What happened to Murphy? How Kaylee Goncalves' dog became part of 'Idaho Murders' investigation
The latest documentary on Netflix, ‘The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,’ has left viewers with many questions. While some may be wondering about Bryan Kohberger’s motives and the two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, others are concerned about one of the four victims, Kaylee Goncalves’ dog, Murphy. The first episode of the three-part docuseries includes a glimpse of Murphy after the police officers found all four deceased victims. One of the officers took Murphy outside and noted, “Justin Olsen’s gonna come pick this dog up and then take him to the pound for us.” He then asked another officer to hold Murphy right outside the front door.
The docuseries noted that Murphy was living with the college students at their home. He was found unharmed after the four college students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were found dead. The police statement at the time revealed, “Officers did not find any evidence on the dog, and there was no indication the animal had entered the crime scene.” While his exact whereabouts at the time of the murders are unclear, it was confirmed that Murphy was not in the same room when the crime took place. Bryan Kohberger was convicted of the quadruple murders and put behind bars.
During the investigation, certain details made officials wonder if Kohberger befriended the dog before the crime, as this would explain how he managed to enter the home without being detected. According to police reports, via People, one of the surviving roommates, Bethany Funke, told investigators that Kaylee recalled seeing an “unknown male up above their house to the south who was staring at her when she took Murphy out to go potty.” Notably, the dog often began running into the same area, and two friends of Kaylee, whose names were redacted from the reports, mentioned, “(Redacted) stated Murphy ran up into the bushes behind the house on several occasions and would not return when called.” Another revealed, “(Redacted) stated they called Murphy numerous times before he would come back.”
Another individual told officials about an incident at a Halloween party, when "Murphy began to run into the wood line behind the house and not come back." The friends then "heard noises too" as though "someone was moving through the woods on foot." The individual stated that she and Goncalves were "concerned about someone being behind the house when Murphy would behave in this manner."
After the dog was found in the house, he was given to animal services and then handed over to a “responsible person,” as per The Tab. It was reportedly Kaylee’s ex-boyfriend, Jack DuCouer, who visited The Humane Society and took Murphy home. Jack often shares pictures with the goldendoodle, who, as per an Instagram page for Murphy, still lives with him. The social media page includes tributes to Kaylee and her friends, photos of Murphy with Jack, and more. On Kaylee’s birthday, the account shared a post, and part of the caption read, “In March of last year Kaylee had the spontaneous idea of getting a puppy together. Even though I wasn’t sure if I was ready for a puppy, I hesitantly agreed we should make it happen. Less than two weeks later we drove 16 hours to bring home baby Murphy.” It continued, "I see every wag of Murphy’s tail as a tribute to the happiness you brought him. We love and miss you so much." The three-part documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
