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Idaho Victims’ Families Sue Washington State University Over Alleged Failures Before Kohberger Killings

The suit alleges WSU ignored at least 13 formal complaints about the graduate student, rendering the murders foreseeable.

Overview

  • Filed Jan. 7 in Skagit County Superior Court, the 126-page complaint accuses WSU of negligence, wrongful death and Title IX violations and seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.
  • The filing says students and staff reported Kohberger for threatening, stalking and harassing behavior during fall 2022, including conduct that prompted security escorts for women.
  • Plaintiffs assert WSU hired Kohberger as a teaching assistant, paid him and housed him on campus near Moscow, Idaho, yet failed to use threat‑assessment processes or intervene.
  • The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin are the named plaintiffs in the case.
  • WSU expressed sympathy but declined detailed comment, while Kohberger’s criminal case is concluded after a July 2025 guilty plea that led to four life sentences based on DNA, video and cellphone evidence.