A surviving roommate who encountered the masked man who killed University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves told investigators she heard a male voice refer to one of the victims by her name. Dylan Mortensen said she opened her door amid the rampage and "heard a male say, 'It's OK Kaylee, I'm here for you,' and crying,” a newly unsealed document written by Idaho State Police trooper Jeffory Talbot has revealed, according to NBC News. The document was written based on a briefing received from a police sergeant in Moscow, Idaho.
Mortensen later adjusted her statement after gathering "additional information," telling police it was Kernodle who she heard weeping in the bathroom. She also said she knew the voice was not Chapin’s.
Goncalves’ family previously opened up about how Kohberger showed no mercy to the young woman. The family shared the statement while expressing anger over a plea deal that helped Kohberger dodge the death penalty.
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“Also people say that the Goncalves don't want justice, they want vengeance,” the family said in a social media post at the time. “Well let me ask you a question about that...if your 21yr old daughter was sleeping in her bed and BK went into her house with the intention to kill her and he did, by stabbing her MANY times, as well as beating her in the face and head while it was clear that she fought for her life...what would you want? Justice or vengeance ? Maybe a little bit of both? I'm curious how you all would feel.”
When Dylan Mortensen described her trauma
Kohberger is now serving life in prison for the 2022 murders. The sentencing was marked by various powerful victim impact statements, including from Mortensen, who told the court about the trauma she has suffered after Kohberger’s crime.
{{/usCountry}}Kohberger is now serving life in prison for the 2022 murders. The sentencing was marked by various powerful victim impact statements, including from Mortensen, who told the court about the trauma she has suffered after Kohberger’s crime.
{{/usCountry}}"I can't breathe," she said, adding that she had panic attacks and would constantly need to plan escape routes. She further said that Kohberger “took away my ability to trust the world around me” and “shattered me in places I didn’t know could break.”
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“What happened that night changed everything," Mortensen said. "Because of him, four beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason."