Digital forensics specialists, set to testify at Brian Kohberger’s trial, revealed that he performed online searches related to women who experienced rape and sexual assault while asleep.
Kohberger’s search history reportedly included keywords like “rape,” “forced,” “sleep,” “migration,” and “voile,” according to experts Heather and Jared Barnhart, who began their analysis in 2023.
“Basically, all his search terms revolved around non-consensual sexual activities,” Jared Barnhart shared with a media outlet.
While Kohberger did not assault any of the victims, the father of one victim, Kaylee Goncalves, believes that Kohberger’s actions were driven by a peculiar sexual obsession. Others have speculated that his initial plans might have been shifted due to an unexpected encounter.
Kohberger chose not to disclose his intentions or motives when he admitted to the murders.
Cellebrite, the forensic firm led by the Barnharts, was responsible for analyzing Kohberger’s phone and laptop for evidence linking him to the stabbings of four University of Idaho students at their off-campus residence in 2022.
Interestingly, Kohberger attempted to erase his digital tracks, running data-wiping software on his laptop just days after the murders, but his efforts proved to be insufficient, according to expert analysis.
Even though he may have believed he deleted his search history, some terms still popped up in the autocomplete suggestions of his search engine, Heather noted.
“He aimed for a completely invisible digital footprint. He really didn’t want any forensic traces left behind,” she explained.
The Cellebrite team also discovered a PDF document about Danny Rolling, the notorious serial killer known as the “Gainesville Ripper,” whose crimes thirty years ago bear a chilling similarity to Kohberger’s actions.
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Rolling, who inspired the film “Scream,” was convicted of murdering five students at the University of Florida in 1990, committing heinous acts over several days, including the assault of female victims. He was executed in 2006.
On Kohberger’s phone, experts found unsettling selfies; one showed him flexing his muscles while shirtless, while another was taken just hours after the murders where he posed with a thumbs-up.
Heather, the senior director of forensic research at Cellebrite, along with Jared Barnhart, was prepared to testify as expert witnesses in Kohberger’s case before he pled guilty last month.
Kohberger was ultimately sentenced to four life terms for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
