All-New Special Features Never-Before-Reported Evidence & Insight into Case as Trial of Accused Killer Bryan Kohberger is Set to Begin
PLUS: Former Students Speak Out About Their Interactions with Kohberger, Click Here to Watch Exchange
Preview to Air Tomorrow on TODAY; ‘The Terrible Night on King Road’ Airs Friday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET
May 7, 2025 – Friday’s all-new Dateline NBC at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT will reveal exclusive new details about the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The special features never-before-reported evidence, including video, photographic and digital materials that investigators say track accused killer Bryan Kohberger’s movements.
A preview of the special, entitled The Terrible Night on King Road, will air Thursday, May 8, on TODAY.
During the two-hour broadcast, former students also open up to correspondent Keith Morrison for the first time about their interactions with Kohberger. Former graduate student Holly tells Dateline that after meeting Kohberger at a pool party and telling him about a hiking group she was a part of, they exchanged phone numbers. The next day, she received a textfrom him about hiking with “peculiar” wording, explaining: “It was almost overly formal.”
Click here to watch the exchange. A transcript of the exchange is below.
The special includes interviews with friends of the victims, including the mother of Mogen’s best friend, as well as in-depth analysis from criminology and genetics experts. Dateline has covered the case since the beginning, previously airing two specials on the investigation. Friday’s broadcast comes just weeks before Kohberger’s trial is set to begin. He has pleaded not guilty.
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TRANSCRIPT EXCHANGE
Holly: I was kind of mingling and socializing and started chatting with this guy, and he had told me that he had just moved and he was starting his PhD.
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: HOLLY HAD THAT IN COMMON WITH BRYAN KOHBERGER. SHE’D ALSO MOVED AWAY FROM HOME TO WORK ON A GRADUATE DEGREE. HERS IN PLANT SCIENCE.
Holly: I definitely felt a little obligated to chat with him, because to me, he seemed a little awkward. Kind of like you might expect for a PhD student who didn’t know anyone at the party and was maybe trying his best to kind of get out there and be social and make friends.
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: HOLLY TOLD BRYAN ABOUT A HIKING GROUP SHE WAS PART OF AND THEN SHE DID SOMETHING THAT STILL MAKES HER SHIVER A LITTLE.
Holly: He had put his number into my phone and then I had texted him my name.
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: IT WAS THE VERY NEXT DAY, THE DAY AFTER THE POOL PARTY, WHEN HOLLY’S CELL PHONE BUZZED. A MESSAGE. FROM BRYAN KOHBERGER.
Holly: The wording of the text, as I look back on it, is kind of peculiar.
KEITH MORRISON VOICE OVER: HERE IT IS, THE ACTUAL TEXT, SENT JULY 10TH, 2022 AT 1:19 P.M. “HEY I AM PRETTY SURE WE SPOKE ABOUT HIKING TRIPS YESTERDAY. I REALLY ENJOY THAT ACTIVITY SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANKS!”
Holly: It was almost overly formal. “I really enjoy that activity. So, you know, can you follow up with me about that?”
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Dateline NBC is the longest-running series in NBC primetime history and is in its 33rd season. Dateline is anchored by Lester Holt and features correspondents Blayne Alexander, Andrea Canning, Josh Mankiewicz, Keith Morrison and Dennis Murphy. Airing Fridays at 9/8c, Datelinealso airs across NBC, cable and in broadcast syndication, with hundreds of hours available to stream on the global Dateline 24/7 channel. Dateline 24/7 can be viewed and/or listened to on channels on Peacock, Roku, YouTube, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, Pluto TV, Local Now, Xfinity, Amazon Fire TV Channels and Prime Video, TuneIn, Xumo, TCLTV+ and SiriusXM. Additionally, the newsmagazine reaches millions through its #1 podcasts and its showcast. Liz Cole is the senior executive producer and Paul Ryan is the executive producer.
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