The FBI reportedly tracked accused Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger and his father as they drove from Washington State University to Pennsylvania — and asked Indiana cops to pull him over to secure images of his hands.
Investigators likely wanted to see if the suspect had any visible wounds after allegedly using a large knife to commit the bloody crime.
A law enforcement source told Fox News that an FBI surveillance team had its eyes on the pair during their cross-country drive last month, when they were stopped twice for following too closely.
The feds had asked Indiana state police to pull the white Hyundai Elantra over on Dec. 15 because they were seeking video images of the murder suspect, including his hands, the source told the outlet.
Autopsies showed that some of the four slain victims had defensive wounds and each had been stabbed several times.
Online sleuths also speculated about the focus on the alleged killer’s hands.
“This is interesting: looking for size, cuts, bruising, etc?” one user tweeted.
“Just me seeing things or are these cuts/brusies (SIC) on Bryan Kohberger via 2nd police stop body cam?? Check out the ‘marks’ on BK’s hands/wrists from the video I saw on @TMZ. Are these cuts/brusies?” another wrote.
Just me seeing things or are these cuts/brusies on Bryan Kohberger via 2nd police stop body cam??
— AllyOops (@Alane100) January 5, 2023
Check out the "marks"on BK's hands/wrists from the video I saw on @TMZ.
Are these cuts/brusies?🫨#Idaho4 #Idaho4suspect #BryanKohberger #MoscowHomicides #TMZ#IdahoStudentsSuspect pic.twitter.com/lC4IufMlCR
Another user suggested that cops stopped Kohberger a second time because they didn’t get clear images of his hands the first time.
“His hands were not filmed properly during the 1st stop, so they pulled him over again, 9-minutes later,” the user wrote.
It's been confirmed Indiana Police were instructed by the FBI to stop Bryan Kohberger on his drive from Pullman, WA to Scranton, PA in order to get body-cam film of his hands. His hands were not filmed properly during the 1st stop, so they pulled him over again, 9-minutes later.
— Brad 🇺🇸 (@007nctxnc) January 5, 2023
A third wrote: “If this doesn’t restore your faith in the FBI… I mean, this is incredible thinking!”
At that time, authorities were still building the case against Kohberger, 28, who was arrested at his parents’ home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, and charged with four counts of murder.
Police pulled him over twice in quick succession on I-70 in Hancock County outside of Indianapolis for following too closely, officials said.
The FBI asked Indiana state police to pull the white Hyundai Elantra over on Dec. 15 because they were seeking video images of the murder suspect.Indiana State Police/Mega
Both times, the pair was let go with a verbal warning.Hancock County Indiana Sheriff
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In both encounters, the officers let Kohberger and his father, Michael Kohberger, 67, drive off with a verbal warning.
Newly released bodycam video of one of the traffic stops shows the pair looking jumpy as they discussed a shooting at Kohberger’s university with an officer from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
Earlier that day, a SWAT team had killed a man near Washington State University Pullman — where Kohberger had just finished his first semester as a PhD student — after he threatened to murder his roommates.
The incident was unrelated to the University of Idaho murders.
Kohberger was arrested Friday in the shocking Nov. 13 crime in Moscow, Idaho, where Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, were stabbed to death.
On Tuesday, Kohberger appeared in Pennsylvania court, where he agreed to be extradited to Idaho. He arrived in Idaho late Wednesday and is expected to appear in court Thursday.
More details about the case are expected to be released following his Idaho court appearance, after which prosecutors can make his probable cause affidavit public, per local law.
Kohberger’s extradition attorney has said he plans to plead not guilty and his family have urged the public not to pre-judge the suspect.
