Bryan Kohberger's Chilling Murder Blueprint Exposed: Newly Unsealed Records Detail Months of Planning Before He Brutally Slaughtered Four Idaho College Students
New records expose when and how Bryan Kohberger purchased a knife he used to murder four college students.
July 11 2026, Published 11:52 a.m. ET
Newly released court records detail the immense time and effort Bryan Kohberger took to brutally slaughter four students at the University of Idaho in 2022, RadarOnline.com can report.
The murderer, who cut a plea deal in order to avoid the death penalty, spent months planning the attack and then meticulously tried to cover his tracks on a cross-country escape.
Kohberger Bought the Murder Weapon on Amazon
Kohberger confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life in prison.
Kohberger is currently serving four life sentences for the November 2022 murders of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.
While a motive for his massacre has never been revealed, the new court documents paint a picture of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
On the night of March 20, more than half a year before his crime, Kohberger bought a $130 Amazon digital gift card, despite already having his own active account.
The next morning, the then-27-year-old bought a "KA-BAR Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife" on the online retailer for $86.15. He also bought a knife sharpener from the site for an additional $23.40.
The order was shipped to his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, where he lived at the time before moving across the country to enroll at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, that July.
Kohberger's Mother Urged Him to Buy a Knife for Protection
Kohberger's mother claimed she urged her killer son to buy a knife to protect himself from a 'bear attack.'
As Radar previously reported, Kohberger's mother, Maryann, first suggested Bryan look into buying a knife before moving to Washington.
"Maryann recalled a conversation in which she suggested Bryan obtain something to defend himself in the event of a bear attack while Bryan hiked in the western US," FBI files noted.
However, agents also revealed Maryann was unaware if Kohberger had "purchased anything for (the murder) and was unaware of Bryan specifically purchasing a knife for (the murder)."
A Horrific Murder Scene
Kohberger stabbed the four more than 150 times in 15 minutes.
On November 13, 2022, Kohberger used the knife to butcher the four students, repeatedly stabbing them all a total of more than 150 times in just 15 minutes.
While the murder weapon has never been recovered, the sheath was found on Mogen's bed following the crime, and included trace amounts of Kohberger's DNA on it. Despite the damning discovery, Kobherger's mother still insisted her son could never hurt a fly.
"What's going through my mind right now is that this is a really, really bad mistake, what's going on, like what's happening here," the baffled mom told FBI agents at the time. "We know what our, you know, who our children are, you know."
Bryan Kohberger Crossed the Country to Escape
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Kohberger could be seen on video chatting with a DMV employee.
Three days after the slayings, Kohberger "navigated to a page related to the deletion of account activity." He also changed his spending habits, ditching his credit and debit cards in favor of cash from various bank accounts.
In addition, Kohberger began wearing gloves everywhere and changed his car's license plates from Pennsylvania to Washington state.
Video showed Kohberger entering a DMV on the afternoon of Nov. 18, 2022, just five days after the killings. He told the female agent, "I definitely need to get my license plate changed."
At one point, the worker mentioned how safe the Washington area was, before haphazardly mentioning the murders to the actual killer.
"I like how small, quiet, and I would say safe, but the whole Moscow thing, kinda makes it feel a little less," the worker said.
Kohberger simply nodded in agreement and muttered, "Yeah."
