Key Takeaways:

• Text messages reveal the fear and confusion experienced by the surviving roommates during the night of the murders.
• The panic escalated before they ultimately contacted authorities nearly eight hours later.
• The trial of suspect Bryan Kohberger is set to begin in August 2023.

Recently unsealed court documents in the University of Idaho murder case have shed light on the frantic communications between two surviving roommates, who were reportedly on edge after they observed potential signs of danger early on the morning of November 13, 2022. The texts were exchanged shortly after one of them spotted a masked individual in their off-campus home, where four of their friends were later found brutally murdered. The victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Madison Mogen—were discovered in a shocking crime that rattled the small college town of Moscow, Idaho.

Text messages exchanged between the roommates, identified in filings as D.M. and B.F., illustrate their escalating panic. D.M. reached out to B.F. and expressed fear and confusion, stating, “I'm freaking out,” after noticing unusual occurrences around the house. During the critical window between 4:22 a.m. and 4:24 a.m., D.M. reached out repeatedly to the group of victims, saying “no one is answering” and that she felt scared after seeing someone she described as having "like a ski mask almost." B.F. responded with urging for D.M. to come to her room, indicating the panic they were both experiencing.

Further details reveal that a 911 call was not placed until approximately seven hours later. In that call, one of the roommates reportedly stated they found their friend unresponsive but had also seen a man in the house that night. The call raised alarms about their safety, revealing that the sense of urgency in the text exchanges transitioned into distress when they finally contacted authorities. Police arrived to investigate after the alarming calls, discovering the tragic scene that unfolded earlier.

In the backdrop of these revelations, the legal process against Bryan Kohberger, the accused perpetrator, continues to unfold. Kohberger, arrested in December 2022, faces multiple charges, including four counts of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty, with his trial anticipated to commence on August 11, 2023. Prosecutors have indicated that there is substantial evidence, including DNA, linking him to the crime scene and are pursuing the death penalty if he is convicted. The case remains under intense scrutiny and has attracted considerable media attention as it progresses through the judicial system, with expectations that both surviving roommates may testify at the upcoming trial.

This chilling narrative of the Idaho murders and the subsequent legal developments reflect the harrowing experience of those involved and the ongoing quest for justice. For a deeper understanding of the case, you can refer to the full reports by CBS News, ABC News, and Newsweek.