FBI Agent Claims Accused Idaho Murderer Made Rookie Mistakes

(UnitedVoice.com) – On November 13 of last year, an assailant murdered four University of Idaho students in a vicious knife attack. Seven weeks later, authorities arrested and charged Bryan Kohberger with the killings. Now, a former FBI agent says a series of blunders tripped up the alleged murderer, causing his apprehension.

Police found Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both aged 21, and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin murdered last November at an off-campus student residence in Moscow, Idaho. At first, the crime baffled police, but clues began to mount. On December 30, cops arrested 28-year-old Kohberger at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. The suspect studied for a Ph.D. in criminal justice at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, only 10 miles from the crime scene.

Idaho murders: All the 'amateur' mistakes which led cops to arrest Bryan Kohberger https://t.co/ZQbP95So4G pic.twitter.com/t0XAlmAJ85

— New York Post (@nypost) January 12, 2023

Looking at the trail of evidence that led to the arrest, former FBI agent Pete Yachmetz said the alleged killer “is not the great mastermind he may have thought he was.” The Bureau veteran, who now runs a private security firm, said Kohberger’s errors began months before the killings. The crime appears meticulously planned, and Kohberger’s preparations included multiple visits to the residence where he slew his victims — but, during those visits, he was carrying his cell phone, and he left it turned on.

Records from the phone company show he made at least 12 visits to the target area before November 13. He remembered to turn the phone off while committing the crime, but he turned it back on again before returning to the scene five hours after the attack. He also left the sheath for the murder weapon, a US Marine Corps combat knife, at the scene.

Since Kohberg’s arrest, authorities have unearthed chilling evidence about his personality. As a teenager, he described online how he felt “blank,” didn’t experience emotions, and lacked remorse. Looking back, perhaps that warning sign might have helped save four lives — but many disturbed minds post warning signs on the internet, and catching or evaluating all of them would be an enormous task.