Ex-FBI Agent Explains Why Idaho Murders Suspect's Arrest Came 'So Early'

Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer revealed on Friday why law enforcement arrested Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the University of Idaho murders, so early in the morning.

Authorities for weeks have searched for a suspect in the stabbings, which left four University of Idaho students dead on November 13, after a suspect broke into their off-campus home and fatally stabbed them in their beds. The murders left the community of Moscow, Idaho, on edge as the suspect remained at large for more than a month and made national headlines.

On Friday, authorities announced an arrest in the murders, more than six weeks after the four victims—Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20—were found dead.

Kohberger, a 28-year-old Washington State University PhD student studying criminal justice and criminology, was arrested early Friday morning in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. He is facing first-degree murder and burglary charges, and is being held without bond.

In a Friday tweet, Coffindaffer explained that arresting the suspect early in the morning would give him less of a chance to resist.

"Why did the SWAT Team arrest so early? I will sum it up in 5 words: Speed, Surprise, Violence of Action, affording little to no chance for #BryanChristopherKohberger to resist. It should be noted that special permission from the court was obtained to enter this early," she tweeted.

Coffindaffer told Newsweek on Saturday that it's important to surprise potentially dangerous suspects to prevent a hostage situation or a standoff.

"It's important to conduct an arrest of somebody who is considered armed and dangerous, which would have been the designation for Mr. Kohberger, with a surprise," she said. "It's crucial."

She added that without approval from a judge, authorities can only make arrests after 6 a.m., but in situations when the suspect may be "capable of this extreme violence," a judge may approve an earlier arrest time.

Law enforcement typically would want to arrest the suspect at a time before they are awake, according to Coffindaffer. This entails days of surveillance, in which authorities would evaluate his psyche, study his sleeping habits, survey the home and neighborhood, prepare medical assistance, and conduct rehearsals to develop a thorough plan.

"They would have wanted to avoid that he could have been up at 6 o'clock getting a cup of coffee. He could've been looking out his window. You want arrest during the hours that people are typically sound asleep," she said.

Coffindaffer praised law enforcement for successfully arresting the suspect "without incident."

Questions Remain About Idaho Murders Suspect

Many details about the murders, including a potential motive and whether the suspect knew the victims, still remain unknown. Kohberger is set to appear in a Pennsylvania court on January 3 before being extradited to Idaho.

Moscow Police Chief James Fry said during a Friday press conference that he was limited on the information he could publicly release due to state law. More information, including Kohberger's search warrant, is expected to be released following his extradition.

Other unanswered questions include the location of the weapon allegedly used in the murders, as Fry said police continue searching for all pieces of evidence. Many details about Kohberger also remain unclear. Fry added that details about how police tracked his journey from Idaho to Pennsylvania would be released "as soon as" possible.

In the weeks since the murders, police received more than 19,000 tips and conducted more than 300 interviews to locate the suspect.

Meanwhile, police have not confirmed whether Kohberger acted alone. Fry said that while he believes the Moscow community is safe, he urged residents to remain vigilant.

The father of Kaylee Goncalves spoke out following Kohberger's arrest, telling ABC News that "we are on the path to justice."

"This guy's gonna have to look me in my eyes multiples times, and I'm going to be looking for the truth. That's really what I'm going to be looking for," he said.

Correction 1/1/2023 6:40 p.m. ET: This story was updated to correct name of the university Kohberger attended.