re: Idaho Murders Thread (Links inside)

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Apparently, he randomly saw her when she was a restaurant hostess and became fixated on her.

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I thought this was just online speculation. Did the police discuss this theory?

Damn. Guess I’ll go back to reading the rest of the book

So all the rumors and conjecture about possible drug involved seems to have spun from very loosely, (maybe) connected threads to a couple arrested for distributing fentanyl laced cocaine to a former U of I frat president, Caden Young, who died of OD. A local sheriff stated that they were arresting university students caught with or distributing mdma or cocaine and flipping them to arrest the area dealers. They then planned to flip those for the big fish… typical drug sting op. (Arrested couple are Emma Bailey and Demetrius “D” Robinson.)

The defense caught wind of this and started digging into a pool party Kohberger attended before the semester began to see if he came into contact with one of the suspected arrested when the frat bro died. They discovered that a girl on the Kings Rd lease (who never actually moved in) followed the girl arrested on Instagram and it seems to be their strategy to connect her boyfriend/co-arrestee to the murders in a drug related instance.

Another aspect I didn’t know was the behind the scene political battle within Moscow between city officials and police and the local Christ Church assembly which makes up about 1/2 the jury pool.

The church’s outspoken pastor has frequently criticized the city and police and has gone so far as to say that additional scrutiny of this case may bring about much needed house-cleaning. He also said that if any of his parishioners were on the jury he would tell them to go in with an open mind. He added that his parishioners already knew cops lied on the stand referring to his son and grandkid’s arrests.

This animosity seems to stem from the mask restrictions and arrests during Covid, including the pastors son and grandkids.

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Another aspect I didn’t know was the behind the scene political battle within Moscow between city officials and police and the local Christ Church assembly which makes up about 1/2 the jury pool.

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There seems to be a lot of behind the scenes issues.

I think there are far fewer behind the scene issues than his defense team are making it seem but it’s definitely not flawless.

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the injuries to her were described as “feral.” The other victims had enough injuries to kill them, obviously, but her injuries were viciously more.

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Geez, her poor family having to hear this shite.

I agree with the main target being Maddie and Kaylee just happened to be in same bed (with her dog behind closed door in Kaylee’s room like she meant to come back but started to fall asleep in Maddie’s bed), but I had always thought Xana was 3rd and then Ethan. He backed Xana into room and then knifed Ethan in the bed.

I also thought both Ethan and Xana were found in Xana’s room and that the door had been locked which was part of 9 1 1 call with them not responding inside the room (and possibly using ladder to look into window). Cutting his jugular in the room was why there was so much blood in her room including leaking out the back wall.

I am not sure exactly where the “second-floor stairwell doorway” that is mentioned in another article by Blum. There were 2 stairwells with one going to 3rd floor in back of house just off kitchen and one going to 1st floor in front of house, but it almost seems like he is implying he was killed by the one next to the kitchen which is completely different than what was reported in the past. It also only mentions Xana found in her room.

Below is a quote from Blum in article he wrote. Does he give more details in book about where Ethan was murdered and found?

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The bloody chaos in Mogen's room likely awakened Xana Kernodle on the floor below.

Dylan Mortensen - who also slept on the second floor - told police he heard her cry out: 'There's someone here!' 

Ethan Chapin, Kernodle's boyfriend, likely then left their room to investigate when he encountered Kohberger making his way back to the kitchen to escape.

Chapin was 6'4', powerful, an athlete. Yet the killer did not appear to hesitate.

At six feet and 185 pounds, Kohberger would have been a comparable match for Chapin.

A medical examiner revealed to me that a single arcing blow sliced through Chapin's neck, catching the jugular. He fell in the second-floor stairwell doorway.

Kohberger now likely realised he also had to deal with Kernodle, who may have watched her boyfriend's slaying.

'It's okay, I'm going to help you,' Mortensen also reportedly heard the killer say.

Kernodle was found dead inside her room.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13563293/byran-kohberger-idaho-college-murder-howard-blum.html?ico=related-replace

An article about Blum’s book wrote the below:

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Blum believes that the super-shy and mentally troubled Kohberger — who found connecting with women particularly difficult — encountered Maddie after visiting the vegan restaurant where she worked part-time as a waitress (Kohberger is a strict vegan).

That's when the fascination began, says Blum. Even if he hadn't spoken to Maddie on that occasion, he was able to keep tabs on her and her housemates through their frequent posts on social media…

…In fact, Kohberger's academic superiors had sacked him as a teaching assistant amid growing concern about his offensive behaviour towards women at his university. While Kohberger reportedly followed both Maddie and her lookalike best friend Kaylee on Instagram, he seemed more interested in Maddie, 'liking' all her photos.

Some believe the killer may have seen a TikTok video posted by the housemates which mapped out where each of them slept in the house.

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But the article written by Bloom only stated:

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Kohberger most likely first crossed paths with Mogen at the Mad Greek restaurant on Main Street in Moscow.

The restaurant was the only one in town to serve the sort of vegan dishes that Kohberger's relatives told me he preferred. It was also where Mogen worked as a waitress. Did they talk? Did he ask her out? The prosecution and the defense have agreed that there is no evidence of any interaction – either in person or on social media.

But I believe that wouldn't have been necessary for Kohberger to become infatuated with 21-year-old Mogen's pretty face, long blonde hair and sparkling personality.

Obsessions came easily to him. He was, after all, a recovering heroin addict.

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Some of these articles on Blum are mixing additional info from older reports which may or may not be considered factual now. It seems the most consistent story or theory is some of their social media didn’t require needing to be a “friend” to view, he likely ate at restaurant due to it having different vegan choices unlike other places in area, and besides the roommates’ public posts he also could have viewed the restaurant’s social media campaign which Maddie ran helping to fuel his obsession with her. It doesn’t take much with crazy to get obsessed with someone.

The main interaction between them was likely just in his own head.

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Some of these articles on Blum are mixing additional info from older reports which may or may not be considered factual now. It seems the most consistent story or theory is some of their social media didn’t require needing to be a “friend” to view, he likely ate at restaurant due to it having different vegan choices unlike other places in area, and besides the roommates’ public posts he also could have viewed the restaurant’s social media campaign which Maddie ran helping to fuel his obsession with her. It doesn’t take much with crazy to get obsessed with someone.

The main interaction between them was likely just in his own head.

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Exactly. Blum would have included the bit about him following the victim(s) if it came from one of his sources but he didn’t. I strongly suspect Kaylee’s dad being one of his sources due to descriptions of Steve’s thought process and feelings. If it were true, Steve would know and so would Blum. I don’t believe that Kohberger was ever directly connected to any of them on social media but wouldn’t doubt he stalked their social media posts.