University of Idaho homicide suspect Brian Koberger may have been driven to kill by his history of social problems and a possible “incel complex,” a former FBI investigator told The Post.
“The murders may have been … an attempt to establish some kind of dominance,” former FBI agent and security expert Pete Jahmetz explained to The Post this week.
Koberger, 28, was arrested late last month in the Nov. 13 deaths of Kayleigh Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. Jahmetz believes the brutality of the crime and Koberger’s history of social challenges may offer some clues to his possible motive.
“I believe the continued stabbing of a victim shows … uncontrollable rage and extreme anger,” Jahmetz said, noting Koberger was described as “socially awkward with a long history of interpersonal problems.”
“I think he might have developed some incel complex,” he suggested.
The term incel – short for “involuntary celibate” – is commonly used to refer to men who struggle to establish romantic or sexual relationships. The identity has occasionally been linked to misogynistic online forums and, in extreme cases, to crimes: In 2021, self-proclaimed incel Tres Genko was arrested for planning the mass shooting of 3,000 sorority sisters at an unnamed Ohio university. Genko, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and faces life in prison.
Although this is not a proper psychological definition, Psychology Today noted last year that men who identify as incels often have poor mental health and experience feelings of victimhood, inferiority, and loneliness.
Yahmetz’s personal analysis of Kochberger echoed that of Dr. Carol Lieberman, a forensic psychiatrist who told CourtTV last week that she believed the suspect fit the incel profile.
A final photo of the victims, taken just hours before their untimely deaths. The house at 1122 King Road where the four students were killed in November.AP
“I’ve been saying from the beginning that he’s an incel,” Lieberman said, explaining that she was largely convinced because of Koberger’s alleged “victim selection,” or the decision to target mostly female students.
Lieberman was also intrigued by evidence that suggested Koberger returned to the crime scene in the hours after the murders.
“Insel like to be known for killing people or when they have a conquest like this,” she said.
“On the one hand, he wanted to commit the perfect crime and not get caught, but on the other hand, he wanted to get caught and in a way be proud of what he did.”
Kohberger was photographed during a court appearance last week. AP An eerie photo of the residence at 1122 King Road, which remains vacant as police search for clues. James Keivom for the NY Post
At the time of the murders, Koberger was a doctoral student in criminology at Washington State University, just 15 minutes from Moscow. While classmates at WSU describe him as “social,” peers from his hometown in Pennsylvania remember him as a loner who was bullied for his weight before becoming addicted to drugs.
One of Koberger’s alleged high school sweethearts, Kim Kenley, even contacted the FBI about her experiences with him.
“He was always like, ‘Oh, Kim, I think you’re very beautiful.'” Just like weird comments. And she was like, ‘Oh my God, leave me alone,'” Kenley’s mother, Sandra, told the Daily Mail.
Kohberger is due back in court on June 26.AP
“She didn’t give him time. When children are young, they are mean. They don’t say, “Oh, my God, thank you, but no.”
Another middle school classmate, who asked to remain anonymous, told the publication that the popular cheerleaders “tortured” Koberger.
“The whole clique of popular girls used to make fun of him at school. They were the cheerleaders and the ones every kid had a crush on,” they said.
Kochberger’s social isolation as a teenager was also reflected in posts he reportedly made to online forums, writing in one 2011 entry that he felt “like an organic sack of meat with no self-worth.”
Evidence indicates that Bryan Kohberger returned to the scene of the murder after the fact. James Keivom for the NY Post
The speculation about a possible motive for Kochberger’s alleged crime comes as investigators struggle to establish a link between him and the four victims. After a brief hearing Thursday, the suspect remains in the Latah County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Kohberger, who has pleaded not guilty despite facing four counts of murder and one count of burglary, is due back in court on June 26.
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