Documentary filmmaker suggests gender-based motive in Idaho murders

Director Skye Borgman, who produced the Netflix series “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,” told Fox News Digital that the house where four University of Idaho students were killed housed five women, and she believes Kohberger may have chosen it because of a low regard for women. Borgman said the suspect observed the residence for weeks before the July 2022 stabbings and suggested his behavior indicated “a hatred of women.”

Kohberger, 31, is serving four consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen. Former classmates described him as “not particularly well liked,” noting frequent “mansplaining” and aggressive interactions with female peers. Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger called the incidents “strange,” and former Washington State University police chief Gary Jenkins recalled a student who felt cornered by Kohberger, though no reports led to criminal charges.

FBI special agent Ed Jacobson said investigators found no evidence linking Kohberger to the incel movement, adding that the suspect was adept at concealing his online activity. Author James Patterson, who wrote a book on the case, cited accounts of Kohberger making unwanted advances toward women in a Pennsylvania brewery and an encounter with an exotic dancer who recalled him saying he wanted to kill people.

Borgman said the motive remains unknown and that investigators have urged the public to accept that some questions may never be answered. She noted that the victims’ families are now focused on honoring their loved ones rather than seeking further explanations.

Two days before the documentary’s release, Kohberger attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming his attorneys had pressured him with promises of better prison conditions. The court later affirmed that his plea was entered voluntarily, allowing prosecutors to forego seeking the death penalty.