Moscow, Idaho community on edge as students return from break, police see  more 911 calls pouring in

The quiet off-campus house at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, once buzzed with the ordinary chaos of college life. Red Solo cups scattered across countertops, laundry baskets overflowing in corners, a cheerful “Saturdays are for the girls” flag draped proudly in the living room—these were the everyday markers of four young lives full of promise. Newly released photographs from the Moscow Police Department and Idaho State Police, made public in batches throughout 2025 and early 2026 following Bryan Kohberger’s guilty plea and sentencing, capture that world frozen in time. They show a typical student home moments before horror descended on November 13, 2022, when everything changed forever.

The images, nearly 200 from Moscow PD in one release and hundreds more from state police in January 2026, offer the public its most intimate glimpse yet into the final hours of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. Blurred and redacted to shield graphic details, the photos still reveal heartbreaking normalcy: empty beer cans on tables, a food delivery bag labeled with Xana’s name left on the kitchen counter from DoorDash the night before, strewn clothes and personal items untouched. One photo shows the living room with its casual disarray—pillows askew on the couch, a blanket tossed aside—while another captures the exterior steps leading to the sliding glass door where the killer entered. These details feel almost too mundane, too familiar, which is precisely what makes them so unsettling. They remind us how thin the veil is between routine safety and unimaginable violence.

Minute by minute: More details emerge in Moscow murder case

Moscow, a small college town of about 25,000 nestled in the rolling hills of northern Idaho, had long felt insulated from big-city dangers. The University of Idaho campus, with its brick buildings and tree-lined paths, projected an image of wholesome Americana. The house at 1122 King Road—a three-story, six-bedroom rental just blocks from Greek Row—was shared by five roommates: seniors Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21; junior Xana Kernodle, 20; her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, a Washington State University student who often stayed over; and their surviving roommate, who has remained largely out of the spotlight. The young women were close friends, inseparable since freshman year. Kaylee and Maddie, in particular, had been best friends since sixth grade, their bond unbreakable even as college pulled them in different directions. Xana, outgoing and athletic, balanced school with cheerleading and a job. Ethan, gentle and kind-hearted, complemented Xana perfectly.

On the night of November 12, 2022, the group enjoyed what seemed like a standard Saturday. Kaylee and Maddie had gone out to the Corner Club bar and then to a food truck for late-night bites. Surveillance footage later showed them walking home around 1:45 a.m. Ethan and Xana had been at a fraternity party earlier, returning to the house. The surviving roommates were also out but returned separately. By early morning, the house settled into quiet. Then, between approximately 4:00 and 4:25 a.m., Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology PhD student at nearby Washington State University, entered through a sliding glass door on the second floor.

Kohberger stabbed the victims multiple times with a large fixed-blade knife. Autopsy reports, unsealed in January 2026, revealed the brutality: Kaylee suffered at least 38 stab wounds, Madison 28, Xana 67, and Ethan 17. The attacks were frenzied yet methodical, with defensive wounds indicating some fought back. Xana was awake and conscious during parts of the assault, her injuries suggesting a struggle. Kohberger left behind catastrophic evidence—his white Hyundai Elantra captured on neighborhood cameras circling the area multiple times, cell phone pings placing him near the house 12 times that night, DNA on a knife sheath found beside Maddie’s bed. The house itself became a crime scene of staggering horror: blood seeped through walls, pooled on floors, stained bedding. Yet the released photos, carefully edited, show only hints—the red Solo cups untouched, the flag still hanging—as if preserving the innocence that was about to be shattered.

The discovery came hours later. Around noon on November 13, friends arrived after unanswered texts and calls. One roommate opened the door to a scene of carnage, screaming for help. Police arrived to find the bodies in their beds—Kaylee and Maddie on the third floor, Xana and Ethan on the second. The surviving roommates had been downstairs, unharmed but traumatized, hearing what they thought were noises from partying or a game. The Moscow Police Department, under-resourced for such a case, called in state and federal assistance. The investigation moved methodically: canvassing neighborhoods, reviewing thousands of hours of video, analyzing DNA, tracking vehicles.

Petition · Tear down/No more renting of 1122 King Rd. House - United States  · Change.org

Kohberger emerged as a suspect weeks later. His car matched descriptions; his phone data showed obsessive proximity to the house. Arrested December 30, 2022, in Pennsylvania, he faced four counts of first-degree murder and burglary. The case dragged through pretrial motions—debates over the death penalty, evidence suppression—until June 30, 2025, when Kohberger accepted a plea deal: guilty to all charges, avoiding execution. Sentenced July 23, 2025, to four consecutive life terms plus 10 years, he now resides at Idaho Maximum Security Institution. He offered no motive in court, leaving families and the public grappling with why.

The house at 1122 King Road stood boarded up for years, a grim reminder. Demolished in late 2023, the lot now empty, yet the photos keep its memory alive. They show the kitchen with its casual clutter—a half-eaten snack, dishes in the sink—the bedroom doors closed, the stairs leading to tragedy. One image captures Xana’s DoorDash bag, a poignant detail: she had ordered food around 4 a.m., perhaps in the moments before the intruder struck. These fragments humanize the victims, showing they were ordinary students—laughing with friends, planning futures, living fully.

Kaylee dreamed of a career in fashion or event planning; she had just bought a Range Rover, excited for post-grad life. Madison, sweet and studious, shared Kaylee’s dreams, their friendship a constant anchor. Xana balanced academics with cheer and a sorority, her energy infectious. Ethan, from a close-knit family, brought calm and humor wherever he went. Their deaths left voids: parents shattered, siblings grieving, friends forever changed.

The released photos stirred mixed reactions. Some praised transparency after years of secrecy; others criticized the timing, arguing it reopens wounds for families. Victims’ relatives expressed outrage over accidental releases in January 2026, when graphic images briefly went public before removal. “Murder isn’t entertainment,” one family statement read. Yet the images underscore vulnerability: how a locked door or quiet neighborhood offers no guarantee. They force reflection on campus safety—better lighting, security cameras, awareness of strangers.

Moscow changed after November 13, 2022. Vigil after vigil honored the four. Scholarships bear their names. The University of Idaho strengthened mental health resources and security protocols. The case drew national attention to random violence, the terror of home invasions, the long shadow of unresolved questions.

Kohberger’s silence leaves the “why” hanging. Was it targeted? Random? A twisted fascination with crime? The photos don’t answer; they preserve the before—red cups, flags, laundry—contrasting sharply with the after. They remind that safety can vanish in seconds, in places we trust most.

In the quiet now-empty lot where 1122 King Road once stood, time has moved on. But the images endure, carrying the weight of what was lost: four bright futures, stolen in the dark. The ordinary details—those Solo cups, that flag—become sacred relics of lives interrupted. They whisper a warning: cherish the mundane, because tomorrow isn’t promised. And they honor four young people whose stories, though ended too soon, continue to echo through every frame.