Bryan Kohberger may have returned to Idaho murders scene hours after killings, arrest affidavit reveals

Affidavit shows Kohberger’s phone pinged near the scene at around 9am on the day of the murders

Suspect Bryan Kohberger may have returned to the scene of the Idaho murders hours after the four student victims were slain, an arrest affidavit reveals.

Authorities state in the affidavit that network data shows that the movements of Mr Kohberger’s cellphone were consistent with the white Hyundai Elantra seen near the scene of the crime on 13 November.

The bodies of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found at their King Road rental house opposite the University of Idaho in the city of Moscow on 13 November.

Police state in the affidavit that they believe that the students were killed in their beds between 4am and 4.25am after a night out.

Investigators claim that the suspect’s phone did not report to AT&T between 2.47am and 4.48am on 13 November, which the affidavit states “is consistent with Kohberger attempting to conceal his location during the quadrupole homicide that occurred at the King Road Residence.”

And they say that phone data shows that the 28-year-old suspect’s phone left his home in Pulman, Washington, at approximately 9am and travelled back to Moscow, Idaho.

“Specifically, the 8458 Phone utilized cellular resources that would provide coverage to the King Road Residence between 9.12am and 9.21am,” the documents state.

A map recreating the movements of alleged University of Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger, compiled using cell phone data (Latah County)

“The 8458 Phone next utilized cellular resources that are consistent with the 8458 Phone traveling back to the area of the Kohberger Residence and arriving to the area at approximately 9.32am.”

Investigators also included a map of a “possible route” taken by the suspect on the night of the killings, which is based on cellular site locations.

Mr Kohberger is a PHD criminology student at Washington State University, which is around 10 miles from the scene of the crime.

He was taken into custody in Pennsylvania last week and a white Elantra was seized from the property he was tracked to.

The suspect arrived in Moscow on Wednesday evening, after being flown under armed guard from Pennsylvania. He was booked into Latah County Jail on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

Mr Kohberger made an initial appearance before the Latah County Magistrate Court judge at 9.30am local time on Thursday and was served his arrest warrant.

The probable cause affidavit was unsealed at the time of his appearance, per Idaho law.