Investigators say they don't know who Bryan Kohberger was targeting

(NewsNation) — Idaho investigators revealed Wednesday that they don’t know who Bryan Kohberger was targeting when he killed four college students in 2022. 

“We don't know who the target was, and we're not going to speculate on that up here today, but we can tell you that for whatever reason Mr. Kohberger chose that residence,” lead investigators on the case said when asked why they initially called the attack "targeted."

The investigators also said there was no connection between Kohberger and an account under the username “Pappa Rodger” that commented in a Facebook group dedicated to the discussion of the Idaho murders case. 

That account was taken down around the time Kohberger was arrested, leading to speculation that the account could have been linked to him. 

“There was no connection,” an investigator said. “We looked at every bit of it. We took a deep dive into it. We researched it.” 

The lead investigators also said they did not find "a single connection" on social media between Kohberger and the victims. He was not following or engaging with any of the four, they added.

Investigators and prosecutors made their first statements since the gag order on the case was lifted by Judge Steven Hippler last week. 

Kohberger was formally sentenced during a hearing Wednesday, where several victims' family members made emotional impact statements.

He brutally murdered Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in an off-campus Idaho home. 

Kohberger took a plea deal, agreeing to serve four life sentences for the slayings. He confessed to killing them in court, avoiding a trial where prosecutors intended to seek the death penalty.