The motive behind the 2022 University of Idaho murders remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in the case. However, Skye Borgman, director of Netflix’s documentary The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, has shared her own theory about why Bryan Kohberger may have selected the victims’ home, while stressing that it remains speculation rather than established fact.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, avoiding the death penalty as part of a plea agreement. The case has returned to the spotlight following the release of Netflix’s documentary and Kohberger’s recent effort to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he is innocent.
Director believes the victims’ home may have been deliberately chosen
In an interview with Fox News, Borgman said she believes the King Road residence itself may have been the primary target because it was occupied mainly by women.
“This was a house that had five women living in it,”
Borgman said.
“The night that the murders happened, Xana Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, was over, but really, this was a house full of women, and it seems quite clear that he targeted it.”
She also pointed to evidence presented during the investigation indicating that Kohberger had repeatedly been near the residence before the killings.
“He watched the house; he was around the house in the days, weeks and months leading up to the murders. So, it seems pretty likely that he had a very low regard, if not hatred, for women.”
Borgman emphasized that her comments are “all conjecture,” noting that no official motive has been established by investigators or prosecutors. She added that discussions surrounding whether Kohberger identified with the online incel movement remain speculative, despite reports that he allegedly struggled with relationships involving women.
Documentary explores Kohberger’s behavior before the killings
Netflix’s documentary also includes interviews with former classmates from Washington State University, who described Kohberger as someone who was not particularly well liked and who allegedly made negative comments about women. The series further notes that he lost his teaching assistant position after a female student reported that he had followed her to her car.
Reflecting on the lack of a confirmed motive, Borgman admitted the unanswered questions remain difficult for everyone connected to the case.
“That’s a frustrating thing for myself … and I know especially for the families,”
she said. She also suggested Kohberger may have intended to “commit the perfect crime,” adding,
“He failed in doing that. But I think his silence is a way of attempting to keep the spotlight focused on him.”
Meanwhile, Kohberger has filed a request seeking to withdraw his guilty plea. In a statement provided to The New York Times, he wrote,
“My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn.”
The Goncalves family strongly rejected those claims, describing Kohberger as “a narcissist” and arguing that he willingly entered the plea agreement after years of reviewing the evidence with his legal team.
