A man said he was left 'in complete shock' after discovering his night running buddy was the Idaho killings suspect.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger was arrested in eastern Pennsylvania on Friday (30 December) in connection with the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed to death at a rental home near University of Idaho campus sometime in the early morning hours of 13 November.
Upon hearing of the 28-year-old's arrest, his friend Schyler Jacobson was left stunned.
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Speaking to NewsNation affiliate WBRE, he said: "I used to go on night runs with him because I didn't want to run by myself, so I would text and be like, 'hey, do you want to go for a run?'
"We'd go for six or seven mile runs at night. When I saw who it was I was just in complete shock.
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"I'm still kind of shaking knowing about that. It's just unreal to think somebody could actually do that to somebody. It's absolutely mind boggling.
"My adrenaline is still running after finding that information out. I feel for the families and I'm just happy justice can be served now."
The killings initially mystified law enforcement, with investigators unable to name a suspect or locate a murder weapon for weeks.
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But the case broke open after law enforcement asked the public for help finding a white car seen near the home around the time of the killings.
The Moscow Police Department made the request on 7 December, and by the next day had to direct tips to a special FBI call centre because so many were coming in.
Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho; Mogen, 21, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls, Idaho; and Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington, were members of the university's Greek system and close friends.
Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle lived in the three-story rental home with two other roommates. Kernodle and Chapin were dating and he was visiting the house that night.
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Autopsies showed all four were likely asleep when they were attacked. Some had defensive wounds and each was stabbed multiple times. There was no sign of sexual assault, police said.
The stabbing deaths shook the small town of Moscow, a farming community of about 25,000 people - including roughly 11,000 students - tucked in the rolling hills of the northern Idaho's Palouse region.
The case also enticed online sleuths who speculated about potential suspects and motives. In the early days of the investigation, police released relatively few details publicly.
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Fears of a repeat attack prompted nearly half of the University of Idaho students to switch to online classes for the remainder of the semester, abandoning dorms and apartments in the normally bucolic town for the perceived safety of their hometowns.
Safety concerns also had the university hiring an additional security firm to escort students across campus and the Idaho State Police sending troopers to help patrol the city's streets.
Jake Massey