Idaho murder suspect was pulled over twice by cops during cross country trip before killings
Emma Guinness
Featured Image Credit: Monroe County Correctional Facility/ Pleasant Valley
The PhD student suspected of the quadruple homicide at the University of Idaho was pulled over twice by police before being arrested.
Bryan Kohberger, 28, was arrested on 30 December on suspicion of killing students Kailee Golcalves, 21, Maddie Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
And it has since emerged that Kohberger pulled over twice in traffic stops as he made a cross-country trip with his father just days before he was arrested.
The revelation was made by Kohberger's extradition lawyer, Jason LaBar, who explained how authorities encountered the 28-year-old as he made his way from Seattle to Pennsylvania with his dad during the holidays.
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"I just know they were pulled over in Indiana almost back to back," he said. "I believe once for speeding and once for following too closely to a car in front of them."
The lawyer said that the PhD student, who was studying criminology, is pleading not guilty to the murder of the four students, who were all stabbed to death in Moscow, Idaho on 13 November.
However, while the student is protesting his innocence, Moscow Police Chief James Fry believes that he is guilty of the quadruple murders, which took place as the victims slept in their off-campus rented accommodation.
He said he believes the 28-year-old acted alone and admitted that the police department has not yet revealed all of its cards when it comes to the investigation.
The murders sent shockwaves through the city, which has not seen a murder since 2015, and left many fearing for their safety.
According to one of Kohberger's classmates, BK Norton, he did not comment when the killings were brought up by his fellow students.
"When discussed in class, Bryan did not mention or contribute to the conversation of the murders," they told NBC.
"We were released from class early after the murders to get home when it was still light out, and Bryan was in those classes with us."
Another one of the 28-year-old's classmates, Ben Roberts, described him as 'super awkward' and said 'he was always looking for a way to fit in.'
"I had honestly just pegged him as being super awkward," he said.
"One thing he would always do, almost without fail, was find the most complicated way to explain something."
Eileen Cesaretti, a neighbour of Kohberger's parents, said he helped her out with household errands and suggested he wasn't capable of committing such a crime.
"I don't think he's capable of doing something like this. I pray to God he's innocent," she said.