Bryan Kohberger Spent Christmas Day Downloading Information on More Than 20 Serial Killers

Bryan Kohberger reportedly spent Christmas Day in 2022 downloading information about more than 20 notorious serial killers, according to digital forensic expert Heather Barnhart, who worked with prosecutors examining his electronic devices.

The activity took place just weeks after four University of Idaho students were murdered in Moscow, Idaho. According to Barnhart, Kohberger continued researching serial killers late into Christmas night and into the early hours of the following morning.

 

Barnhart, a SANS Institute Fellow and Senior Director of Forensic Research at Cellebrite, was brought in by the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to examine Kohberger’s phone and hard drive for potential evidence.

Although Kohberger had apparently deleted much of the material from his computer, investigators were able to recover information from his Android phone.

Barnhart explained that using incognito browsing does not necessarily prevent downloaded files from being recovered. Kohberger appeared to have cleared downloads from his desktop and hard drive but failed to remove the corresponding material from his phone.

Among the individuals whose information Kohberger downloaded were Betty Lou Beets, Randy Kraft, William Lee, Cody Neal, Danny Rolling, Joel Rifkin, Ted Bundy, Altemio Sanchez, Glen Rogers, Cary Stayner, John Wayne Gacy, Harvey Glatman, Paul Bernardo, Rodney Alcala, Robert Hansen, Gary Ridgway, David Parker Ray, Cleophus Prince, Ed Kemper and Dennis Rader.

One name reportedly stood out in particular: Danny Rolling, known as the “Gainesville Ripper.”

 

According to Barnhart, Kohberger had already downloaded information about Rolling on Nov. 19, 2022, roughly one week after the Idaho murders.

Rolling murdered five college students in Gainesville, Florida, in 1990. He broke into their residences, including through sliding glass doors, and attacked his victims with a KA-BAR-style knife.

Investigators noted similarities between Rolling’s crimes and the murders in Moscow. In both cases, multiple college students were attacked inside their homes after an intruder entered through a sliding glass door, and a KA-BAR knife was involved.

There were also important differences. Rolling sexually assaulted his victims, while prosecutors said there was no evidence that Kohberger sexually assaulted the Idaho victims.

Kohberger also continued following developments in the investigation. Barnhart said his devices showed that he downloaded Moscow Police Department updates nine times between Nov. 26 and Dec. 28, 2022. On Dec. 28 alone, he reportedly downloaded four different versions of an update.

Kohberger was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police three days later.

According to Barnhart, the forensic team had to work carefully because Kohberger had apparently taken steps to erase digital evidence. Still, his failure to completely clear his Android device left investigators with a significant collection of downloads documenting his apparent interest in notorious serial killers.

The findings added another disturbing layer to the investigation and raised questions about what motivated Kohberger to research these particular criminals so soon after the murders.

As Barnhart put it, even people who take extensive steps to conceal their digital activity can eventually make mistakes.