NBC’s Dateline is taking a deep dive into the murders of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin during the “The Terrible Night on King Road” two-hour special airing on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT. The special will include new details on the investigation, including an interview with former college students who had encounters with accused murderer Bryan Kohberger.
Per NBC: “The special features never-before-reported evidence, including video, photographic, and digital materials that investigators say track accused killer Bryan Kohberger’s movements. During the two-hour broadcast, former students also open up to correspondent Keith Morrison for the first time about their interactions with Kohberger. Former graduate student Holly tells Dateline that after meeting Kohberger at a pool party and telling him about a hiking group she was a part of, they exchanged phone numbers. The next day, she received a text from him about hiking with ‘peculiar’ wording, explaining: ‘It was almost overly formal.'”
Kohberger has pleaded not guilty to the November 13, 2022 murders. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on July 30. The trial is set for August 11.
Dateline provided the following transcript of their interview with former graduate student Holly which will be included in the upcoming special:
Holly: “I was kind of mingling and socializing and started chatting with this guy, and he had told me that he had just moved and he was starting his PhD.”
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: HOLLY HAD THAT IN COMMON WITH BRYAN KOHBERGER. SHE’D ALSO MOVED AWAY FROM HOME TO WORK ON A GRADUATE DEGREE. HERS IN PLANT SCIENCE.
Holly: “I definitely felt a little obligated to chat with him, because to me, he seemed a little awkward. Kind of like you might expect for a PhD student who didn’t know anyone at the party and was maybe trying his best to kind of get out there and be social and make friends.”
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: HOLLY TOLD BRYAN ABOUT A HIKING GROUP SHE WAS PART OF AND THEN SHE DID SOMETHING THAT STILL MAKES HER SHIVER A LITTLE.
Holly: “He had put his number into my phone, and then I had texted him my name.”
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: IT WAS THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE DAY AFTER THE POOL PARTY, WHEN HOLLY’S CELL PHONE BUZZED. A MESSAGE. FROM BRYAN KOHBERGER.
Holly: “The wording of the text, as I look back on it, is kind of peculiar.”
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: HERE IT IS, THE ACTUAL TEXT, SENT JULY 10TH, 2022 AT 1:19 P.M. “HEY I AM PRETTY SURE WE SPOKE ABOUT HIKING TRIPS YESTERDAY. I REALLY ENJOY THAT ACTIVITY SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANKS!”
Holly: “It was almost overly formal. ‘I really enjoy that activity. So, you know, can you follow up with me about that?'”
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This post was last modified on June 27, 2025 4:27 pm