Alleged Killer Bryan Kohberger Only Meant to Kill One of the Victims Who He Was "Obsessed" With, According to New Expert Theory

On November 13, 2022, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were murdered in the early morning hours, stabbed to death inside their home near the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. The murders stunned the nation. Why would anyone commit such a heinous crime? And why did they choose these four students and opt to leave two surviving people in the home? After Bryan Kohberger was arrested on December 30, 2022, investigators were confident that they found the killer. Even though affidavits and arrest warrants have been unsealed, a possible motive is still unclear. However, one journalist who has been working on the case for months believes she has a potential explanation for what happened that night. 

Journalist Caitlyn Becker Believes That Only One of the Victims Was the Actual Target

In a new video for The Daily Mail, Caitlyn Becker, an Emmy Award-winning host and journalist currently seen weekdays as the LA Correspondent on DailyMailTV, maintains that only one out of the four college students killed were actually the target of the killer, who she believes is in fact Bryan Kohberger. 

"Now, these four innocent victims ended up in the crosshairs of a cold-blooded killer, but I suspect that three of them may have actually been collateral damage. And to understand why we have to try to get inside of the alleged killer's mind," Becker says in the video. 

Becker, who has "spent months investigating the horrific events, which transpired that night to make sense of it all," points to "theories by police" that Kohberger premeditated the alleged crime. "Investigators said in their search warrant affidavit that they were confident that Bryan Berger planned his actions ahead of time, likely at his residence or office. Now, police firmly believed that the quadruple homicide was premeditated and not something that just happened in the heat of the moment," she says.  

Kohberger Likely Did His Research, Becker Claims

Becker adds that Kohberger likely researched other assaults like stabbing and also stalked the residence for weeks before the murders. "Since day one, police have said that the quadruple homicide was targeted," she continues. 

Becker also says, "sources close to the investigation have indicated that it was just one target." But who was the target? "Kaylee's family believes it was her. But how did one target become four bodies and also leave two survivors? Well, it's my opinion that the suspected killer had planned to slaughter just one single victim that night but that his plan went awry when he got in the house."

"Now, based on everything I know about the case, I'm fairly confident Xana and Ethan were collateral damage as well as one of the other two victims. But I'm not sure just who quite yet," Becker hypothesizes. "It seems that the alleged killer may have been obsessed with only one of the girls in the house. A source with knowledge of the investigation recently told People Magazine that a co-worker's phone contained multiple images of one of the victims. So it's my opinion that law enforcement will likely find more images and information in their digital investigation that will zero in on a single victim." 

RELATED: 36 Latest Bone Chilling Details About the Idaho Murder Case

Becker Claims That the Target Was Either Kaylee or Madison and the Other Was Killed "Because They Were in the Same Room"

Becker adds that the source also told people that Kohberger followed all three girls on social media but only "repeatedly messaged" one of them. "Now, on the night of the murders, the surviving roommate first heard noises of the intruder on the third floor. That is where the killings most likely started. Bearing that in mind, I think either Kaylee or Madison were the intended target, and the other was just killed because of sheer bad luck because they were in the same room," she says. "I believe the killer had a well-thought-out plan, and that plan that they had laid out in pain-staking detail went totally wrong. I don't think the killer expected Maddie and Kaylee to be in the same bed, and that is where things just went off the ramps."

RELATED: Idaho Murder Suspect's "Bizarre" Jail Life Revealed as New Details Emerge

Xana Was Killed Because the Killer "Realized She Was Up" and Ethan Because He Was in Her Bedroom, Expert Claims

As for Xana, who "was awake at the time of the killings," Becker believes that the killer "realized she was up and had to kill her in order to keep her quiet" based on the surviving witness' police interviews. "The surviving roommate heard crying from Xana's room and the killer trying to calm her down by lying and saying he was gonna help her before stabbing her to death. That would mean that Ethan, who was sleeping in Xana's bedroom, his girlfriend's bedroom, was most likely killed because he was just in the room when Xana was slaughtered. It's my opinion that the suspect never intended on having multiple victims but likely felt he had to kill the three others, which is also why I think that there were two survivors left unharmed," she explains. 

"Not only do I think the suspected killer had just one target, but I also think he became obsessed with that target," Becker continues, adding that shortly after Kohberger arrived at Washinton State University, he started showing up at the victim's home, according to police, who have pings from his phone there as early as August 21st.