Idaho State Police have unveiled hundreds of new images from the investigation into Brian Coberger, the individual charged with the murders at the University of Idaho. These images offer an unsettling look into Coberger’s Spartan apartment located in Pullman, Washington, just across the state line.
The snapshots reveal that his apartment contained mostly his belongings, including cleaning supplies, crime-related books, and several of his school essays. Among the disturbingly banal items were seven parking tickets, various disciplinary documents from his university, and a birthday card simply addressed to “Brian.”
To provide some context, Coberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology when he allegedly broke into a house in Moscow, Idaho, killing four students.
Included in the police findings was a book titled “Ivory Tower Unsafe: Sexual Damage to College Women” and another titled “Why Do Innocent People Plead Guilty and Guilty Go Free?” which Coberger had written for an assignment.
Interestingly, though he identified as vegan, there was a Parmesan cheese shaker discovered in his pantry.
Police also retrieved a variety of papers from his criminal justice course, many of which criticized practices like the death penalty. One of those papers claimed that “local police officers are trained,” prompting feedback from his professor who questioned whether that was fact or merely an assumption.
Dr. Katherine Ramsland, a criminologist and one of Coberger’s professors at DeSales University, commented that his academic performance seemed rather ordinary, noting that some of his scores were in the low 80s. Ramsland remarked, “When I give such a score to graduate students, that’s a warning.”
Other essential evidence shows that Coberger faced complaints from undergraduate students and was likely to lose his position as a teaching assistant. Notably, some images displayed his bathroom, which lacked shower curtains, and were consistent with earlier police accounts. Items seized included receipts, a pair of black rubber gloves, and his desktop computer.
A week before the murders, he received an envelope labeled “official voting material.” His closet contained just a blue and white shirt, alongside various items including email correspondence and packaging for toilet paper. Strangely, he had a box for a field compass and an unopened can of bear spray.
Initially, police mentioned that nothing of evidentiary value was found in Coberger’s office, which he shared with two other doctoral students. The photos depicted an empty desk aside from a few textbooks, alongside notes and material he had edited.
It’s still somewhat uncertain how vital the evidence retrieved from his apartment will be. Experts at a digital forensics firm indicated that he had a single computer drive linked to his phone, which might be significant. They attempted to track his movements from that night but found that he’d erased a month’s worth of browser history—though he seemed to have an odd fascination with serial killers, even taking selfies reminiscent of the character from “American Psycho.”
Coberger ultimately pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder and robbery in July—this plea deal spared him from the possibility of the death penalty. He opted for a deal that included no chance for parole, accepting a lengthy prison sentence instead.
Presently, he is being held at Idaho’s high-security facility, specifically in a section known as J-Block, which also accommodates death row inmates.
