In a rare and revealing post-sentencing interview with CNN’s Jean Casarez, Idaho State Police Lt. Darren Gilbertson and Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger addressed the public directly, cutting through a sea of misinformation and speculation that has surrounded the investigation into the November 2022 University of Idaho murders.

Their comments provided much-needed clarity, especially regarding Bryan Kohberger’s digital footprint, the brutality of the crime, and persistent rumors that have plagued both the victims and the prosecution.

This interview which occurred just days after Kohberger’s guilty plea and life sentence, offered a sobering portrait of the evidence, the challenges of the investigation, and what law enforcement truly uncovered.

No Connection, No Photos, No Contact

One of the most enduring narratives advanced through mainstream media and amplified on social platforms was the idea that Kohberger had been following the victims, particularly Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, on social media and had even stored pictures of them on his phone.

That story, investigators now confirm, is categorically false.

Lt. Gilbertson stated unequivocally that there were

“no pictures, no texts, no social media connections”

between Kohberger and any of the four victims or the surviving roommates.

Although screenshots of news articles about the case were found on Kohberger’s phone, there were no private photos or interactions.

The notion that Kohberger stalked the victims digitally was, as Chief Dahlinger put it,

“rumor that went wild”

after circulating on social media.

This image appears to be a leaked selfie of Bryan Kohberger, reportedly obtained from his cell phone by investigators.

Perhaps one of the most misleading pieces of evidence presented to the public came in the form of a selfie taken by Kohberger shortly after the murders.

The photo, in which he gives a thumbs-up to the camera, was used by the prosecution during his plea proceedings and was interpreted by many as a macabre post-crime trophy.

However, investigators clarified that this particular image was not an outlier. According to Lt. Gilbertson, Kohberger had taken “many, many other pictures” of himself in nearly identical poses. The infamous thumbs-up was simply one image among many and was not indicative of intent, emotion, or state of mind.

While not excusing the disturbing context of the photograph’s timing, the investigators emphasized the danger of cherry-picking evidence to shape a narrative, especially one that can prejudice public opinion before trial.

Public commentary surrounding this image makes clear that its public presentation had a significant prejudicial effect on the defendant. Anne Taylor expressed this effect in her most recent motions just before the plea announcement.

Notably, Judge Steven Hippler called for a special prosecutor to examine the unauthorized leaks to Dateline. Whether that investigation ever moved forward—or was quietly shelved—remains unknown.

What makes this even more troubling is that Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson explicitly cited the thumbs-up selfie during his factual basis statement at Kohberger’s plea hearing as evidence of guilt.

He stated,

“The States evidence will show evidence taken from the defendant’s phone that he took a selfie of himself on his phone in what appears to be the bathroom of his Pullman apartment with a thumbs up.”

The implication was clear: this image symbolized some sort of smug post-homicide victory pose.

But investigators themselves debunked that interpretation. Kohberger had many similar selfies stored on his phone. The now-infamous image was not unique, nor was it timestamped in a way that could definitively link it to the murders. Its inclusion was selective and manipulative, a tactic often used to create an emotional impression in the absence of direct motive or confession.

This image was ALSO leaked to Dateline and was included in their most recent documentary on the case released close to the start of trial.

For Thompson to offer this as substantive evidence—especially in a plea hearing intended to summarize the case’s core facts—raises serious ethical questions. Prosecutors are bound by a duty not just to win, but to seek justice.

When evidence is used to emotionally sway rather than inform, that duty is compromised.

Newly unsealed documents shed light on the sheer brutality of the murders, particularly in the cases of Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves.

Xana, who investigators now confirm was awake and had just received a DoorDash order, sustained over 50 stab wounds, many of them defensive. Chief Dahlinger confirmed that she “fought back, and she fought hard.”

Kaylee, whose father has publicly stated that she was stabbed over 30 times, also suffered horrific injuries, including facial wounds that rendered her unrecognizable. Investigators confirmed that although these marks were not fatal, they do not believe they were caused by a fist or hand alone. While theories of a second weapon have swirled, law enforcement remains clear: there was only one primary weapon used in all four murders.

No evidence was found to suggest the victims were bound or gagged, and no secondary weapon was recovered.

Motive Remains Elusive

The interview also served as a powerful reminder of the painstaking diligence behind the scenes. From tracking down false social media leads to utilizing genetic genealogy to identify Kohberger, investigators conducted hundreds of search warrants and collaborated seamlessly with the FBI.

Gilbertson and Dahlinger were careful to avoid speculation, frequently deferring to facts and the limits of what they can publicly disclose.

Their candor, however, was striking. In an era of trial-by-Twitter and viral conspiracy theories, their commitment to truth, even when it doesn’t conform to sensational narratives, was a quiet rebuke to armchair detectives and sensationalist headlines alike.

In the end, what emerged from this interview was not just a clearer picture of what law enforcement found—but a humbling recognition of what they didn’t.

No connections. No social media trails. No smoking gun in the form of motive. Just a brutal, inexplicable act of violence committed by a man whose reasons may never be fully understood.

Yet in the absence of motive, truth still matters. And this time, it was long overdue.

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