Months before he was accused of killing four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger reportedly emailed a police chief with excitement about a potential job, new details reveal.
The Washington State University PhD candidate contacted Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins in early 2022, hoping to land a three-year research assistant position in public safety, according to Inside Edition.
I had a great pleasure meeting with you today to share my thoughts on this assistantship, Kohberger reportedly wrote after their April 12 meeting, adding, I look forward to hearing from you.
Chief Jenkins reportedly replied warmly, Great to meet and talk to you as well.
The job was offered through WSU, where Kohberger was studying criminology, and aimed to help local agencies with data analysis and funding success, per the university’s description.
It remains unclear if Kohberger was ever offered the role, as the Pullman police did not comment on the report.
The exchange also links to a separate internship application cited in court documents, where Kohberger reportedly expressed interest in helping rural law enforcement with technological data collection.
Jenkins later became WSU’s police chief in August 2022, just months before the tragic events.
On November 13, Kohberger allegedly killed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at their off-campus home.
He now faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, while authorities continue to investigate.
What could drive a PhD student seeking to help law enforcement to face such serious allegations?
