Tragedy Strikes Moscow, Idaho: A Detailed Timeline of the Home Invasion Stabbing Attack

In the quiet town of Moscow, Idaho, a sense of normalcy was shattered on November 13, 2022, when four University of Idaho students lost their lives in a home invasion stabbing attack. This horrific event sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many questions unanswered. Recently unsealed court documents have provided new insights into the events of that fateful night, including text messages exchanged between two surviving roommates, DM and BF, who were in the house when the murders took place. These texts, along with other evidence, paint a chilling picture of what unfolded and the moments leading up to the discovery of the tragedy.

Eyewitness Account: DM’s Encounter with the Intruder

Among the surviving roommates, DM has been identified as the only eyewitness who saw the intruder. Her accounts to police and text messages exchanged with BF provide a harrowing glimpse into the events of that night. DM described the intruder as a masked man with "bushy eyebrows," a detail that has been crucial in the ongoing investigation. According to security camera audio from a neighboring house, the attacker is believed to have left the residence shortly after 4:17 a.m. on November 13, 2022. DM’s texts to BF and her attempts to call the victims reveal the confusion and fear that gripped her as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

Text Messages Reveal Desperation and Confusion

Between 4:22 and 4:24 a.m., DM and BF exchanged a series of frantic texts. DM messaged BF, expressing her confusion and concern after no one answered her calls. "No one is answering," she wrote. "I’m rlly confused rn." In another text, she reached out to Kaylee Goncalves, one of the victims, asking, "What’s going on?" DM also appeared to reference the intruder she later described to police, writing something about a figure with a mask covering their head and mouth. BF urged her to "run" downstairs, a directive that highlights the terror they both felt. These texts, now made public, provide a poignant and intimate look at the moments immediately following the attack, when the survivors were trying to process the unimaginable horror unfolding around them.

A Timeline of Terror: From the Suspect’s Arrival to the 911 Call

The timeline of events, as reconstructed from court filings, reveals the horrifying sequence of the attack and its aftermath. The suspect is believed to have arrived at the house around 4:00 a.m., with the murders occurring between 4:00 and 4:17 a.m. At 4:19 a.m., DM attempted to call three of the victims, but none of her calls were answered. Between 4:22 and 4:24 a.m., she exchanged texts with BF, during which she expressed her confusion and fear. At 4:27 a.m., DM called the victims again, still with no response. She then texted Goncalves at 4:32 a.m., writing, "Pls answer. R u up??" At 10:23 a.m., DM again reached out to Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, but her texts went unanswered. The desperation in her messages underscores the growing realization that something was terribly wrong.

The most critical moment came at 12:00 p.m., when a 911 call was placed from BF’s phone. The call was made by an unnamed individual, and the transcript of this call, also released in the court filings, reveals the panic and urgency of the situation. Multiple callers spoke with the dispatcher, trying to explain that they had found Xana Kernodle unresponsive and that someone had seen an intruder the night before. The 911 call marked the official start of the investigation into the murders, setting off a chain of events that would lead authorities to the suspect.

A Frantic 911 Call and the Aftermath

The transcript of the 911 call, released as part of the court filings, provides a chilling account of the moments when the full extent of the tragedy became clear. The callers were frantic, trying to convey the severity of the situation to the dispatcher. They explained that Xana Kernodle had been found unresponsive and that there had been reports of an intruder in the house the night before. The call is a heartbreaking reminder of the chaos and disbelief that followed the murders. It also highlights the critical role that the surviving roommates played in alerting authorities to the attack, even as they grappled with their own trauma and shock.

DNA Evidence and the Arrest of Bryan Kohberger

As the investigation unfolded, prosecutors worked tirelessly to piece together the evidence and identify the suspect. A key piece of evidence came in the form of a Ka-Bar knife sheath found under Madison Mogen’s body. DNA analysis of the sheath led authorities to Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old former Ph.D. student studying criminology at Washington State University. The revelation of this evidence, along with the text messages and eyewitness accounts, has been crucial in building the case against Kohberger. Prosecutors have requested that the court allow the text messages to be introduced as evidence, arguing that they provide critical context for the events of that night.

In the months since the murders, the Moscow, Idaho, community has come together to mourn the loss of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The release of the court filings, including the text messages and 911 call transcript, has brought new attention to the case and provided a more complete picture of the events surrounding the attack. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus remains on ensuring justice for the victims and their families, while also shedding light on the tragic circumstances that led to this devastating loss of life.