There has been much news recently about the University of Idaho Murders. The podcast The King Road Killings thoroughly examines the murders and the case against the perpetrator Bryan Kohberger. It is an ABC production that is hosted by Kayna Whitworth who has reported on the murders since 2022. The podcast began in 2023 and recently wrapped up in July of this year when Kohberger was sent to jail. The attention to detail will make this podcast a big hit for true crime fans!
At the beginning of the podcast, you learn about the victims: Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen. You are given a description of what they were doing on their final day. They attended a football game and then went to parties and bars at night. There is video footage of a couple of the victims at a food truck just a few hours before their lives were taken.
The perpetrator (who we now know was Bryan Kohberger) entered the the victims' residence on Kings Road at about 4 am with a ka-bar knife. Kohberger first murdered Goncalves and Mogen and then attacked Chapin and Kernodle. He encountered one of their roommates (Dylan Mortensen) but left her unharmed. Mortensen was too shocked and perplexed to react at the time but she eventually called the police later in the morning. It is tragic to learn about how care free the victims were and how their lives were cut short.
In the podcast, you learn how the police were finally able to Kohberger. The strongest piece of evidence was DNA traced to Kohberger found on a knife stealth at the crime scene. Additionally, cell phone records put him in the vicinity of the crime. He shut off his phone as he was driving to the victims’ house and turned it back on while he was driving away. Other evidence includes video footage of Kohberg’s car on Kings Road by the house and him trying to delete his purchase history on Amazon where he bought the knife.
Bryan Kohberger was a PhD student at Washington State University and creepily studied criminology. From his students, you learn about his arrogant attitude and sexist behavior. Kohberger was finally expelled from Washington State University after getting into physical altercations with a professor. Clearly, there were warning signs that Kohberger was disturbed but few could have predicted that he was capable of such a heinous crime.
The most powerful part of the podcast for me was hearing statements read to Kohberger by the family and friends of the victims. Some were forgiving of him whereas others were understandably furious with him. The host describes Kohberger showing no emotion while these testimonies were read.
The King Road Killings is a well researched podcast that is filled with stories from primary sources. The podcast importantly spends a lot of time discussing the victims, who can sometimes get lost in true crime stories. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone interested in a gripping true crime story.
As a warning, The King Road Killings contains descriptive murder scenes and a 911 call reporting the murders that some may be alarmed by.
Michael is an Adult Services Librarian at the Will Library. He is currently reading The Only Plane in the Sky by David Graff.