mass murderer Bryan KohbergerThe sister of has broken her silence after her brother was found guilty of killing four students at the University of Idaho.
Ethan Chapin20, Xana Kernodle20, Madison Mogen21 i Kaylee Goncalvesaged 21, were found dead in their shared home in Moscow on November 13, 2022. Weeks later, Kohberger was arrested in connection with his death on his parents’ property in Pennsylvania.
After a lengthy investigation, Bryan, 31, confessed to the gruesome murders last July and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now, how their motives behind the murders it’s still cloudy, his sister Mel Kohberger is speaking publicly about her brother’s horrific crimes for the first time.
“I have always been a person who has spoken for what was right,” he said in a session with him New York Times published on Saturday, January 3, in which she confessed that while she knew her brother was socially awkward and sometimes abrasive, she never thought he would be capable of murder.
“If I had ever had reason to believe that my brother did something, I would have turned him in,” he added.
University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger’s sister, Amanda, could be called as a prosecution witness if his case goes to trial, according to a report. Kohberger, 30, accepted a deal to plead guilty to the murders of four students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin — just days after prosecutors (…)
In the days after the University of Idaho murders, he even warned his brother to be careful when he was alone.
“Bryan, you’re running outside, and this psycho killer is on the loose,” he recalled telling her at the time.
His arrest was so surprising that he initially wondered if it might have been a prank, especially as Mel noted that his family had been “so proud of him” and the progress he had made in recent years. According to the outlet, not only was Bryan a PhD student, but he had overcome a major drug addiction at some point in his life.
The overall experience was not only impactful, but had a genuine impact on Mel’s professional life. She had been in the process of training to be a mental health counsellor, but left the post after her employer “received a large number of enquiries” about the murders and her brother’s role. An unknown author also apparently tried to impersonate “Melissa J. Kohberger” to write a book about the murders. This, among other things, caused Mel to reflect on the pitfalls of being a true crime fan and the “culture” that comes with it.
“It’s human nature to be curious about the darkest things,” he continued. “This is how we stay safe. But I think we should try to come together for a true crime culture that is much more protective and empathetic to the families of the victims.”
Convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger has been in his new cell at Idaho’s only maximum security prison for less than two weeks, and he’s struggling to settle in. Kohberger, 30, allegedly faced near-endless torment at the hands of his fellow inmates, retired homicide detective Chris McDonough told the Daily Mail (in a story published in August).
Bryan was sent to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho on July 29, 2025, where he was placed in long-term restrictive housing, also known as solitary confinement, in the facility’s J Block unit, for A&E. Although he has yet to publicly explain his motive for the murders, he has allegedly tried to make some unique connections behind bars.
How Us Weekly previously reported, during a December interview with Fox Newsretired detective Chris McDonough said the 31-year-old had “tried to contact other serial killers” from his cell.
“Both inside and outside, he’s trying to communicate with people outside the walls,” he noted at the time. However, it is unclear who Bryan had tried to speak to or if “any relationship was formed.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.