Unnerving Campus Presence: Students, Professors Warned of Bryan Kohberger’s Alarming Behavior Before Idaho Murders

In the aftermath of Bryan Kohberger’s arrest for the gruesome murders of four University of Idaho students, accounts from Washington State University colleagues and classmates portray a troubling picture. According to recently released investigative files, Kohberger was described as intense and unsettling, with one individual predicting he could become a problematic professor who harasses and stalks students.

Kohberger admitted guilt in the killings in July and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

A student who shared classes with Kohberger during his fall 2022 PhD program in criminology recounted instances where he acted aggressively, frequently staring at his classmates and dominating group discussions. The student also reported feeling uneasy around Kohberger from their first encounter, months before the November 13 killings of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen.

During the distressing semester that followed, this student claimed Kohberger would trail her after class, block her path when she tried to exit conversations, and stare so intently that she kept track of these encounters.

Similar accounts from classmates, professors, and university staff describe Kohberger’s alarming interactions across various campus locations. His silent, unblinking stares were often seen as an assertion of dominance by his peers.

One faculty member recalled Kohberger’s keen interest in a fall 2022 undergraduate assistant, whom he watched closely. She reported instances where Kohberger stood at the assistant’s desk, even behind her at times, looking over her shoulder as she worked. Another professor was asked to escort the assistant to her car due to Kohberger’s behavior.

One student claimed Kohberger always seemed to be staring in class and rarely spoke to students. She felt he would time his departure to coincide with hers and then follow her to her car.

The graduate student who met Kohberger during orientation reported being aggressively stared at by him as many as nine times in one class and followed after class. She stated that Kohberger often seemed to want to be near her and other students who wanted no contact with him.

Professors and faculty were troubled by Kohberger’s behavior, with several complaints received from students and colleagues. A meeting was held before Christmas 2022, just days before Kohberger’s arrest, where faculty discussed each student but focused primarily on Kohberger due to his problematic nature.

Faculty shared stories about Kohberger and debated revoking his funding and teaching assistant position due to concerning classroom behavior. One teacher warned her colleagues that if given a PhD, Kohberger could be seen harassing, stalking, and sexually abusing students in future years as a professor.

One professor claimed Kohberger tried to prevent him from leaving his office, an act he described as power tripping. Kohberger would arrive late and keep talking as the professor attempted to leave, becoming confrontational when pushed back. He then refused to leave when asked, following the professor down the hall when the latter decided to walk away.

Students described instances where Kohberger stood close enough to trap them at their desks. In an office used by female students, one of his professors stated that Kohberger would position himself in the doorway, physically blocking it until she stepped in, allowing the female students to leave.

In several separate interviews, students and professors described intervening between Kohberger and others – intercepting him in hallways and inserting themselves in conversations for safety reasons. One faculty member said her maternal instinct wouldn’t allow her to leave a female student alone with Kohberger on campus, so she kept herself busy until he left.

In August 2022, a University of Idaho student reported feeling uncomfortable after meeting Kohberger in an apartment lobby and directing him toward a pool party. During the party, Kohberger made direct eye contact with her and headed straight towards her, prompting a friend to intercept him when they realized she was uneasy.

In another instance, a male worker at a bookstore on WSU’s campus acted as a buffer between his female coworker and Kohberger, who frequented the store. The man believed Kohberger was attempting to flirt with the woman and was zeroing in on her. He started telling Kohberger his colleague was on the phone whenever he visited to avoid interactions.