HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. – Police released new video Wednesday of a traffic stop involving a man charged in connection with a quadruple murder in Idaho.
A Hancock County sheriff’s deputy stopped Bryan Kohberger and his father for tailgating on I-70 eastbound, saying their white Hyundai Elantra was following a van too closely.
The stop happened around 10:41 a.m. on Dec. 15, according to body camera footage provided by the sheriff’s office.
The deputy asked for Kohberger’s driver’s license and informed him and his father that they were “right up on that van” and had been pulled over for tailgating.
Kohberger and his father told the deputy they were heading to Pennsylvania from Washington State University and had been driving “for hours.” They also referenced an incident in Pullman, Washington, in which a man died in a SWAT standoff.
The incident, unrelated to the Kohbergers or the Idaho slayings, happened on Dec. 14.
The exchange is cordial, with Kohberger telling the deputy he works for Washington State University and was pursuing his PhD.
“Do me a favor and don’t follow too close,” the deputy said before returning Kohberger’s driver’s license and sending the pair on their way with a warning. The two were stopped less than ten minutes later, again for following too closely, according to Indiana State Police.
The responding state trooper also released them with a verbal warning.
Police announced Kohberger’s arrest in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30. He’s accused of killing 21-year-olds Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Idaho on Nov. 13. He’s charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a count of felony burglary.
Kohberger agreed to waive extradition following his arrest and is being taken back to Idaho to face charges.
The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office delayed releasing the video to make sure it didn’t jeopardize the criminal investigation into the Idaho murders.
“This afternoon, we learned releasing the video will not hinder the investigation in Idaho and are therefore releasing the video to the media,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
