BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two surviving roommates in the home where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death texted each other that morning about a masked man in the house, according to court documents released Thursday.
One roommate texted after 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, that they were “freaking out” about possibly seeing a man in the house wearing what appeared to be a ski mask. The messages also said the roommate had tried calling their other roommates but none had answered their phones.
One of the survivors, identified by the initials D.M. in court documents, told the other surviving roommate identified as B.F. that no one was answering calls and that they were really confused.
“I’m freaking out,” D.M. then texted B.F., describing seeing a man with something over his head and mouth “like a ski mask almost.”
B.F. then told D.M. to run to their room.
Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, the students who were stabbed at a rental home near their campus in Moscow, Idaho. A judge has entered a not-guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf.
His trial is scheduled for later this year.
One of the surviving roommates has told investigators that noises woke her up at about 4 a.m. that day, and she thought she heard another roommate say something like, “There’s someone here.” She looked outside her bedroom and didn’t see anything. Later she thought she heard crying coming from Kernodle’s room and looked outside again. That’s when she said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of, “It’s OK, I’m going to help you,” according to an affidavit.
She later opened her door again and saw a masked man in black clothing whom she did not recognize walking toward her and stood in “frozen shock” as he walked past her toward a sliding glass door, the affidavit said. She went back in her room and locked the door.
Investigators believe the suspect then left the home. Court documents do not say why police were not alerted for several more hours.
Mental health experts say common physiological responses to frightening or traumatic experiences include an urge to fight, an urge to flee, or an urge to freeze.
