The torture of Dylan Mortensen: Idaho murders survivor may have escaped killer but trolls are destroying her
MOSCOW, IDAHO: A surviving roommate of the infamous Idaho murders, Dylan Mortensen, is reportedly 'isolating herself' after she became a victim of brutal 'dogpiling' on social media since the quadruple homicide in November last year, Daily Mail reports.
This new development concerning the life of the 21-year-old comes to light after multiple outlets stated last year that she was in the house on the night of the brutal slayings and informed the authorities she witnessed a man walk past her bedroom after he claimed the lives of her friends.
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What has happened with Dylan Mortensen?
Author and private investigator, J Reuben Appelman is the only reporter to interact with the father of Mortensen, one of only two survivors from the University murder house.
'In the beginning weeks after those homicides, she was basically dogpiled on on social media," he said during an interview with Ashleigh Banfield to discuss his new book 'While Idaho Slept.'
Evil online users had accused Mortensen of being involved with the crimes, while others termed her drug dealer, among other names, he added.
"This was part of the trauma that she experienced," he said, adding "Dylan herself has retreated from the public eye, very few people see her."
Dylan Mortensen's father expressed heartache over his daughter's suffering
The survivor's father also expressed his concerns upon seeing his daughter being the victim of brutal cyberbullying following the nightmare she went through from surviving the November massacre.
However, the devastated parent told Appelman that his daughter is in the process of healing, despite being harassed by the bullies.
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"She is in trauma therapy of sorts, she's getting help from the spiritual community," he told Banfield, adding "Isolating herself but she is stepping out a little at a time, she is gaming online with peers in group gaming session."
"She's doing what she can without going into public," he added.
Dylan Mortensen's spine-chilling encounter with the murderer
Mortensen and Bethany Funke, both 19, survived the November 13 carnage but lost three of their loved ones, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, in the vicious attack.
Xana's boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 21, was also murdered. Bryan Kohberger, 28, a PhD student at Washington State University, was charged with the four murders and a charge of burglary.
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According to initial details from an affidavit released in January, Mortensen opened her door only to come across a man "clad in black clothing and a mask" with bushy eyebrows.
In the affidavit, police noted how Mortensen froze in fear early on November 13 after spotting the killer, having opened her bedroom door after hearing commotion in the six-bedroom rental home.
The witness is described as standing in a 'frozen shock phase' as the killer walked toward the house's back door before she locked herself in her room.
She had opened the door a couple of times initially, once after hearing Kaylee say someone was in the house and again after the sound of crying came from Xana's bedroom.
The teen informed the authorities that she had locked herself in her second-floor bedroom after the encounter with the killer who was wearing a ski mask at the time but didn't dial 911.
Funke is believed to have slept through the attack in her ground floor bedroom. It wasn't until 11.58 am, seven-and-a-half hours after the students died, that police were called to the scene.
Dylan Mortensen said she woke up at around 4 am
Mortensen said she woke up at around 4 am by what she thought sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in a third-floor bedroom, according to the affidavit.
A few moments later, she heard Goncalves say 'there's someone here', the haunting affidavit states. Mortensen looked out of her bedroom door but didn't see anything.
The second time she opened her door she heard a male voice say something like, "It's ok, I'm going to help you." A neighbor's security camera picked up audio at 4.17 am of "what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud. A dog can also be heard barking numerous times."
Mortensen "stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her."