Surviving roommate in Idaho murders came face-to-face with killer, cops say

It was previously thought the two surviving roommates in the Idaho murders had been asleep – but police have now said one came face-to-face with the alleged killer.

A roommate who survived the University of Idaho murders came face-to-face with the killer just moments after the bloody slaughter of her friends as they slept in their beds, according to a police report.

Dylan Mortensen, 21, described her creepy encounter with the black-clad figure, when she opened her bedroom door after hearing a noise a little after 4am, NY Post reports.

A police affidavit reads: “[Mortensen] saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose walking towards her.

“Mortensen described the figure as 5′ 10″ or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows. The male walked past [her] as she stood in a ‘frozen shock phase.’

“The male walked towards the back sliding glass door. Mortensen locked herself in her room after seeing the male.”

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Dylan Mortensen (L) with her friends who were killed, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and fellow surviving roommate Bethany Funke.

Moments earlier, the mysterious man had allegedly knifed Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, to death in their Moscow, Idaho home. Another roommate, Bethany Funke, 21, was unharmed in the alleged attack.

Although Mortensen’s encounter happened around 4am, it is not explained why police were not called until around midday — almost eight hours later.

The affidavit also explains how police linked the alleged slayings to PhD student in criminal justice Bryan Kohberger, who lived in Pullman, Washington, the next town over, and whose alleged DNA was found at the scene.

He appeared in an Idaho court Thursday local time to be charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

According to the police report, the six people — all close college friends — were home at the three-storey house located at 1122 King Road in Moscow by 2am. The alleged killer struck around two hours later.

Mortensen, who lived on the first floor, said she had fallen asleep but was awakened around 4am when “she heard who she thought was Goncalves say something to the effect of ‘there’s someone here.’”

She opened her door, but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Mortensen then “opened her door a second time when she heard what she thought was crying coming from Kernodle’s room,” according to the police report.

In a spine-shivering detail, the report added Mortensen “then said she heard a male voice say something to the effect of ‘It’s OK, I’m going to help you.’”

Bryan Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. Picture: Monroe County Correctional Facility / AFP

Police believe the murderer left the bloody crime scene at that point and video collected from nearby residences showed a car matching the description of Kohberger’s leaving the area.

Both surviving roommates were quickly ruled out as suspects and co-operated with the investigation following the gory murders, police repeatedly said.

The two broke their silence by sharing their memories of the “four beautiful people” in letters read at a memorial service in early December.

“Maddie, Xana, Kaylee and Ethan were all one of a kind,” the pastor at Real Life Ministries read aloud from the letters written by the two survivors.

“To Xana and Ethan: they were the perfect pair together and had this unstoppable relationship,” Mortensen wrote.

“My people who changed my life in so many ways and made me so happy. I know it will be hard to not have the four of them in our lives, but I know Xana, Ethan, Maddie and Kaylee would want us to live life and be happy and they would want us to celebrate their lives.”

Funke wrote that the four slain students “were all gifts to this world in your own special way — and it just won’t be the same without you.”

The house where the four students were murdered. Picture: David Ryder/Getty Images/AFP

The victims’ accused killer was arrested on December 30 at his parents home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania during an early morning SWAT team raid.

Kohberger quickly waived his right to an extradition hearing and arrived in Idaho via plane on Wednesday evening.

He appeared in Idaho court for the first time Thursday, which allowed police to release the affidavit, per Idaho state law

He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

The hearing Thursday was not an arraignment and he has yet to enter a plea to court, but is widely expected to plead not guilty. He will appear again in court on January 12 for a status hearing.

The suspect was a Ph. D student in criminology at Washington State University Pullman and lived about 10 miles (16km) from the crime scene.

Authorities have yet to say whether there is a connection between Kohberger and the victims.

This article originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission