Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students in late 2022, reportedly saw himself as a highly intelligent and methodical individual — possibly even a criminal mastermind. A Ph.D. student in criminology, Kohberger studied criminal behavior in depth, participated in academic discussions on the minds of killers, and even conducted surveys seeking insights from criminals about how they chose their victims and committed their crimes. This background gave him a certain sense of superiority and confidence.
Yet, despite this education and supposed insight into law enforcement tactics, Kohberger made a series of baffling mistakes that ultimately led to his arrest. Investigators say these errors suggest a glaring gap between his self-image and reality.
One of the most notable missteps was his decision to bring his cell phone with him during the crime — and to turn it off and on at suspicious times, which raised red flags. Police traced his phone movements, noting that it had pinged in the area of the murders multiple times before and after the killings. He also drove a white Hyundai Elantra that was captured on surveillance footage near the crime scene — another major clue.
DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left behind at the scene directly linked him to the killings. For someone deeply familiar with criminal investigations, leaving such a critical piece of evidence behind is especially surprising. Some speculate he may have felt overly confident, assuming he could outthink the system, or simply became careless under pressure.
Additionally, Kohberger reportedly returned to the crime scene hours later — a behavior not uncommon among killers but one that added to the case against him. Authorities also discovered that he may have stalked the victims in the weeks leading up to the murders, leaving behind a digital trail that contradicted the actions of someone truly trying to remain undetected.
Experts believe his academic background gave him a false sense of control, blinding him to his own fallibility. The mistakes he made — from surveillance footage to DNA evidence to digital records — were basic errors any seasoned criminal would try to avoid.
In the end, Kohberger’s belief that he was smarter than the system may have been his undoing. Instead of executing the “perfect crime,” he left behind a trail that investigators methodically followed. His case now serves as a reminder that knowledge alone doesn’t make one immune to poor decisions — especially when arrogance overrides caution.
