Bryan Kohberger's Internship Interview: WSU Police Chief Gary Jenkins Breaks Silence

Interview for Internship Program

• 💡 Chief Gary Jenkins interviewed Bryan Kohberger for a graduate research assistantship at the Pullman Police Department in April 2022.
• 🎯 The position required establishing trust and rapport with law enforcement staff, which Jenkins felt Kohberger would struggle with due to his awkward communication style.
• 🔑 Jenkins did not identify significant red flags but determined Kohberger was not a good fit for the role.

Kohberger's Academic Pursuits

• 🧠 Kohberger was pursuing a PhD in criminology at Washington State University, focusing on studying the criminal mind and analyzing data for police efficiency.
• 📝 His application essays emphasized the significance of analyzing unused data and his leadership potential in research projects.
• ⚠️ He listed research interests including the cause of violent crime, emotion and decision-making, and legal and forensic psychology.

Discovery as a Suspect

• 🔍 In December 2022, Kohberger's name surfaced as a suspect in the King Road murders, and Chief Jenkins was informed by Moscow PD.
• ⚡ Jenkins recalled interviewing Kohberger for the internship, noting a chilling realization that the suspect was living on the WSU campus.
• 🚗 A white Hyundai Elantra, registered to Kohberger, was spotted on campus but initially not flagged as a tip due to a model year discrepancy with the BOLO.

Search Warrants and Arrest

• 🤝 Chief Jenkins assisted Moscow PD in executing search warrants at Kohberger's apartment in Pennsylvania on December 30th.
• 🏠 The apartment was described as sparse, with very few personal belongings, suggesting it was not actively lived in.
• 🚔 Idaho State Police collected items from the apartment, which were later transferred to Idaho after a court order.

Plea Deal and Unanswered Questions

• ⚖️ Jenkins expressed surprise at Kohberger's guilty plea to the murders, given the defense's aggressive motions.
• ✅ He believes the plea deal is a good outcome, preventing prolonged appeals and providing a sense of justice for the victims' families.
• ❓ The motive behind the murders remains the single unanswered question, despite analysis of Kohberger's interests and past.
• 😔 Jenkins hopes the community will focus on honoring the victims and that the murders will not define Moscow or Pullman.