BOISE, Idaho — A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the homicides of four University of Idaho students.
Law enforcement officials confirmed to McClatchy’s Washington, D.C., bureau that a person was taken into custody in Pennsylvania in connection with the homicides of Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum; junior Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, of Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police and was awaiting extradition, according to court documents obtained by the Idaho Statesman. Online jail records showed that he was in custody at the Monroe County Correctional Facility.
Kohberger is listed as a graduate student in the criminal justice and criminology department at Washington State University in Pullman, according to the university’s website. Pullman is about 10 miles west of Moscow.
He faces a first-degree murder charge, the Associated Press reported. No federal charges are expected at this time, one law enforcement official told McClatchy.
KHQ, a Spokane TV station, reported Friday that an unidentified man was arraigned in court on “unknown charges” Friday in Monroe County, Pennsylvania — which is less than a two-hour drive from New York City.
ABC News also reported that the man was arrested Friday morning in the Pocono Mountains and that authorities had followed the man to Pennsylvania.
These reports came minutes after the Moscow Police Department announced that it would hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Pacific time (4 p.m. Eastern).
Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell declined to confirm the arrest when reached by the Idaho Statesman.
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(McClatchy reporter Michael Wilner in Washington, D.C., and Idaho Statesman reporter Kevin Fixler contributed.)
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