In the early hours of 13 November 2022, four students from the University of Idaho were killed in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. The murders and the investigations into it garnered a lot of media and public attention. Many students and residents of Moscow, fearing for their safety, left early for the Thanksgiving holidays.
After more than a month of investigation, a 28-year-old man, Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the murders. At the time, he was a doctoral student in criminology at Washington State University. He was arrested at his parents’ home in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
Background of Bryan Kohberger’s parents
Bryan Kohberger’s parents are Michael Kohberger Jr. and Maryann Kohberger. They both worked for the Pleasant Valley School District, where their son also worked as a security guard. The family was based in Effort, Pennsylvania before they relocated to the Indian Mountain Lake community in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania.
With two older sisters, Bryan Kohberger is the last of his parents’ three children. Michael Kohberger Jr. worked for the Pleasant Valley School District as a maintenance worker from 2006 to June 2019. His wife, Maryann Kohberger worked for the district as a paraprofessional assisting students with special educational needs and disabilities until around 2020.
Bryan Kohberger had also been arrested nine years before the murders when his father reported to the police that he had stolen his sister’s iPhone. He was 19 years old and served no jail time. He was also battling a drug addiction at the time. No public records exist of the arrest as a result of the “Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition” program which allows for charges to be dropped and the record to be cleared once a first-time offender successfully completes probation.
What Was Their Reaction To Bryan Kohberger’s Involvement In The Idaho Murders?
In the aftermath of the murders, Michael Kohberger Jr. flew to Spokane, Washington, to accompany his son on the drive back to Pennsylvania. They travelled in the white Hyundai Elantra that had been seen around the off-campus residence and was heavily involved in the crime investigations. They were pulled over twice for speeding and tailgating.
It is unclear whether or not Michael and Maryann Kohberger Jr. were in their house when their son was arrested in the early hours of 30 December. His family has expressed expressed shock at the murders and at him being the prime suspect. They have demonstrated that they believe the police have arrested the wrong person as they think he did not commit the crime.
After his arrest, his family released a letter also expressing grievances at the death of the four students and sharing condolences with their families. The letter also states that they intended to keep supporting and loving Bryan Kohberger as their son and brother. However, one of his sisters was not added as an author to the family’s statement.
What Is The Impact Of The Situation On Their Lives?
Bryan Kohberger’s arrest and trial have had a significant and direct effect on his parents’ lives. However, his sisters have not visited him at the Latah County Jail where he is being held without bail. It has also been reported that his two sisters have since been fired from their jobs as a result of the situation.
His parents are also reported to be facing serious financial difficulties. His parents have been called to testify before a grand jury in the death of a Pennsylvania woman who disappeared and was later found dead 30 miles from their home in April 2022. This was done because investigators were trying to determine if their son was involved in the incident.
What Lives Did Bryan Kohberger’s Parents Lead Before The Incident?
Bryan Kohberger was not very close to his mother growing up, although his former classmate remembered her as “the most warm-hearted, kind individual”, as she had been their special-needs teacher. As Kohberger was aggressive and had social issues, his mother rarely discussed him. Both his parents have been described by acquaintances as genuinely kind people. His mother is also a registered Democrat, who, in a letter from 2008, expressed her views opposing abortion and the death penalty.
His parents have faced financial difficulties in the past. Records show that they filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy twice, once in 1996, and again in 2010. In 2010, they listed $154,719.11 in assets against $260,173.18 in liabilities.
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