The 8-hour gap that still has Idaho investigators scratching their heads. A surviving roommate reportedly saw a masked figure in the house after the murders, yet no one called 911 until noon.
Dylan Mortensen, 21, told investigators she opened her bedroom door just after 4 a. m. on November 13 and spotted an unknown person dressed in black walking past her toward the back exit.
That was the same morning Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were found stabbed to death upstairs.
Neither Mortensen nor the other spared roommate, Bethany Funke, 21, reportedly contacted police until nearly eight hours later. An Idaho law enforcement source told The Post the delay has been puzzling, saying they don’t know if it was due to intoxication or fear.
According to a newly released police affidavit, Mortensen reportedly heard Goncalves say “There’s someone here” before the attack, followed by crying from Kernodle’s room and a male voice saying, “It’s ok, I’m going to help you.”
Early police reports indicate Funke and Mortensen recruited friends to the scene before one of them finally called 911 at 11:58 a.m. Both have been ruled out as suspects and have cooperated fully, according to cops.
Despite the baffling delay, the source said investigators are “really, really confident” Mortensen was not involved. He added that while it doesn’t make sense to rational adults, she’s a 20-year-old girl and they don’t know what she was doing or if she was scared.
Law enforcement is also struggling to find any connection between the six students and accused killer Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old PhD student in criminology who lived just 15 minutes away in Pullman, Washington. The source said there’s no rhyme or reason and no ties have been found.
Dr. Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City, told The Post the 8-hour delay likely made no difference. He explained the victims were already dead when the suspect left, and nothing was interfered with by that delay from a forensic point of view.
What really happened inside that house during those long, silent hours?
