In a recent court ruling, it was revealed that one of the surviving roommates of the four University of Idaho students allegedly murdered by Bryan Kohberger did not immediately contact the police. She mistakenly believed that her friend, who was likely already deceased, was simply intoxicated after a night of partying.
Dylan Mortensen, one of the surviving roommates, reported hearing unusual sounds and crying around 4 a.m. She then saw a man dressed in black and wearing a ski mask walking past her bedroom door. Mortensen quickly got in touch with the other surviving roommate, Bethany Funke, expressing her fear and concern through a series of frantic text messages.
Kohberger is currently facing charges for the alleged fatal stabbing of four students: Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20. The court ruling revealed text messages exchanged between Mortensen and Funke on the night of the attack in November 2022.
As Mortensen made her way to Funke’s room, she noticed Kernodle lying on the floor of her bedroom. However, she assumed Kernodle was merely drunk. It wasn’t until approximately eight hours later that Mortensen and Funke called 911 to report the deaths of their roommates in their off-campus housing in Moscow, Idaho.
Before contacting the authorities, the roommates exchanged numerous messages and attempted to understand the situation. Mortensen sent messages to Goncalves and Mogen, pleading for a response. At 11:56 a.m., Funke finally called 911, expressing their confusion and fear over the situation in their house.
The court documents also revealed the contents of the text messages and the 911 call, which detailed Mortensen and Funke’s actions following the murders. These will be presented as evidence in the upcoming trial scheduled for August. The court ruling also determined what evidence would be considered hearsay and therefore inadmissible.
Kohberger has pleaded not guilty to the quadruple homicide charges. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.