The search warrants in the University of Idaho student murders case have been unsealed. A Washington State Court agreed to unseal the warrants for the search of the office and apartment of the accused killer.
The search of suspect Bryan Kohberger’s apartment in Washington recovered several items and substances related to the investigation.
The search of his office at the Washington State University Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology turned up nothing.
In Kohberger’s apartment, detectives found human hair strands, a black nitrite glove, a computer, and a mattress cover with dark red stains that could be blood.
Initially, the court hesitated to unseal the warrants because they said it was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation, but a decision was made to release them on Wednesday, January 18.
Kohberger is accused of the slayings of four University of Idaho students in their off-campus house. Three young women and a boyfriend of one of the women were killed at around 4 am on November 13, 2022.
The police believe the murders were premeditated, and that the killer studied other murders to learn how to avoid arrest.
Detectives listed a nitrite black glove, Marshalls store receipts, human and animal hair strands, a Dickies tag, a receipt from Walmart, a Bissell vacuum dust collector, a computer and a fire stick.
A judge was convinced that a search of Kohberger’s home and office were warranted because there was blood spatter at the scene of the crime that could have been transferred to the killer’s clothing and objects.
Police found a knife sheath on the bed next to two of the slain victims in the third floor bedroom. The snap contained Kohberger’s DNA.
After the murders, Kohberger returned to the victims’ house later in the day after the slayings. He returned before the tragic crime was reported to the police.
Kohberger finished his semester at Washington State University, where he was a graduate student, and drove with his father cross country to Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, his parents’ home. Police tracked his movements and his car, and he was arrested on December 30 at his parents’ house. He did not resist arrest and agreed to be returned to Idaho to face charges.
In a surprising twist to the mystery, investigators announced that the accused repeatedly messaged one of his victims on Instagram weeks before the murders but did not get a response. It is reported that he was also following all his female victims on Instagram. Kohberger was aware of his victims and they may have been targeted. It is not clear if the victims were aware of their killer before the murders were committed.