Breaking down Bryan Kohberger's sentencing
Some elements of Bryan Kohberger's life take shape from the evidence included in a 699-page booklet recently released by the authorities that helped investigate the murder of four University of Idaho students.
Images taken at his residence in Pullman, Washington, and shared by authorities showcase various rooms and details in the apartment, his academic texts, essays and other coursework, as well as two greeting cards addressed to Kohberger for his birthday, which he would have received after killing four University of Idaho students at their off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.
Kohberger turned 28 on Nov. 21, 2022, just a week after Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found stabbed to death. Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without parole in July for the stabbing murders.
Birthday cards appear in a handful of the new images, posted online by Idaho State Police last week as part of an ongoing effort to release records related to the case.
One appears to be from Kohberger's parents. A message on the front cover reads: "A son leaves your home but never your heart. He discovers his own happiness, which, in turn, becomes yours."
A birthday card that investigators found at Bryan Kohberger's residence.
Idaho State Police
Hearts drawn by hand covered the card's envelope. Images with visible parts of that card's interior were redacted from the investigative document.
The document also includes a second birthday card that ostensibly addresses Kohberger as "Bryeeerrnnn!" on one side of its envelope. On the other side of the envelope, the sender wrote, "I didn't lick it, b/c #covid," and drew an arrow pointing toward the seal.
Two envelopes addressed to Kohberger, which contained birthday cards.
Idaho State Police
The sender of one card referenced COVID-19 in a message written below the seal of its envelope.
Idaho State Police
Inside the second envelope was a card with an illustration of former President Theodore Roosevelt riding a Tyrannosaurus rex. A quote printed on the card reads: "Speak softly and carry a big stick. Unless you can ride a dinosaur. Then do that instead."
The sender annotated the card, writing "your egos" with arrows pointing toward the illustrations of Roosevelt and the dinosaur, and added, "You are a dino + professor. LMAO."
Another birthday card found at Kohberger's residence.
Idaho State Police
At the time of the Idaho murders, Kohberger had been pursuing a Ph.D. in criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, only a short drive over the Washington-Idaho border from Moscow. He was arrested weeks later at his parents' home in Pennsylvania, where he was visiting for the holidays.
Kohberger admitted to killing all four Idaho students this summer, entering a formal guilty plea in July as part of a deal with prosecutors that allowed him to avoid the death penalty. The deal required him to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. He received four lifetime prison sentences without the possibility of parole at a subsequent July hearing.
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
