A University of Idaho survivor who encountered a masked intruder during the brutal quadruple homicide waited nearly eight hours to call 911, mistakenly believing her bloodied roommate was just passed out drunk.
At a Glance
- Dylan Mortensen, a surviving roommate, saw a man in black with a ski mask at 4:00 a.m. but didn’t immediately recognize the deadly danger
- Mortensen and another surviving roommate, Bethany Funke, locked themselves in a room for hours, texting each other about strange noises
- The 911 call wasn’t made until 11:56 a.m., after friends were called to check the house
- Bryan Kohberger, a doctoral student in criminal justice, faces four counts of first-degree murder with prosecutors seeking the death penalty
- Mortensen will be allowed to testify about seeing an intruder with “bushy eyebrows,” a detail that matches Kohberger’s appearance
Fatal Misunderstanding Delayed Emergency Response
In a case that has gripped the nation, new details reveal why surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen waited hours before authorities were alerted to the gruesome scene at the off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. Mortensen heard strange noises and encountered a man wearing black clothing and a ski mask around 4:00 a.m., but failed to immediately grasp the gravity of the situation. When she later found her roommate Kaylee Goncalves in a disturbing state, she initially mistook the scene for her friend being merely intoxicated.
“I’m freaking out rn,” Mortensen texted to fellow surviving roommate Bethany Funke after the encounter.
“So am I,” Funke responded, according to documents from the case.
https://t.co/RocbLOioHK
Kohberger Case: Roommate’s Texts Reveal Terror on Night of KillingsNew court documents from the ongoing Kohberger case provide shocking insights into the moments leading up to the tragic murders at the University of Idaho. Text messages between two…
— USLive (@uslivecom) March 10, 2025
Eight Hours of Fear and Confusion
Rather than immediately calling authorities, the two survivors retreated to their rooms and locked their doors, communicating by text about what they were hearing. The pair attempted to contact their other roommates without success. As the morning progressed, their concern grew, but uncertainty prevented immediate action. It wasn’t until Mortensen’s friend and the friend’s boyfriend arrived to check the house that the horrific reality became clear, leading to the chaotic 911 call at 11:56 a.m. – nearly eight hours after the encounter with the intruder, according to reports.
“Something is happening. Something’s happened in our house and we don’t know what,” Funke told another friend when asking them to come to the residence.
The Investigation and Upcoming Trial
The quadruple homicide claimed the lives of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin in mid-November. Despite initial uncertainty, law enforcement ultimately arrested Bryan Kohberger, a doctoral student in criminal justice, nearly seven weeks after the murders. DNA evidence reportedly played a crucial role in linking Kohberger to the crime scene, though his defense team challenges this connection.
“We do not have a suspect at this time, and that individual is still out there,” Moscow Police Chief James Fry stated in the early days of the investigation, urging community vigilance.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Kohberger, citing “aggravating circumstances” in the killings. His trial is scheduled to begin on August 11, 2025, in Ada County, Idaho, after a change of venue from Latah County. The proceedings are expected to last approximately three months, including a potential penalty phase if he is convicted.
Critical Eyewitness Testimony
In a significant development, Mortensen has been permitted to testify about seeing an intruder with “bushy eyebrows,” a physical characteristic that prosecutors argue matches Kohberger’s appearance. This eyewitness testimony could prove crucial as the prosecution builds its case. Meanwhile, Kohberger’s defense team has raised several challenges, including claims that he exhibits features of autism spectrum disorder, which they argue should make him ineligible for the death penalty.
“They had also said that Mr. Kohberger had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and argued that he should be ineligible for the death penalty, if convicted, in part because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s prohibition on executing people with intellectual disabilities.”
The defense is also seeking to introduce evidence of blood from an unknown male allegedly found at the crime scene, potentially suggesting an alternative perpetrator. The FBI is creating a detailed 3D model of the crime scene for use in the trial, which will likely examine every aspect of the case, including the puzzling delay in reporting the crimes that may have impacted the investigation’s early stages.
