'Need To Be Vigilant': Idaho Police Believe 'Our Community Is Safe' With Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, In Custody As Questions Are Raised About Possible Second Suspect, Murder Weapon Still Not Found
Dec. 30 2022, Published 4:37 p.m. ET
Moscow police warned residents to "be vigilant" even though a suspect for the University of Idaho murders has been brought into custody.
Chief Fry said he believes they found the individual "who committed these horrible crimes" and "our community is safe," but locals should still be aware of their surroundings and cautious.
Suspect Bryan Christopher Kohberger is being held for extradition after being arrested in Scranton, Pennsylvania, investigators revealed during a press conference on December 30, hours after he was nabbed at his home by SWAT teams in connection to the murder of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
It's questioned if he worked alone or with an accomplice after reportedly asking if "anyone else was arrested" when he was taken into custody.
At this time, they have yet to find the murder weapon, said to be a "Rambo"-style knife. Chief Fry was not free to discuss a possible motive.
Chief Fry, however, did confirm the Moscow house clean-up has been halted after a legal request from the court.
As this outlet reported, the 28-year-old was taken in by local police and the FBI at 3 AM on Friday. Kohberger is being held in Monroe County Court for first-degree murder.
Kohberger graduated with a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from DeSales University in Pennsylvania in May. He is listed as a Ph.D student at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, where he's studying criminal justice and criminology.
Idaho police executed a search warrant on Kohberger's Washington home this morning. His second-story apartment complex is only ten miles from the Moscow, Idaho, off-campus residence where Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan were stabbed to death on November 13.
Police were on the hunt for a white Hyundai Elantra that was spotted near the crime scene around the time of the murder. Law enforcement sources told NBC News they found the vehicle outside of Kohberger's home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
The four college students were killed between the hours of 3 and 4 AM. Some had defensive wounds and had been stabbed multiple times, the coroner confirmed.
Two two other roommates — Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen — were home at the time of the massacre but were unharmed and slept through the attack. They were ruled out as suspects.