Overview
- The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin filed a 126-page civil complaint in Skagit County Superior Court naming Washington State University as the sole defendant.
- The suit claims WSU received at least 13 formal reports in fall 2022 describing Kohberger’s threatening, stalking and harassing behavior, particularly toward women, and failed to act through its threat-assessment and compliance processes.
- Plaintiffs argue the university continued to employ and house Kohberger as a teaching assistant and graduate student despite escalating concerns, describing the murders as foreseeable and preventable.
- The families seek unspecified monetary damages and say the case aims to force accountability, transparency and policy reforms related to campus safety and Title IX enforcement.
- WSU offered condolences but declined substantive comment because the case is pending, while Kohberger, linked to the killings by DNA, cellphone data and surveillance, pleaded guilty in July 2025 and is serving life without parole.