How a Single Genetic Clue Cracked the Idaho Killer’s Case in Record Time

Sometimes, the universe throws a real curveball that leaves you scratching your head—and the quadruple murder in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, is one of those gut-wrenching puzzles. Four young lives, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, and Madison Mogen, were brutally cut short in a way that shocked a community and sent ripples far beyond its borders. Now, here’s the jaw-dropper—amid the horror, the killer made a blunder so colossal, it practically handed investigators a fast pass to justice. David Mittelman, the forensic genetic genealogy wizard behind Othram, revealed at CrimeCon 2025 how a knife sheath loaded with “hundreds of times” more DNA than usual became the key to tracing Bryan Kohberger’s lineage—talk about leaving your fingerprints all over the crime scene, literally! It makes you wonder, how do you go from mastermind to micromanager of your own downfall? Dive in, if you dare… LEARN MORE

The quadruple murder, which occurred on November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho, claimed the lives of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21. The chilling details of this mass stabbing resonated deeply within the community and beyond, igniting widespread fear and urgency for justice.

David Mittelman, the founder and CEO of Othram, a company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy, claimed it was a “catastrophic deal” of evidence left behind at the crime scene.

Speaking from CrimeCon’s 2025 conference in Denver, Mittelman elaborated on how the DNA sample, discovered on a Ka-Bar knife sheath discarded at the scene, provided “hundreds of times” more genetic material than typical cases. This wealth of DNA allowed investigators to rapidly trace Kohberger’s lineage and identify him as a suspect.