A new book on the University of Idaho murders explores a potential motive, suggesting that one of the victims, Madison Mogen, may have been the primary target.
The theory stems from an account detailed in the book involving a recurring nightmare of Emily Alandt, a close friend of the victims. In the dream, Bryan Kohberger approaches Mogen at the restaurant where she worked. After a brief introduction, he asks her on a date and is politely declined, leaving him seemingly wounded. Alandt speculates the dream might be based on a real encounter. This narrative has fueled a theory, considered plausible by friends and family, that a spurned advance was the catalyst for the crime.
While the book, titled “The Idaho Four,” delves into Kohberger’s background—including a past heroin addiction, a battle with the neurological condition “visual snow,” and a history of anger and apparent misogyny—its primary strength is described as its finely shaded and detailed renderings of the four victims.
The authors are credited with accurately capturing the public mood following the murders, particularly after Kohberger’s chillingly detached court appearances. However, the book also contains elements that highlight an outsider’s perspective, such as using the moniker “the Idaho Four,” a phrase said to be foreign to local residents, and a misspelling of the nearby city of Clarkston.
The profound character of the victims is perhaps best encapsulated in a victim impact statement delivered by Kaylee Goncalves’s older sister, Alivea, who is praised in the book as “fiercely intelligent.” Addressing Kohberger at his sentencing, she said, “The truth about Kaylee and Maddie, they would have been kind to you. If you would have approached them in their everyday lives, they would have given you directions, thanked you for the compliment or awkwardly giggled, to make your own words less uncomfortable for you. In a world that rejected you, they would have shown mercy.”
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