The city of Moscow, Idaho, has been in a state of tension since four students at University of Idaho stabbed to death on November 13 at a house near campus. People mourn the victims — Ethan Chapin, 20 years old; Madison Mogen, 21 years old; Xana Kernodle, 20 years old; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 — and worried about the killer still on the run.
Then the authorities arrested 28-year-old criminology student from nearby Washington State University, Bryan Kohberger, and on Thursday he appeared in court for the first time in Idaho, where a judge ordered his detention without bail. I spoke with Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, a Times reporter who covered the murders, about how they affected life in Moscow.
Claire: Hi Nicholas, you went to Moscow, Idaho, after the police arrest. You were also there in November right after the murder. How has the city changed?
Nicholas: There is relief after a while a lot of fear. Students tell me about putting bars in their windows to keep them closed, or about making and receiving calls from their parents several times a day. Immediately after the murder, there was a wave of 911 calls about certain things, such as hearing a scream, that might not warrant a call in normal times. That fear has subsided since the police arrest. This moment also brought with it a lot of grief and sadness. Now that the search may be over, all that remains is loss.
What impact did the murders have on the broader city?
Moscow is a beautiful university town. Students are employees at the cafe. There are loaves of bread named after the university. There’s a water tower with the University of Idaho logo towering over town.
Now there are so many reminders of murders everywhere. There are memorials outside the crime scene and on campus. Outside a Greek restaurant where some of the victims worked, there were flowers lying in the snow. Businesses have signs that say “Strong Vandals,” a nod to the university’s mascot.
You reported after Thanksgiving that some students did not return to school out of fear. Is that still the case now that winter break is coming to an end?
Students started coming back. The University of Idaho has instituted more security measures, such as increased patrols in and around campus. The school also offers self-defense classes and promotes a program that allows students to accompany them at night, so that they do not have to be alone in the dark. But people are still concerned.
There is a deep desire to know why the police think this man did this. The suspect has maintained his innocence and has said through his attorney that he wishes to be cleared of the charges.
You were in the courtroom on Thursday when Kohberger was charged. How’s the mood, and can you tell us what we learned that day?
It’s stressful. I was among about a dozen reporters who arrived at the court very early, around 5 a.m., to secure a seat inside. I sat right behind the relative of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the victims. They are comforting each other as they wait to meet the suspect for the first time.
Earlier in the day, an affidavit was opened stating that there are many new details about the case. It includes a chilling passage from the night of the murder, when a surviving housemate of the victims said she stood in “frozen shock” as a man dressed in black walked across the room. hers. But it also leaves open some of the toughest questions: There’s no indication what the motive might be, and it doesn’t explain why the killer didn’t attack two other people living in the home.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs is a reporter for the National Desk who writes on a variety of criminal justice-focused topics. He grew up in Aurora, NY, a village less than a square mile (population: 607).
Related: This is 10 things we learned from the affidavit.
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NEXT WEEK
What to watch?
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President Biden will visit the US-Mexico border today before the summit in Mexico City.
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China is ending Quarantine request for today’s travelers, another big shift away from its Covid-free policies.
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firstly federal death penalty trial The Biden administration begins tomorrow, for a man accused of killing eight people on a bikeway in Manhattan in 2017.
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Georgia, last year’s champion, takes on TCU in a college football national championship game Monday night.
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Prince Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” is out on Tuesday. (The Deployment was chaoticbut sales are on the rise.)
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The Golden Globes will air on Tuesday nights. NBC canceled the show last year amid an ethics and diversity scandal.
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On Thursday, the US will release the latest consumer price data. Last month’s report showed inflation slow down more than expected.
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The NFL playoffs begin on Saturday.
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