The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the four University of Idaho students tragically stabbed to death last year, have revealed that evidence indicates their daughter fought back against her attacker but was ultimately "trapped."
Kaylee Goncalves, aged 21, was among the victims of a fatal incident that occurred at an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. The other victims were Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Bryan Kohberger faces charges of four counts of first-degree murder in the case and one count of burglary. His trial, initially scheduled for October 2, was postponed indefinitely after he waived his right to a speedy trial last month.
Steve Goncalves, Kaylee's father, revealed in an upcoming episode of "48 Hours" titled “The Night of the Idaho Murders” that Mogen was the first victim, as determined by the coroner's report. Steve recounted that Mogen and Goncalves were sleeping in the same bed on the third floor of the residence when Mogen was attacked, followed by Kaylee.
"There's evidence to show that she awakened and tried to get out of that situation," Steve shared with 48 Hours. "She was assaulted and stabbed."
Kaylee's mother, Kristi Goncalves, expanded on this theory, stating that her daughter had sustained multiple fatal wounds and was unable to easily escape the attack.
"The bed was up against the wall," explained Kristi. "The headboard was touching the wall, and the left side of the bed was touching the wall. And we believe that Maddie was on the outside and Kaylee was on the inside. The way the bed was set up ... she was trapped."
Kristi further speculated that the killer may have been taken aback by the fact that Mogen and Kaylee, who were best friends, were sharing the same bed. "I do think that his plan went awry," she said. "I do think that, you know, he intended to kill one and killed four."
Relatives of Xana Kernodle have also recently spoken out, including her father, Jeffrey Kernodle, who was asked about reports suggesting that his daughter may have fought back against her attacker.
"I believe so," Jeffrey responded. "It's upsetting to think about."
The Goncalves' parents conducted their own investigation into the case and claimed to have discovered a potential link between Bryan Kohberger, their deceased daughter, and Mogen. They informed 48 Hours that they had located what they believe to be the suspect's Instagram account, which followed the accounts of these two victims on the social networking platform.
"From our investigation of the account, it appeared to be the real Bryan Kohberger account," said Kristi.
Kristi and Steve also asserted that they believe Kohberger had been to the off-campus residence prior to the murders, based on investigators' findings. "He had to know when people were coming, people going," noted Steve.
Kristi added, "I think he at least had opened that door, went in, tested the waters, looked around."
However, Kohberger's lawyers have countered these claims in court filings, stating that "There is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims," according to CBS News.
Kohberger was arrested for the quadruple murders on December 30, 2022, at his parents' Pennsylvania home. At the time of the slayings, he was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University, located about a 10-minute drive from the University of Idaho.
Prosecutors in the case have asserted that DNA evidence directly links Kohberger to a knife sheath discovered at the crime scene, adjacent to the bodies of Mogen and Goncalves.