The accidental public release of crime-scene photographs from the Nov. 13, 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students has drawn sharp criticism from the victims’ families, who call it a serious lapse in privacy safeguards. Emergency court measures included a temporary restraining order filed Aug. 12 and granted Aug. 15, with a permanent injunction issued Oct. 1. City attorneys say Idaho’s public records law limits their ability to withhold material, while redacted bodycam footage and partial interior photos were previously released. Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 and is serving four consecutive life terms without parole.
Idaho Families Outraged After Accidental Release Of Crime-Scene Photos From 2022 Quadruple Homicide
Idaho murder victims' families express outrage after crime scene photos accidentally released
Warning: Graphic Content
Crime-scene photographs tied to the Nov. 13, 2022, killings of four University of Idaho students were accidentally made public this week, prompting renewed anger and calls for accountability from the victims’ families.
Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death.(Fox News)
What Was Released
Family members said the images showed the interior of the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, where Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death. The photographs reportedly included views of the residence at 1122 King Road and were disclosed despite prior court efforts to limit dissemination.
Families' Response
Victims’ relatives criticized the disclosure as a failure of judgment and inadequate safeguards for profoundly sensitive evidence. The Goncalves family issued a plea for restraint and respect for the victims and their loved ones:
A watchman parked outside 1122 King Road on Dec. 11, 2022, four weeks after four students were stabbed to death inside. A year later, the property was scheduled for demolition. Critics believe it should remain standing until the suspect goes to trial.
"Please be kind — as difficult as it is, place yourself outside of yourself & consume the content as if it were your loved one. Your daughter, your sister, your son or brother. Murder isn’t entertainment & crime scene photos aren’t content."
Legal Actions And Limits
Families sought emergency court intervention after the images surfaced. A motion for a temporary restraining order was filed on Aug. 12 and granted by Judge Megan Marshall on Aug. 15; court records indicate a permanent injunction barring further release of certain materials was entered on Oct. 1. City attorneys told the court that Idaho’s public records law generally favors disclosure and provides only narrow privacy exemptions, limiting the city’s ability to withhold records and leaving it, in their description, acting as “middlemen.”
The city has previously released redacted body-camera footage and photos showing portions of the home’s interior.
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing on July 23, 2025 in Boise, Idaho. Kohberger pleaded guilty in exchange for being spared the death penalty for the stabbing of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago.
Case Status
The photographs emerged more than three years after Bryan Kohberger was charged in the killings. In July 2025, Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder under a plea agreement that removed the death-penalty option; he was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole and is incarcerated at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
The Idaho State Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the disclosure. Advocates and family members say the episode underscores the need for stronger procedural safeguards around graphic evidence and clearer guidance on balancing public records laws with victims’ privacy.
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