The Moscow Police Department recently released a series of photographs taken inside the off-campus rental house at 1122 King Road in the days and hours leading up to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students on November 13, 2022. These images—captured mostly by the victims themselves or during routine evidence collection—offer a haunting glimpse into the everyday world Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves shared before it was shattered by violence.
The house itself was a classic student rental: three stories, white siding, large windows, and a small yard bordered by trees. Inside, the living room looked like any other college hangout. A worn sectional sofa sat against one wall, littered with throw pillows and blankets. A coffee table held empty red Solo cups, a half-eaten bag of chips, and scattered phone chargers. On the wall hung a bright pink flag with white block letters: “Saturdays are for the girls.” Laundry baskets overflowed in corners, hoodies and jeans draped over chair backs. A whiteboard calendar listed upcoming exams, birthdays, and a reminder to “pay rent!!!” The kitchen counter displayed a jumble of takeout containers, a bottle of Fireball whiskey, and a stack of unopened mail.
One photo shows Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, smiling at the camera while holding iced coffees. Both wear oversized hoodies and messy buns—typical post-class comfort. Another captures Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder as they scroll through a phone together. The image radiates quiet affection, the kind of unguarded moment only close friends or couples share. A third photo, taken from the staircase landing, shows the open-plan living and dining area lit by warm string lights. A pizza box sits open on the table, and someone’s laptop glows in the background, paused on a Netflix screen.
These snapshots feel painfully ordinary because they are. They document the small rituals of college life: late-night snacks, group selfies, the comfort of coming home to people who know you best. The students were close-knit. Kaylee and Madison had been best friends since sixth grade. Xana and Ethan had been dating for over a year. They shared chores, playlists, inside jokes, and the kind of trust that comes from living together through midterms and breakups.
The photos also reveal subtle details that now carry heavier meaning. A kitchen knife block sits full on the counter—later reports confirmed the murder weapon was a large fixed-blade knife not belonging to the household. A sliding glass door leading to the back patio appears unlocked in one exterior shot, a detail investigators later noted as a possible point of entry. The basement bedroom where two surviving roommates slept remains untouched in the released images, a reminder that the attack targeted only the upper floors.
Investigators believe the murders occurred between 4:00 and 4:25 a.m. on November 13. Autopsies showed all four victims were stabbed multiple times while asleep or just waking. Kaylee and Madison were in one third-floor bedroom; Ethan and Xana were in another on the second floor. The surviving roommates, who were home at the time, reported hearing crying and a male voice but did not witness the attacks. They called friends over before dialing 911 around noon, initially believing one of the victims had passed out from drinking.
The case drew national attention due to its brutality and the initial lack of suspects. For weeks, the quiet college town of Moscow felt frozen in fear. Students left campus early for Thanksgiving break. DoorDash drivers refused deliveries after dark. The Moscow Police Department faced intense criticism for releasing little information, fueling speculation and conspiracy theories online.
Then, on December 30, 2022, Bryan Kohberger—a criminology PhD student at nearby Washington State University—was arrested in Pennsylvania. Authorities say cellphone data placed his phone near the house repeatedly in the months before the murders, including on the night of the killings. Surveillance video captured a white Hyundai Elantra matching his car circling the neighborhood. DNA from a knife sheath left at the scene allegedly matched Kohberger through genetic genealogy. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The newly released photos do not contain forensic evidence; they serve instead as a memorial to ordinary moments stolen by extraordinary violence. They remind the public that the victims were not statistics or headlines—they were real people living real college lives. Madison loved animals and dreamed of veterinary school. Kaylee was outgoing and fiercely loyal. Ethan was gentle and athletic. Xana was funny and ambitious. Their laughter, their late-night talks, their plans for the future—all ended in seconds.
For the families, the images bring both comfort and pain. Seeing their children happy and carefree contrasts sharply with the horror that followed. In court filings and public statements, relatives have repeatedly asked for the focus to remain on the victims’ lives rather than the accused. “They were loved. They mattered,” one family member said after the photos were made public.
The Moscow Police Department released the images as part of ongoing transparency efforts and to combat misinformation that still circulates. The case remains active, with Kohberger’s defense team challenging the admissibility of DNA evidence and cellphone data. Jury selection is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, with the trial likely to draw intense media coverage.
In the meantime, the house at 1122 King Road stands empty. The university purchased it in 2023 and demolished it in December 2023 to create a memorial garden. The “Saturdays are for the girls” flag, the Solo cups, the laundry piles—all gone. What remains are the photographs: frozen fragments of a life interrupted, a reminder that violence can invade the safest spaces and steal the most ordinary moments from the people we love most.
