ADA COUNTY, Idaho — As Bryan Kohberger awaits sentencing for the murders of four University of Idaho students, many questions remain about who he is and who came into contact with him before his arrest.
RELATED: A timeline of the University of Idaho murders investigation
Gary Jenkins, now the Washington State University police chief, previously served as Pullman’s police chief and interviewed Kohberger for a job, just months before the crimes.
“Incoming Ph.D. students could apply to be a researcher embedded in our police department as part of their Ph.D. program,” Jenkins explained. “And so in April of 2022, I interviewed four applicants for that position. And one of those applicants was Bryan Kohberger.”
Jenkins said he did not hire Kohberger, who has since pleaded guilty to murdering four students in 2022, citing two key concerns.
WSU Chief recounts interviewing Bryan Kohberger before the murders
“One is someone who was interested in doing some actionable research,” Jenkins said that Kohberger expressed more interest in the theoretical side of criminal research. “The second is someone who could establish trust and rapport with my staff. Kohberger was not particularly personable. He didn't have a very fluid or conversational manner in talking.”
While he didn’t notice glaring red flags, Jenkins said Kohberger came across as socially awkward. “He was just a little bit awkward and maybe would be somewhat awkward in social situations,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins left the Pullman Police Department to join WSU Police in August 2022. Then came November, when four University of Idaho students, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, were brutally murdered just miles away, shocking the community and the nation.
“It was the type of crime that was completely out of character for this area,” Jenkins said. “I haven't been involved or seen something like this in my 44 years in law enforcement.”
During the search for a suspect, Jenkins said one of his officers spotted a white Hyundai Elantra registered to Kohberger, parked in WSU’s graduate student housing, just 16 hours after law enforcement received a BOLO– or “Be On the Lookout” alert. “Since the BOLO was very specific, they did not submit that vehicle as a tip because it did not fit within the parameters,” Jenkins said.
On Dec. 20, 2022– 10 days before Kohberger was taken into custody– Jenkins was called into a briefing in Moscow, where investigators revealed the name of the suspect. “They sat me down and told me that they had identified a potential suspect connected to the crime scene through DNA. And that person was Bryan Kohberger,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said he quickly recalled the awkward interview with Kohberger and handed over his resume and cover letter to investigators.
Following that meeting, investigators served search warrants at Kohberger’s WSU apartment, his student office, and his family’s home in Pennsylvania. Jenkins said what investigators reported from the apartment was unusual.
“His apartment was somewhat sparse. Someone could conclude that potentially the person who had been living there was not intending to come back,” he said.
Jenkins said he was aware of some complaints against Kohberger from students on campus, but he was not directly involved in how those complaints were handled.
Kohberger is expected to be sentenced Wednesday. Idaho News 6 will have full coverage from the courthouse, including updates from inside the courtroom.
RELATED: What to know about Bryan Kohberger’s sentencing hearing for killing four Idaho students
