Bryan Kohberger gets snappy in unseen bodycam footage months before Idaho murders

Saloni Jha | Jul 31, 2025, 10:12 IST

Highlight of the story: A newly released police bodycam video shows Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger acting cold, rude, and weirdly defensive during a traffic stop three months before the killings. The chilling footage offers a disturbing glimpse into his behaviour, and raises major red flags in hindsight.

Before Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the horrifying University of Idaho murders, he was just another guy driving a white Hyundai Elantra through a sleepy college town — or so it seemed. But a now-unsealed police bodycam video from August 2022 is giving the world a seriously creepy look into his state of mind… months before the killings.

The calm before the carnage for Bryan Kohberger?

The footage, captured by Latah County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Duke, shows Kohberger being pulled over on the Pullman-Moscow Highway for speeding. He was clocked doing 42 in a 35mph zone. But that was not even the main issue, Kohberger was not wearing his seatbelt.

Bryan Kohberger faces fou

A $10 fine turned into Bryan Kohberger’s personality test

Instead of a “whoops, my bad” moment, Kohberger’s vibes instantly turned sour. He admitted to not wearing his seatbelt, but then lashed out when the officer issued a minor citation. He told the deputy, “You guys are ridiculous” and questioned why honesty even mattered when the officer had radar. Passive-aggressive much?

He was also oddly focused on whether the ticket would affect his insurance, and even pushed back when asked for his phone number. Considering he was driving around the same town his victims lived in, many now believe his paranoia was not about the fine, it was about leaving a trace.

Bryan Kohberger faces fou

Sinister hindsight: Why this matters now

Kohberger’s off-putting behaviour might have seemed like overreaction at the time, but now, knowing what followed just months later, it feels a whole lot darker. Investigators believe Kohberger had been surveilling the area, possibly even the victims, long before the murders. That traffic stop could have been one of many quiet trips as he allegedly planned the attack.

No trial means no jury gets to watch this footage now, but the public can, and the implications are spine-chilling.