Suspect arrested in connection with Idaho college student killings once asked ex-convicts on Reddit why they committed crimes

• A suspect arrested in connection with the Idaho college student killings once studied emotions around crime.
• A Reddit post from June shows the suspect asking for participants in a survey for his research.

The suspect arrested in connection with the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho college students once studied how emotions affect why people decide to commit crimes.

A since-deleted Reddit post by the user Criminology_Student from 212 days ago titled "Research Participation Needed" sought out people who had recently committed a crime for a research project focusing on the criminals' "thoughts and feelings throughout your experience."

The post said the "student investigator" leading the study was Bryan Kohberger and included his DeSales University email address.

Police arrested Kohberger, 28, on Friday in Pennsylvania, and he is being held on a warrant for first-degree murder, arrest documents filed in Monroe County say. Court documents obtained by Insider say he will be extradited to Idaho.

"I am inviting you to participate in a research project that seeks to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime," the now-deleted Reddit post read. "This study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense."

The post then linked to an anonymous study in which participants' identities and answers would be confidential.

According to screenshots of the survey posted to Facebook, the questions focused on motives, logistics, and emotions surrounding the respondent's recent criminal offense.

One question asks: "Did you prepare for the crime before leaving your home? Please detail what you were thinking and feeling at this point."

At the time of the post, Kohberger was a graduate student at DeSales University. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, according to a commencement pamphlet published by DeSales earlier in 2022.

Kohberger is now a Ph.D. candidate at Washington State University, according to the University's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology graduate student directory.