Documents: What was at Kohberger’s apartment?

Investigators seized hair strands, a black glove and a pillow with a reddish-brown stain among other items from the Pullman apartment belonging to the suspect in the Moscow quadruple homicide case, according to court documents.

The search warrants for Bryan Kohberger’s apartment and Washington State University office were unsealed Tuesday. Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder charges for the stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in a residence on King Road in Moscow.

WSU Police Assistant Chief Dawn Daniels served the search warrants. The evidence seized from Kohberger’s apartment on 1630 NE Valley Road appears to be one nitrile-type black glove, multiple hair strands including one possibly from an animal, receipts from Walmart and Marshalls, a dust container from a vacuum, a computer tower, a “dark red spot,” two cuttings from an uncased pillow showing a reddish-brown stain and two mattress covers with multiple stains.

It appears nothing was seized from Kohberger’s WSU office in Wilson-Short Hall on the WSU Pullman campus. Kohberger was a Ph.D. student in criminology at WSU.

Court documents released by Whitman County show what evidence investigators were looking for when they searched Kohberger’s residence on 1630 NE Valley Road and his office.

They were also searching for any blood, bodily fluid or skin cells. As for weapons, they searched for any knives, sheaths or other sharp tools. They searched for any digital or paper images of the victims or the King Road house. They looked for clothing including but not limited to dark shirts, dark pants, masks or shoes with a diamond pattern sole.

Based on the documents, it appears that none of those items were found in Kohberger’s apartment, other than perhaps digital evidence on his computer. A knife sheath with the “Ka-Bar,” “USMC” and the United States Marine Corps insignia stamped on it was found at the crime scene with a single source of male DNA left on its button snap. That DNA was later matched with DNA found in the trash at Kohberger’s parents’ home in Pennsylvania.

According to what the victims’ surviving roommates told police, the attacker was a male in black clothing and a mask.

Investigators also sought any digital evidence linking Kohberger to the victims, the King Road house or any data compilations showing an interest in murder.

The court documents include a probable cause affidavit written by Latah County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dustin Blaker, who was one of the law enforcement officers investigating the case. Much of Baker’s report includes the same details provided by Moscow Police Department’s Cpl. Brett Payne’s probable cause affidavit that was released Jan. 5 after Kohberger was booked into Latah County Jail, but there is additional information.

For example, Blaker wrote that these murders appear to have been planned ahead of time. This plan may have included a review of other murders or stabbings, as well as how to avoid detection after a crime is committed.

Blaker also described the crime scene and why he believed some trace evidence was likely left on Kohberger’s clothes.

“The King Road residence contained a significant amount of blood from the victims including spatter and castoff (blood stain pattern resulting from blood drops released from an object due to its motion) which, based on my training, makes it likely that this evidence was transferred to Kohberger’s person, clothing, or shoes,” the affidavit says.

Blaker believed it was likely Kohberger had evidence on his clothes and shoes, including skin cells or hair from the victims or Goncalves’ dog, which was at the King Road residence at the time of the murders.

It is unclear if the stains found in Kohberger’s apartment have been tested as of Wednesday.

Koberger’s preliminary hearing in Latah County is scheduled to start June 26.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.

The search warrants that were unsealed can be found with this story at dnews.com.