Ashlin Couch, the former roommate of two victims in the infamous University of Idaho killings, spoke about the unsettling last messages she exchanged with her friends just hours before their lives were brutally taken.
The Daily Mail reported that Ashlin Couch, who lived with Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen until mid-2022, reminisced about the last time she communicated with her friends.
Couch recounted:
I texted like our group of friends, and I just had said, 'Has anyone heard from Maddie?' And I remember, like my last text message to her was like, 'Are you okay.''
The quiet college town of Moscow, Idaho, was shaken last November when Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, both 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were found murdered at their off-campus house. Xana Kernodle had taken over Ashlin's lease just months before the tragedy struck.
The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, was apprehended in December 2023. His vehicle matched one seen in surveillance footage near the crime scene, further implicated by the discovery of his DNA on a knife sheath found at the scene. Despite these findings, his trial has been postponed until at least spring 2025.
According to reports, on the fateful night, the victims were out at local bars before Kernodle and Chapin returned home around 2 a.m. Shortly after their arrival, a DoorDash delivery was made to Kernodle, during which time a suspicious vehicle was spotted outside their home.
Adding to the complexities of the case, Kohberger's mobile phone was reportedly switched off at 2:47 am and reactivated at 4:48 am. This detail aligns with a witness account from Dylan Mortensen, another roommate, who heard noises at around 4 am, mistaking them for friends returning home.
Mortensen also encountered an intruder leaving the house shortly after hearing the unsettling sounds. The crime scene was described as particularly gruesome, evidenced by bloodstains that were visible outside the house.
Speaking on her ordeal, Couch expressed the chilling reality that she could have been at the house during the murders. "It crosses my mind more than that, that could have happened while I was there," she shared, highlighting an eerie possibility that the perpetrator had been observing their home for some time.
Her experience has profoundly impacted her sense of security, stating, "I couldn't even walk to my car in the dark for months after, you know, it happened." Couch hopes that by raising awareness, she can help ensure the safety of other college students and help them feel more secure in their environments.
The house where the murders occurred was demolished despite opposition from the victims' families. They feared that tearing down the house might destroy critical evidence.
However, both the prosecution and defense agreed on its demolition. As the community continues to reel from the shock, the delay in Bryan Kohberger's trial adds to the anguish of those awaiting justice.
The loss of Kaylee, Madison, Xana, and Ethan is felt deeply across the University of Idaho campus, with their friends and families cherishing memories and advocating for safety reforms to protect future students.
