Idaho without answers in investigation of 'authentic' leaked Kohberger prison video

Kevin Fixler, The Idaho Statesman on Sep 17, 2025

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BOISE, Idaho — The source of a security footage leak of Bryan Kohberger in an Idaho prison cell remains undiscovered a month after videos of the man convicted of killing four University of Idaho students published online in direct violation of Idaho Department of Correction policy.

Prison leaders pledged in August to root out the individual — or individuals — responsible through an investigation of its corrections staff at Idaho’s maximum security prison known as IMSI. The leak represents a “clear violation” of IDOC standard procedures, officials said, and the leaker could be fired — or charged with a crime.

“Videotaping and publicly sharing security footage is prohibited conduct and we will be reviewing all legal options, including criminal prosecution,” the prison system said in a statement last month. “The safety and security of our staff and incarcerated population remain our top priority.”

At the time, the agency warned of the possibility the footage was faked or generated with artificial intelligence. But an internal email from IDOC Director Bree Derrick to prison staff the same day last month, obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a public records request, stated a strong belief the footage was real.

“These appear to be taken from inside IMSI. We are taking this matter very seriously,” she wrote.

IDOC officials confirmed to the Statesman on Wednesday that they determined the video of Kohberger was genuine, but still do not have a suspect.

“While many edited or AI-enhanced versions of the video exist, we have determined that the original video appears to be authentic and in clear violation of IDOC policy,” IDOC spokesperson Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic said in a statement. “The investigation into this matter is ongoing and remains a priority.”

Idaho State Police typically oversees investigations at the state prisons, but IDOC is handling the review of the security video leak internally, ISP spokesperson Aaron Snell told the Statesman.

It is under “active investigation,” IDOC spokesperson Blake Lopez told the Statesman by email earlier this month — about three weeks into the inquiry. “We do not have any updates to share.”

Kohberger, 30, pleaded guilty in July to four counts of first-degree murder in an agreement with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to consecutive life terms with no chance of parole or ability to appeal.

The college student victims were U of I seniors Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, junior Xana Kernodle, 20, and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20. The three women lived in an off-campus home in Moscow, and Chapin was Kernodle’s boyfriend and slept over for the night. They were stabbed to death with a large, fixed-blade knife in November 2022.

Attorney: ‘Concern for Mr. Kohberger’s safety’

Just hours after his sentencing hearing, Kohberger was transferred from the Ada County Jail in Boise to the maximum security prison near Kuna on July 23, according to prison system housing records. Six days later, he was moved from a medical unit where he was initially held to a solitary confinement cell in the prison’s J Block, the records showed.

On Aug. 14, Kohberger’s attorney, Anne Taylor, emailed state prison leadership about two short video clips posted to Reddit of what seemed to be her client in prison. Taylor’s email was included in correspondence between IDOC staff and officials in the Governor’s Office that the Statesman obtained through a public records request.

“The videos are purported to have come from a guard taking video of security cameras covering Bryan’s cell,” Taylor wrote. “I am bringing this to your attention because this causes me concern for Mr. Kohberger’s safety.”

Kohberger’s public defense team declined interview requests from the Statesman since a longstanding gag order was lifted in the high-profile murder case in mid-July, citing ethical and legal obligations to their client.

Kohberger complained about mistreatment, including threats of sexual assault from other prisoners, during his first month of incarceration, prison records revealed. Today, the convicted killer remains in the same wing of the prison where those incidents took place, the Idaho prison system’s website showed Wednesday.

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