Idaho Briefly Releases, Removes UI Murder Scene Photos

Idaho State Police briefly released nearly 3,000 crime scene photographs from the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students in Moscow before removing them from public access, prompting concerns from victims' families over privacy and sensitivity.

The images, made available online on Tuesday and taken down hours later, depicted scenes from the off-campus residence at 1122 King Road where Bryan Kohberger fatally stabbed Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, in the early hours of November 13, 2022. The three-story home, which housed six students at the time and has since been demolished, showed evidence of extensive violence, including blood on walls, floors, mattresses, furniture, and personal items such as clothing, cellphones, and laptops. Some photos captured overturned furniture and tears in bedding, indicating struggles by the victims. Other images highlighted key forensic evidence, such as a tan leather knife sheath found amid bloodied sheets in Mogen's third-floor bedroom, which contained DNA that linked Kohberger to the scene through genetic genealogy analysis. Additional photos revealed footprints in the snow outside...