US arrests suspect in Idaho students murder case

DETROIT, Michigan

An arrest was made on Friday in the US state of Pennsylvania in connection with the murders of four University of Idaho students in their home on Nov. 13.

The suspect, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was taken into custody by the Pennsylvania State Police along with the FBI, according to filings in the Monroe County Court there.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 21, were all stabbed to death while sleeping in a three-story home rented by Mogen, Goncalves, and Kernodle just off campus in Moscow, Idaho.

The four were close friends. Kernodle and Chapin were reported to be involved in a romantic relationship.

Kohberger is the first suspect to be taken into custody by law enforcement officials since the murder took place. Monroe County is located in eastern Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains. A weapon used in the killings has yet to be found.

The suspect is being held for extradition in a criminal homicide investigation. There is an active warrant out for the arrest of a suspect for first degree murder by the Moscow Police Department and Latah County Prosecutor’s Office.

A law enforcement official disclosed the information to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement planned for late Friday.

The university town, which numbers approximately 25,000 including a student population of 11,000, was shaken by the murders. In its wake, almost half of the university’s students switched to online classes for the remainder of the semester, many even moving back home. Additional security was also installed by campus and Idaho State Police in order to ensure students’ safety.