On Nov. 13, 2022, Bryan Kohberger murdered four University of Idaho students after breaking into their off-campus rental home in the city of Moscow.
Three of his victims — Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; and Ethan Chapin, 20 — were killed as they lay in bed, suffering fatal injuries before they were even able to get to their feet, according to their autopsy reports.
His fourth victim, 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, was not asleep nor in bed at the time of the attack and, according to details from her autopsy report and the crime scene included in a recently unsealed court filing obtained by PEOPLE, fought a brutal battle against her killer as he stabbed her 67 times.
Evidence from the crime scene supports the theory that Kernodle heard concerning noises on the night of the murders and made her way up to Mogen’s bedroom to investigate the situation.
Kernodle had received a food delivery order at around the same time Kohberger entered the home that night, and previously released crime scene photos of a half-eaten meal from Jack in the Box left in the second-floor kitchen suggest that she was eating when she heard some sort of commotion upstairs.
She then went to investigate, which is when she likely encountered Kohberger after he had just killed Mogen and Goncalves.
Kernodle likely ran back downstairs to her bedroom after witnessing the gruesome scene, followed by Kohberger.
This sequence of events is supported by the fact that traces of Mogen and Goncalves’ blood was found on the door of Mogen’s bedroom, the stairwell and bannister leading from the third to the second floor of the home, and on the walls near Kernodle’s bedroom, according to the filing.
Autopsy reports for Mogen and Goncalves determined the two young women never stood up once Kohberger began attacking them, which means that the transfer stains had to be left by another person.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Kohberger managed to catch up with Kernodle, who despite being nine-inches shorter and unarmed, proceeded to fight back against her attacker.
In the process, she was stabbed 67 times.
Her autopsy reveals she suffered: 23 stab and incised wounds to the face, neck and scalp; seven stab wounds to the chest; four stab wounds of the abdomen; three incised and puncture wounds of the back; 25 incised wounds of the upper extremities; and five incised wounds of the lower extremities.
Kernodle continued to fight as Kohberger attacked her — as evidenced by the presence of blood on the bottom of her feet and wiped blood on her body.
By the end, Kernodle had suffered: punctures on the outside shell of the skull; perforations of the jugular vein, heart, lung, and pulmonary blood vessels; hemorrhage into the chest cavities; wounds extending into the bones of the right hand; and scrapes and bruises on the face, torso and extremities.
Her body was found on the bedroom floor just a few feet away from her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, who was murdered before he even had a chance to stand up, according to his autopsy.
Kernodle had been stabbed so many times that her surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen initially identified her as Goncalves when questioned by police.
There is also evidence that Kernodle and Chapin were in close proximity to one another at some point in their final moments, according to their autopsy reports.
Kernodle’s blood and DNA was found under the fingernails of Chapin’s right hand and Chapin’s blood and DNA was found under the fingernails of both of Kernodle’s hands.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/4-Idaho-Victims-20191125_44-edb77a98e8a646eb929f68727d3fe5a0.jpg)
instagram(2)
If Kohberger did in fact chase after Kernodle as the blood transfer suggests, it could explain why he left behind his KA-BAR knife sheath with traces of his DNA. And, the battle between the two was likely the “commotion” that led Mortensen to open her door just in time to see Kohberger exit the house that night.
Kernodle is also the reason why classmates of Kohberger reported seeing him covered in cuts and scratches in the aftermath of the murders.
It is because of this evidence against him that Kohberger likely decided to enter a guilty plea to four counts of murder, agreeing to a deal with prosecutors that spared him the possibility of being sentenced to death.
If not for Kernodle, Kohberger may have very well collected his knife sheath, quietly slipped out of that Moscow home and drove off into the night — leaving police with no evidence beyond the make and model of his car.
Instead, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
News
James Handy’s Alleged Killer Revealed — The Shocking Family Connection Has Everyone Talking
James Handy, the actor best known for starring in Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend’s son, investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have alleged. PEOPLE previously reported that at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, Handy, 81, was found suffering from a stab wound to the chest in the front yard […]
James Handy, the actor best known for starring in Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend’s son, investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have alleged. PEOPLE previously reported that at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, Handy, 81, was found suffering from a stab wound to the chest in the front yard of his home in Tarzana, Calif., per a news release from the LAPD. He succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local hospital. Michael Gledhill has since been arrested and charged with one count of murder, according to jail records obtained by PEOPLE. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. James Handy in Top Gun: Maverick (2022) James Handy in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. Paramount According to the LAPD’s news release, Gledhill, 44, called 911 to report the stabbing in the 19200 block of Erwin Street. “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin,” he allegedly told dispatch. James Handy in ‘Jumanji’ James Handy in ‘Jumanji’. Netflix RELATED STORIES When Rachel Nickell Was Killed in Broad Daylight, Her Toddler Son Was the Only Witness. Here’s What Happened Next Rachel Nickell and her son Alex Hanscombe; Robert Napper. Mom of 2 Was Pregnant with Twins When She Was Killed. Her Boyfriend Just Admitted to Pulling the Trigger BreAnna Johnson, Darryl Tyson Jr. Authorities claim that Gledhill lived at the residence alongside his mom, who was in a romantic relationship with Handy. According to police, when officers arrived at the scene, Gledhill flagged them down and allegedly told them “he was the one they were looking for.” James Handy stabbed to death Scene of the fatal stabbing in Tarzana, L.A. 6abc Philadelphia He was then transported to Van Nuys Jail, where he is being held on a $2 million bond, according to jail records viewed by PEOPLE. No motive for the fatal stabbing of Handy has been disclosed publicly at this time. The New York-born actor appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, including The X-Files, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, NCIS: Los Angeles and Criminal Minds. He made his final onscreen appearance in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. Detectives believe his death was an “isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time,” according to the LAPD’s news release. Neighbors have alleged to Fox 11 that they overheard Gledhill and Handy arguing overnight before the fatal stabbing. One neighbor told the local TV station that Gledhill appeared to suffer from delusions.
James Handy, the actor best known for starring in Top Gun: Maverick and Jumanji, was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend’s son, investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have alleged. PEOPLE previously reported that at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, Handy, 81, was found suffering from a stab wound to the chest in the front yard […]
Hollywood Reeling After Bombshell Revelation in James Handy Murder Case
Jumanji, was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend’s son, investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have alleged. PEOPLE previously reported that at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, Handy, 81, was found suffering from a stab wound to the chest in the front yard of his home in Tarzana, Calif., per a news release […]
Shocking Twist: James Handy’s Alleged Killer Identified — The Connection Has Everyone Stunned
Jumanji, was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend’s son, investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have alleged. PEOPLE previously reported that at around 9:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, Handy, 81, was found suffering from a stab wound to the chest in the front yard of his home in Tarzana, Calif., per a news release […]
The 911 Call That Changed Everything: James Handy Case Leaves Fans Speechless
James Handy, an actor with appearances in “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Taps,” was brutally murdered by his girlfriend’s son, police said. Authorities raced to the 19200 block of Erwin Street in Tarzana Wednesday morning after a caller stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” When they arrived, cops discovered […]
BREAKING: Hollywood is in shock after authorities revealed heartbreaking new details in the death of Top Gun: Maverick actor James Handy
James Handy, an actor with appearances in “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Taps,” was brutally murdered by his girlfriend’s son, police said. Authorities raced to the 19200 block of Erwin Street in Tarzana Wednesday morning after a caller stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” When they arrived, cops discovered […]
End of content
No more pages to load

