Autopsy Reports of University of Idaho Victims Unsealed

The Ada County court has unsealed the autopsy reports for the University of Idaho students who were victims in a high-profile murder case. This occurred after Bryan Kohberger, the alleged killer, requested a venue change successfully. Dr. Veena Singh, the chief medical examiner from Spokane, performed the autopsies. Prosecutors had expected her testimony in the penalty phase, had Kohberger not pleaded guilty.

No photographs accompany the reports, though some details about the victims’ injuries were previously disclosed.

Dr. Singh noted all victims suffered wounds from a blade likely resembling a ‘Ka-Bar Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife.’ She observed that some injuries possibly came from different parts of the weapon.

The four students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, died from multiple sharp-force injuries. They experienced significant pain and suffering. Three victims were attacked while they slept around 4 a.m. on November 13, 2022.

Among the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, aged 21, had additional blunt-force injuries to her face. An object may have been used to cover her mouth, indicating asphyxia. Xana Kernodle, who was not in bed during the attack, displayed defensive wounds on her hands and arms.

Law enforcement discovered a leather Ka-Bar sheath near Goncalves and Mogen, later found to contain Kohberger’s DNA. Investigators employed genetic genealogy for suspect leads, leading them to Kohberger, a criminology student only 10 miles from the crime scene at Washington State University. Authorities arrested him in Pennsylvania on December 30, 2022.

The recent unsealing of court documents has made more case information public. Kohberger pled guilty the previous year, sidestepping potential execution and resulting in four life sentences plus an additional 10 years. Early in his prison term, he faced food issues and difficulties with other inmates.