caught he might have thought it all works out just fine. If he is guilty of course, innocent until proven guilty!
— Mon 🇩🇪🇺🇸 (@MoniPurpura) February 8, 2023
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.