Idaho Stabbing Eye Witness and Bail Denial
Idaho Stabbing Eye Witness and Bail Denial
A lot of people have asked about the survivors in the Idaho stabbings, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, but more so they’ve asked about Dylan.
Dylan is the witness in the affidavit who saw the killer as he was leaving. Specifically, many have speculated that she had some kind of involvement in the crime, and questioned why it took so long to call 911. She is D.M. in the affidavit, which has the details of the crime scene redacted.
D.M. stated she originally went to sleep in her bedroom on the southeast side of the second floor. D.M. stated she was awoken at approximately 4:00 a.m. by what she stated sounded like Goncalves playing with her dog in one of the upstairs bedrooms, which were located on the third floor.
A short time later, D.M. said she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of"there's someone here." A review of records obtained from a forensic download ofKemodle's phone slowed this could also have been Kemodle as her cellular phone indicated she was likely awake and using the TikTok app at approximately 4:12 a.m
D.M. stated she looked out of her bedroom but did not see anything when she heard the comment about someone being in the house. D.M. stated she opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle's room. D.M. then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of "it's ok, I'm going to help you."
At approximately 4:17 a.m., a security camera located at I 112 King Road, a residence immediately to the northwest of 1122 King Road, picked up distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud thud. A dog can also be heard barking numerous times starting at 4:17 a.m. The security camera is less than fifty feet from the west wall of Kernodle's bedroom. D.M. stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her.
D.M. described the figure as 5' I 0" or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows. The male walked past D.M. as she stood in a "frozen shock phase." The male walked towards the back sliding glass door. D.M. locked herself in her room after seeing the male. D.M. did not state that she recognized the male. This leads investigators to believe that the murderer left the scene.
Steve Goncalves, father of stabbing victim Kaylee Goncalves, talked to NBC News about Dylan.
In reference to the 911 call he said, "You got to remember these two girls were so upset that when they went outside after seeing this... it wasn't very legible. [Police dispatchers] couldn't quite understand what these girls were seeing. One passed out. And the other one was hyperventilating that the message wasn't clear enough for the operator."
"I still think that she's just a girl that was scared, froze up." Goncalves said he has questions about what happened after she locked the door, but those will be answered in time.
"I think it's another victim of this crime. My heart goes out to her, and she came up to me in different celebrations of life, and she showed herself to me that she didn't behave in a fashion of somebody who was involved in something like this."
His comments to NBC seem to validate the comments floating around social media from friends about the fallout of the killings. Bethany Funke is reportedly the person Steve Goncalves describes as “hyperventilating". Dylan Mortensen reportedly suffers from PTSD, night terrors, and panic attacks, and thought she was having a nightmare when she saw the man in the mask. Dylan Mortensen is reportedly who he describes as “passing out”, after she fainted from panic on her front lawn after waking up in the morning, witnessing the horrific crime scene, and running outside with her cell phone in her hand for help.
Dylan was the person the original 911 call was about, which is why reports were of an “unconscious person”. A friend and fraternity brother called 911 from her phone after finding her unconscious on the lawn.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the brutal murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Court Judge Megan Marshall in Latah County on January 5, 2023.
The Magistrate Court Judge read Kohberger his rights and outlined the charges against him during the appearance, asking if he understood. He replied with a deadpan “Yes” while clenching his jaw. His family was in attendance, as was Steven Goncalves, who reports that Kohberger would not look at him.
Kohberger was also officially assigned an attorney, public defender Anne Taylor. The hearing Thursday allowed the police’s probable cause affidavit on Kohberger to be released. Kohberger failed to secure bail after prosecutors successfully argued he was a flight risk given his arrest more than 2,500 miles from the murder scene. The judge remanded him back to Latah County Jail.
The judge also ordered the suspect not to contact any of the victim’s family, and some of their close friends, for the next two years. Kohberger’s plane landed at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in Washington state sometime around 6:30 p.m. local time Wednesday January 4.