Newly unsealed FBI transcripts are shedding light on the chaotic moments following Bryan Kohberger’s December 2022 arrest, revealing a mother who was steadfastly convinced of her son’s innocence.
According to the documents and interview, Maryann Kohberger repeatedly told federal agents they were making a “really, really bad mistake” while they took the Washington State University graduate student into custody at the family’s Pennsylvania home.
The interview records, which are set to be featured in Christopher Whitcomb’s upcoming book Broken Plea: The Explosive Search for Truth Behind the Idaho Murders, capture a stunned mother grappling with the accusation that her son had killed four University of Idaho students just a month prior.
“He’s my angel,” Maryann told the agents. “My son would not do this. I will stake my life on that.”
Throughout the questioning, Maryann described her youngest child as a quiet “homebody” who maintained a 3.8 GPA but lacked a significant social circle or any romantic relationships.
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She told investigators that she and Bryan were close and frequently engaged in “mother-and-son talks.” To her, nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he returned home for the winter holidays.
In one notable exchange, agents asked about weapons. Maryann admitted she had suggested her son buy a knife for protection against bears while hiking, though she claimed she was unsure if he had actually followed through with the purchase.
When pressed on whether her son had ever shown signs of violence or behavioral red flags, her response was unwavering. “Never, ever, ever,” she stated, according to the transcripts. “There’s a mistake, something is wrong somewhere. And that’s what I believe. And that’s what I know in my heart.”
As the reality of the situation set in, Maryann expressed dread regarding the media firestorm to come, asking if her “son’s face is gonna be plastered all across the country” and calling the ordeal an “absolute nightmare.”
The release of these transcripts comes after Kohberger reached a surprise plea deal last summer to avoid the death penalty.
He is currently serving four life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin. The plea deal left the victims’ families without a public trial or a clear motive for the November 13, 2022, stabbings.
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