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By Jenna Sundel
News Reporter
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Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison last week for the murders of four University of Idaho students, but questions remain about why one roommate, Dylan Mortensen, survived.
A prosecutor in the case weighed in with his theory in an interview with the Idaho Statesman.
"It wouldn't surprise us that the killer was scared at that point and decided they had to leave, not knowing if law enforcement already had been called," Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson told the outlet.
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Why It Matters
The high-profile case of the University of Idaho killings drew national attention.
Last month, Kohberger pleaded guilty to charges related to the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022.
What To Know
During the attack, Mortensen and Bethany Funke were present in the off-campus house but were left unharmed.
"From what Dylan described, I have a hard time imagining that the killer did not see Dylan," Thompson told the Idaho Statesman. "At that point, he'd been in the house probably longer than he planned, and he had killed more people than he planned.
Newsweek reached out to the Latah County Prosecutor's Office for comment.
Mortensen told police that she opened her bedroom door and saw a man with bushy eyebrows. She said he was wearing black and had a mask over his nose and mouth.
James Fry, who was chief of the Moscow Police Department at the time, told ABC News that there are many theories as to why Mortensen survived, including that Kohberger may have been exhausted from the killings or could have felt like he was in the home for too long.
"I don't know, only he has that answer," Fry told the outlet.
Mortensen delivered a victim impact statement at Kohberger's sentencing.
"What happened that night changed everything. Because of him, four beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason," Mortensen said.
Kohberger declined to make a statement at sentencing.
What People Are Saying
Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson, speaking about Dylan Mortensen's victim impact statement in comments to the Idaho Statesman: "Powerful doesn't come close to a strong enough word to describe how that felt—the strength that she showed, the pain that she has been suffering. Everything that she shared and talked about is so honest and so sad. We were very proud of her for being able to do that."
James Fry, former chief of the Moscow Police Department, referring to Kohberger in comments to ABC News: "He should be ashamed of what he did. He destroyed lives, families, communities. Changed everybody that ever worked that case."
What Happens Next
Kohberger is serving four life sentences on the murder charges and 10 years on a burglary charge. District Judge Steven Hippler ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.
Fry told ABC News that "new information could come out still" following the sentencing
"There's always cases that, you know, 10 years later, somebody says something," Fry said.
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