Netflix's Shocking Oversights: What Wasn't Shown in the Idaho Student Murders Doc
Here are some key details that weren't included in Netflix crime documentary The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare . The title explores the horrific murders of four University of Idaho students : Madison May Mogen, Kaylee Jade Goncalves, Xana Alexia Kernodle, and Ethan James Chapin in their home. As part of the crime doc, there is never-before-seen evidence, including bodycam footage of one of the two survivors speaking to police about what happened. Bryan Kohberger , who is serving four life sentences for the crime, has been attempting to withdraw the guilty plea that spared him from standing trial, as well as the death penalty. While he has claimed that key evidence proves that he is innocent, the convict is still behind bars after pleading guilty to one charge of burglary and four counts of first-degree murder in exchange for not facing the death penalty. The students were stabbed at least 150 times in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, in their off-campus property, according to a supplemental filing from prosecutors. Despite the detail in the doc, here are eight things that weren't included in the final cut. Four of the six housemates died in the attack. Credit: @kayleegoncalves / Instagram Kohberger might have stalked female victims Speaking to Moscow Police Department, surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen admitted that Goncalves thought she was being followed for weeks before her death. She remembered her late roommate seeing a dark figure while she was walking her dog a month prior. While interviewees said that the convict's phone only had 18 contacts on it and few apps, a source close to the investigation claimed that Kohberger had photos of one of the female victims, while an account that appeared to belong to him followed Goncalves, Mogen and Kernodle on Instagram. The source claimed: “He had more than one picture of her, it was clear that he was paying attention to her.” It was also claimed by an ex-employee that he visited the restaurant Kernodle and Mogen worked at, while experts claimed that he had likely been in their home before the killings. Mortensen said that two weeks before the incident, she and her roommates came home to find the front door open and their washing machine running. While the documentary spoke about complaints against Kohberger, it did not mention the two women who accused him of stalking them at their homes and a third of following and harassing her at her job. Exotic dancer claimed Kohberger spoke about murderous impulses A police report obtained by PEOPLE revealed that an exotic dancer claimed a man who she thought was Kohberger came into the club where she worked, and made an unnerving comment. She said that while she was performing on the main stage, she could hear Kohberger speak about “killing people.” The dancer jokingly asked him who he would kill, and he replied, “Whoever I want.” She added that during a private dance, he told her to look into his eyes while he asked her questions about where she lived and what car she drove. Bryan Kohberger has tried to withdraw his guilty plea. Credit: Pool / Getty Images. Kohberger claimed he was diagnosed with mental health conditions The Netflix doc spoke of his online posts about having visual snow syndrome, a condition that can impair vision, but there was nothing about his alleged mental health diagnoses. In a June 2025 court filing, Kohberger wrote that he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (level 1), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), as per the publication. He noted that he was only taking levothyroxine as medication - a drug usually prescribed for hypothyroidism. The convict spoke to his mom on the day of the murders Kohberger's phone records showed that he didn't talk to anyone except his family, but the doc didn't detail that he called his mother less than two hours after stabbing Chapin, Goncalves, Kernodle and Mogen to death. According to Heather Barnhart, the digital forensics expert who led the team that went through Kohberger's phone and hard drive, told People that Kohberger called mom Maryann from home, but she didn't pick up. After he messaged his dad asking about this, his mother picked up at 6:17 AM and spoke for 36 minutes. He called her again on 8:03 AM when he was on his way back to the crime scene, where they spoke for 54 minutes. After 10 minutes at the property, he returned to his residence, calling his mom again at 9 AM, 4:05 PM, and then finally at 5:53 PM for 96 minutes, totalling over three hours of conversation on the day of the murders. Footprints were found outside the home after Bryan Kohberger killed four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022. Credit: Idaho State Police Kohberger ran errands afterwards The killer switched his vehicle registration from Pennsylvania to Washington on Nov. 18, 2022, making his vehicle harder for investigators to link with the crime. While reportedly speaking with a DMV employee while changing license plates, she said that she liked how safe and quiet the area was, but since the murders of the students, she didn't feel safe anymore. Kohberger would remain quiet and change the subject, while other video footage shows him trying to shop at a Costco, though he was turned away as he didn't have a membership. Classmates saw Kohberger’s injuries Days after the killings, Kohberger was late to one of his classes at WSU, emailing a professor about missing another. Some of his WSU classmates noticed cuts on his hands, with students noting that he gave different excuses to explain the injuries, as he told one he was a boxer, another that he was in a car accident, and another that he suffered an “indoor accident.” Idaho State Police said this was likely from Kernodle's struggle. Kohberger lied about his injuries to classmates. Credit: Pool / Getty Kohberger planned to blame the victims’ friends Before pleading guilty to aoid the death penalty, the convict allegedly planned to blame three friends of the victims and a relative stranger for the murders. A court order from Ada County District Court Judge Steven Hippler detailed that three of the unnamed people "were each socially connected to one or more of the victims, interacted with one or more of the victims at social events in the hours prior to the homicide, lived within walking distance of the crime scene and were familiar with the layout of the victims’ home from prior social events." It further detailed that the fourth person was a man who encountered one of the female victims while shopping around a month before the killings. “He followed her briefly out the exit of the store while considering approaching her to talk. He turned away before ever speaking to her,” it read. The order further stated that Kohberger was prohibited from naming the individuals as possible suspects as their proximity to the crime scene "is not probative evidence given that the perpetrator drove vehicle to the crime scene." They also noted that "none of these individuals drove a vehicle matching the description of the suspected killer’s." Kohberger followed the case closely When police were surveilling Kohberger's parents' home in December 2022, his download and search history showed that he may have been feeling paranoid. Barnhart said that her searched for 20 different serial killers on Christmas Day that year, and four days later, he read a New York Times article about the search for the owner of a 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra. He then looked up terms like "auto detailing shop" before searching for used cars in his area, before searching for “psychopaths paranoid” and “wiretapping.” he also downloaded news articles about University of Idaho parking permits for Hyundai Elantras, in addition to daily updates from the Moscow Police Department. Barnhart acknowledged that Kohberger was good at covering his online footprint and clearing data, but he hadn't scrubbed his phone before his arrest in the early hours of December 30, 2022. Featured image credit: @kayleegoncalves / Instagram
