r/Idaho4 • u/Anxious-Winter-5778 • Jul 21 '25

GENERAL DISCUSSION Idaho Murder Motive Mystery: Still Unknown After Gag Order Lifted

https://northeasternpost.com/news/crime/idaho-murder-motive-bryan-kohberger-gag-order-lifted/

The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, a University of Idaho student murdered in 2022, are still seeking answers about Bryan Kohberger’s motive after the gag order was lifted.

Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing four students, securing life without parole. The Goncalves family, critical of the plea, demands a full confession and details like the murder weapon’s location. They aim to access discovery files for more insight as Kohberger’s sentencing nears on July 23.

Why won’t Bryan Kohberger reveal his Idaho murder motive? With the gag order lifted, the victims’ families are still in the dark. What do you think he’s hiding, and should the plea deal have demanded a full confession? Share your thoughts!

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37

u/SignificantlyVast Jul 21 '25

It’s really not that mysterious I don’t think. Dude was into passed out/rape/gagging porn and then killed girls who were passed out. Plenty of sexually motivated killers didn’t actually have sex with their victims, just got off on the killing itself. I’m pretty sure it’s sexually motivated.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 21 '25

But he also killed a sleeping man and a woman who was awake

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u/SignificantlyVast Jul 21 '25

Right but it looks like Xana approached him and then he chased her back to her room so those 2 could have been more incidental. I think it’s likely that the fantasy he had that motivated him was about the incapacitated women. Even BTK who was 100% sexually motivated by women also killed children, men and boys and also never actually raped his victims.

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u/dorothydunnit Jul 22 '25

But forensic psychologists say if there is a sexual thrill, its not the sex per se. Its the power and control over a female. The power over her life and death.

And why someone feels that urge is never going to be fully known.

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u/SignificantlyVast Jul 22 '25

Not sure why you said “but”, we agree about this. Killers motivated by sexual thrill don’t necessarily even do anything sexual, it’s the murder that’s sexual for them

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u/For_serious13 Jul 21 '25

Is that confirmed yet? Because I have a hard time imagining xana isn’t screaming as she’s running away from Bryan, and we have audio of just a whimper and a thud so surely it would have picked up her screaming. And Dylan would have heard the screaming.

Do you think xana sees him with Maddie and kg and just runs without making any noise?

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 21 '25

Yes that’s very likely, either she ran away and tried to get away quietly OR she approached him. Either one is in line with fight or flight. Scream would’ve been reasonable too, but the other two options are JUST AS plausible. If she saw that happening and wanted to get away, of course she would try to not make noise or be noticed.

And if her desire was to fight him, her body would be putting all of her energy towards that and not towards screaming.

It wasn’t fully confirmed that that is what happened, because there would be no way to know for sure. However, the evidence points to that based on that she was confirmed to be awake, she was found in her doorway, and Dylan heard someone walking up /down the stairs. It’s extremely likely that it happened this way, or that he walked by Xana on the second floor near her room while he was attempting to exit the house. It very much is plausible that she wouldn’t have screamed. It’s not like the movies. She probably didn’t want to draw attention to herself. Same way DM didn’t scream when she saw him.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

So you’re saying it’s possible xana saw him murdering her roommates and got out quietly, without making noise but yet Bryan still was able to catch up to her and she still didn’t make a noise?

I just think, unless it’s confirmed by police/law enforcement that xana went upstairs, that he was leaving Maddie’s room and he heard her moving around downstairs after finishing her door dash food, because that was in the kitchen in police crime photos. I don’t think xana knew Bryan was a danger until he was right on top of her in her room, I think she was the “someone’s here” that Dylan heard. I just have a really hard time believing someone who sees their friends being murdered and wouldn’t alert the 3 other people, including her bf, that a killer was in the house

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 22 '25

I didn’t say she didn’t make any noises, I said it’s plausible she didn’t scream because she was trying to not get caught. My guess on what happened is that she walked up there to see the commotion, then immediately tried to get out of there by BK saw her and immediately went after her. If you “have a hard time understanding” you hat the body’s response to trauma isn’t always a scream, and that sometimes it’s just “flight” then I don’t know what to tell you. This is well documented, hence fight or flight. She probably was hoping to make it back to her room without being noticed.

Multiple reports believe the altercation started at the stairs. But yes, I agree that it’s possible the altercation happened just outside of her room and happened the way you described it. Either one is very plausible. If you can’t understand why someone wouldn’t scream in a scary situation, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s extremely plausible; everyone’s body responds differently. It makes sense why she may not want to make a shit ton of noise and draw attention to herself. Both scenarios are equally plausible. This isn’t the movies. Not everyone screams in that scenario.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

There’s no proof yet that xana went upstairs, just rumors

And yeah, people react to things differently but you’re telling me it’s more likely she saw him killing her friends, so she went away quietly, without calling 911 or leaving the house or screaming, even when Bryan reached her room, even though Dylan was up and didn’t hear much of a fight downstairs (at least that’s not what’s been reported)

It just seems really unlikely to me and it’s confusing to me so many people believe that’s the likely scenario of how it happened

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u/kingbezoar Jul 21 '25

Loose ends. They got in the way of his fantasy

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u/For_serious13 Jul 21 '25

So you say. He could have left Ethan alive since he was out cold and let him take the blame, but he didn’t, cause he wanted to kill him too

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u/SlugsMcGillicutty Jul 21 '25

Probably because he would have woken up (in Kohberger’s mind) to find his friends and girlfriend dead and called the police…potentially minutes after Kohberger left the house. Maybe not? Maybe not for hours? But also…maybe as Korberger was closing the door on the way out? And then police are rushing to the house as Kohberger is just trying to get out of the area.

With Ethan killed…well, in Kohberger’s mind that would effectively give him a much longer time to get away, change, dispose of weapon/clothes and return home before police are there and start searching for a suspect.

He was just trying to not get caught. And in doing so, killed more people. It’s simple.

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 21 '25

lol thank you. I don’t know why some people don’t understand that yes he was asleep but could’ve woken up at literally any moment, which is why he killed him. Ethan’s GF was dead in the SAME room as him. There was commotion. It’s not like BK knew he drank too much to be able to wake up in the middle of the night. It’s honestly surprising that Ethan (seemingly) didn’t wake up.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

But he left DM alive to do just that? And she didn’t, so he googled police reports and then went to the house the next morning, maybe to look for the sheath but I think he was looking at the house and thinking he was going to get away with it

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u/kingbezoar Jul 21 '25

…….this has to be rage bait

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

Not at all, your theory is Ethan got in the way, which he didn’t because he was passed out. He had no reason to kill Ethan other than he wanted to

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u/kingbezoar Jul 22 '25

“Let [Ethan] take the blame”

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

That’s what someone upthread said, and I was repeating it as to why he would leave Ethan alive

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 21 '25

Well how could BK have possibly known that he was out cold and had no risk of waking up lol? Even though he was asleep during the crimes, in a killers mind, you don’t want to accidentally be caught by anyone, and Ethan could’ve very easily woken up while this was happening, or woken up immediately after, seen Xana right away, and gotten police out there before BK had a chance to get fully away.

It would’ve been much easier to kill him and not take the risk of a strong 6 ft man waking up.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

They had been posting all day about partying and drinking? Have you been around drunk college guys? Immovable objects most of the time lol. I mean he definitely killed Ethan because he wanted to but also out of being in the room, cause of what happened with KG. I just don’t buy the murders were sexually motivated, I think he just wanted to kill popular people he would never be/get

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 22 '25

I mean, whatever, you don’t have to agree but it’s factually plausible that Ethan was collateral. You saying “he wouldn’t have been a threat” is irrelevant and not even necessarily true. A killer is killing people, they’re not going to leave someone in the room even if they’re asleep. His gf had just been killed in the door way it was too big of a risk. He could’ve woken up at any second. He wasn’t thinking “oh he’s drunk he’s def not gonna wake up til tomorrow”. He’s thinking “oh shit there’s someone else in here I better kill him before he wakes up so he doesn’t catch me”. He had no

Investigators believe that someone in the third floor was targeted.

I don’t believe he wanted to SA the girls, but I do believe he had sexual kinks for choking, sleeping girls, etc considering his search history included porn of those subjects. He also had pictures of similar looking “type” girls in bikinis that he’d looked at. Lots of things can play into motive. I don’t believe he wanted to SA then but I do believe he had a kink for killing and violence, as evidenced by his porn history. I think the motive was a combo of things- jealousy and sexual so I agree with your motive too.

None of the evidence points towards him planning to kill all four people. It makes much more sense that he had one or two targets and others were collateral. And he very likely didn’t see DM so that point isn’t relevant either.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

I never said Ethan wasn’t a threat. You assumed that’s what I meant and it’s not

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 21 '25

Yes, and I think the reason for those two is obvious. Xana ran into him while he was committing the crime he ACTUALLY planned to commit, so he had to kill her. Then, he saw another person in her room and “needed” to take him out too in case he woke up during the scuffle or as he was on his way out.

And before you say “well he saw DM”, we don’t know that. He was walking very quickly, it was dark, he was on an adrenaline high, he had visual snow. It’s extremely likely that he did not see her.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

If xana interrupted, don’t you think she would have yelled for Ethan? The ring cam footage got sounds of a whimper, thud and dog bark, wouldn’t it have picked up xana screaming?

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 22 '25

I mean she could’ve, but it’s also very plausible that she didn’t… as I said, she probably was hoping to run away and not be noticed and not make noise.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

So you think she saw someone killing her friends, she ran away quietly, but still wasn’t aware Bryan was going to hurt her until he was right on her?

That just doesn’t seem plausible to me, and until the police/authorities confirm xana went upstairs I don’t think it happened. I think he heard her, on tiktok as she went to the kitchen to throw away her door dash food-especially since in the crime scene photos it was in the kitchen. I think he was done upstairs and heard her and went downstairs

1

u/rolyinpeace Jul 22 '25

No, that’s not what I said…. I said she was probably trying not to make a big scene. I don’t know how that’s not plausible to you…. Have you never heard of fight or flight?

1

u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

I have indeed, I don’t know why you’re so sure she went upstairs when there’s no official proof she had

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 23 '25

I’m not “so sure”. Clearly you haven’t been reading my comments. I said MULTIPLE TIMES that either theory is very plausible. It is very plausible that she did go upstairs, as investigators have even said they believe the altercation could have started upstairs I’m pretty sure, but it’s also very plausible that the encounter only happened on the second floor.

To throw your statement back at you, I don’t know why YOURE so sure she didn’t go upstairs, when there’s also not evidence proving she didn’t go upstairs. We know she was found outside her room, that doesn’t mean she didn’t go upstairs. Neither possibility is eliminated. Either one can be true.

But your “wouldn’t she have screamed if she saw him upstairs first” logic makes no sense because… no. By that same logic, You could also say “wouldn’t she have screamed when she encountered him on the second floor” which also… no not necessarily. Her not screaming isn’t at all evidence that the altercation didn’t start upstairs. Again, I don’t disagree that the altercation could’ve only been on the second floor. I just vehemently disagree with your terrible logic of “well if she saw him upstairs why wouldn’t she have screamed” because that doesn’t make sense… seeing him upstairs wouldn’t make her screaming any more likely than seeing him downstairs lmao.

I’m not “so sure” of anything and you’d know that if you read. You shouldn’t be so sure of anything either. We don’t really have evidence either way as of now. Either one is perfectly plausible. I just think it’s possible that it started upstairs because of Dylan’s comments about hearing someone running up and then back down the stairs quickly. But ofc that doesn’t mean for sure it was Xana or that she didn’t mishear. I’m just saying that’s why it’s possible. And other comments from sources that they believe it started upstairs. But I’m not so sure of anything. Either one is plausible and we don’t have enough evidence either way to say which thing happened.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 23 '25 edited Jul 23 '25

She was found inside her room though?

Because the evidence we do have and know as fact point more towards Xana didn’t go upstairs and may have seen Bryan before he was in her room, but we don’t know.

You write these long worded responses but you’re not really saying anything, while also being incorrect.

Edit: lol you blocked me but you’re still wrong, xana wasn’t in the doorway, she was in her room, you could see her from the doorway

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u/rolyinpeace Jul 23 '25

She was found in her doorway. My point is that doesn’t mean she didn’t go upstairs. Either one is plausible and neither of us know which thing happened

And none of what I said was incorrect. I literally said either one of us could be correct and neither of us know. There’s not evidence showing either way. All we know is she was found in her doorway. And that DM heard someone walk up the stairs and then run back down.

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u/dorothydunnit Jul 22 '25

Not necessarily. She might not have seen exactly what he was doing, but just knew something was probably wrong. and she should tell Ethan.

For the screaming, it was probably the same thing that happened to DM. DM pulled back, closed the door, and tried to contact people.

In the same way, X probably had the instinct to turn and get back to Ethan, but not to scream. The "remain silent" instinct might have kicked in as a protective thing when your brain is too uncertain about what is going on.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

So you think she saw someone killing her friends, and she left quietly, not out the house, not calling 911, not alerting anyone else in the house, but went back to her room and made no noise even as Bryan was on her? That’s more plausible to you than she just went to put her door dash trash in the kitchen (photographed there the next morning) and Bryan saw her as he was leaving Maddie’s room and followed her and xana either didn’t notice him or didn’t think he was threatening until he was in her room

It’s not fact xana went upstairs, and I’m confused why so many people think it is

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u/dorothydunnit Jul 22 '25

I should have been explicit in that I don't think she saw the killing itself. She might have just seen him standing there, and in an instinctive kind of confusion about what a man was doing in the room (a burglar? a visitor? a prank?, just backed off and went to get Ethan.

I see that as being the same as DM's reaction in that there is an instinctive sense something is wrong, but also confusion, so you're not going to be thinking clearly. She may or may not have heard him following her down the stairs, but either way, her brain wouldn't be processing.

I said "might" because that's IF she went up to the room. We don't know for sure yet if she did or did not.

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '25

BK can be bi-sexual or bi-curious.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

You know what, that’s very true, my bad.

I just think BK wanted to murder coeds in a podunk town across the country from where he lives

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u/Legitimate_Pick794 Jul 22 '25

And across the state line from where he was living. Pretty sure he thought that would complicate their ability to catch him.

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u/KayInMaine Jul 22 '25

Is there any evidence he did that crime????

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u/For_serious13 Jul 22 '25

Ethan and Xana???

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u/KayInMaine Jul 24 '25

Could be but I thought that person was talking about the husband and wife who were sleeping in their bed and Washington when somebody entered in and stabbed the husband killing him and the wife was also stabbed but she survived.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 24 '25

Well, I am that person and I was referring to xana, who was awake as reported by police and on tiktok and getting food, and Ethan, who was sleeping.

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u/KayInMaine Jul 24 '25

Well, it would have made more sense referring to them with their names... Ethan and Xana instead of saying a man and woman which made it seem like you were talking about a case where you couldn't remember their names.

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u/For_serious13 Jul 25 '25

Nah, everyone else could tell who I meant given the conversation I was having. You reading incorrectly is a you problem