Emails reveal how campus police tracked down Bryan Kohberger's car weeks before he became a suspect

Internal emails precocious released by Washington State University revealed however field constabulary tracked down Bryan Kohberger's car weeks earlier helium became a fishy successful the execution of 4 Idaho assemblage students.

In an email to Washington State University Police Department staff, then-chief Gary Jenkins outlined however Officer Daniel Tiengo and Sergeant Curtis James Whitman managed to way down Kohberger's car, a achromatic 2015 Hyundai Elantra, conscionable 16 hours aft receiving accusation astir the imaginable fishy conveyance connected November 28, 2022.

Kohberger was arrested connected December 30, 2022.

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Email from then-Washington State University Police Chief Gary Jenkins to staff. (Washington State)

In his email to unit connected January 5, 2023, the then-Washington State University Police Chief noted that officers identified the Hyundai Elantra earlier than the apprehension warrant affidavit stated.

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Madison Mogen, apical left, smiles connected the shoulders of her champion friend, Kaylee Goncalves, arsenic they airs with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and 2 different housemates successful Goncalves' last Instagram post, shared the time earlier the 4 students were stabbed to death. (Facebook)

"Note that the timeline for locating the conveyance is not wholly close successful the affidavit. The affidavit indicates that country instrumentality enforcement agencies were asked to beryllium connected the lookout for the fishy conveyance connected November 25 [2022] when, successful fact, they did not inquire for that until the greeting of November 28 [2022]," helium wrote.

The email was sent conscionable aft the apprehension warrant affidavit was made publically disposable connected December 29, 2022. In those emails, helium praised the 2 officers for their enactment successful rapidly identifying Kohberger's car.

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Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of sidesplitting 4 University of Idaho students successful November 2022, listens during his arraignment proceeding successful Latah County District Court, Monday, May 22, 2023, successful Moscow, Idaho. (Zach Wilkinson/Moscow-Pullman Daily News)

"You are each astir apt alert that Kohberger’s apprehension warrant affidavit was made disposable to the nationalist today. "The affidavit describes the large enactment Officer Tiengo and Sergeant Whitman did successful tracking down a imaginable fishy conveyance which was, arsenic it turned out, the fishy vehicle."

"We should present each look to clasp opportunities that reframe however others presumption WSU PD. The difficulties successful the past volition not specify us. It is the large enactment of Tiengo and Whitman that puts WSU PD successful a favorable airy connected a nationalist stage," Jenkins added.

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The emails from Jenkins were made disposable connected Thursday done a nationalist records petition to the university.

Timeline of Nov. 13, 2022:

• 4 a.m.: Suspect arrives astatine house
• Between 4 and 4:17: Time of murders
• 4:19: Roommate calls 3 victims; nary 1 answers
• 4:22 to 4:24: Surviving roommates substance each different from wrong house
• 4:27: Roommate calls victims again; nary 1 answers
• 4:32: Roommate texts Goncalves, "Pls answer"
• 10:23: Surviving roommate texts victims; nary 1 answers
• 11:39: Roommate calls her father
• 12 p.m.: 911 telephone placed from roommate's phone

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Bryan Kohberger appears astatine the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing proceeding connected July 23, 2025 successful Boise, Idaho. Kohberger pleaded blameworthy successful speech for being spared the decease punishment for the stabbing of 4 University of Idaho students astir 3 years ago. (Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images)

In a abstracted email dated Nov. 27, 2022, then-Moscow Police Department Lead Detective Corporal Brett Payne besides released connected Thursday, helium urged section instrumentality enforcement agencies not to halt the achromatic 2015 Hyundai Elantra nether immoderate circumstances.

"The conveyance successful the flyer is of involvement to MPD Investigations, nevertheless you indispensable recognize YOU ARE ORDERED NOT TO STOP, DETAIN, OR CONTACT THE DRIVER unless it is simply a life-or-death emergency," Payne wrote.

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The victims of Nov. 13 University of Idaho massacre, from near to right: Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen. (Instagram)

Kohberger pleaded blameworthy to the murders of Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves successful a July 2, 2025 woody that took the decease punishment disconnected the table. The 4 University of Idaho students were recovered dormant Nov. 13, 2022, astatine their location successful Moscow, Idaho, located adjacent campus.

In speech for the decease punishment being taken disconnected the table, Kohberger volition service 4 consecutive beingness sentences without the anticipation of parole for the 4 counts of first-degree execution and 1 number of felony burglary.