Newly released photographs of a Ka-Bar knife sheath have emerged within more than 2,300 pages of evidence disclosed by the Idaho State Police. These images unveil for the first time a vital clue in the case that exposed Bryan Kohberger as the killer of four University of Idaho students.
Investigators discovered that Kohberger had left behind a brown leather Ka-Bar knife sheath at the crime scene on November 13, 2022. The sheath was found after the brutal murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
“It was this crucial piece of evidence that led to the killer’s downfall,” stated investigators.
Forensic genetic genealogy traced DNA found on the sheath to Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old PhD student in criminology. This connection ultimately exposed him as the suspect in the University of Idaho killings.
The photographs depict a brown leather cover bearing a USMC military insignia and measuring under 15 inches in length. According to investigators, Kohberger had purchased the sheath along with a Ka-Bar knife—believed to be the murder weapon—from Amazon in March 2022.
The knife itself has never been recovered, but the sheath and associated DNA evidence played a decisive role in linking Kohberger to the crimes committed at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho.
The release of over 2,300 pages of evidence, including photos of the knife sheath, highlights how forensic DNA tracing crucially connected Bryan Kohberger to the University of Idaho murders.