Idaho Murders Autopsy Reports: Injuries, Weapon, and 2026 Seal

The autopsy reports on the four University of Idaho murders, unsealed by an Ada County court on June 4, 2026, confirmed that Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were killed by multiple sharp-force injuries inflicted with a combat-style knife, that the manner of death for each was homicide, and that all four endured a high degree of pain and suffering before they died. The four autopsies together documented more than 100 wounds.¹²

Who Performed the Autopsies

Spokane County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Veena Singh, a forensic pathologist based at the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office, performed all four autopsies on November 16, 2022, three days after the killings, at the request of the Latah County Coroner’s Office. She reached the same top-line conclusion in each case: cause of death was multiple sharp-force injuries, and the manner of death was homicide.³⁴

Xana Kernodle

Kernodle’s injuries were the most extensive. Dr. Singh documented a minimum of 67 wounds, including seven stab wounds to the chest and abdomen, 25 incised wounds to the upper extremities, and 23 stab and incised wounds to the scalp, face, and neck. She also had incised puncture wounds to the back and wounds that reached the bones of her hand. Internally, the injuries perforated her jugular vein, heart, lung, and pulmonary blood vessels, with hemorrhaging into the chest cavities.²³

Several of Kernodle’s wounds were characterized as defensive. Blood on the bottoms of her feet established that she was awake, upright, and moving during the attack. Serration marks on some facial wounds led Dr. Singh to conclude they could have been caused by Kernodle “fighting and/or holding/touching the knife and/or hand that is holding the knife.”³

Kaylee Goncalves

Goncalves sustained a minimum of 38 wounds: 24 stab and incised wounds to the scalp, face, and neck, 11 to the chest, and three to the upper extremities. Her injuries went beyond the sharp-force wounds. She had a fractured nose, a knocked-out tooth with fragments and clotted blood in her oral cavity, and patterned bruises across her lower face. The blunt-force impacts also caused a scalp laceration and bleeding around her brain. Internally, the wounds perforated the subclavian artery and vein.⁵²

Dr. Singh also identified signs of asphyxia and noted that “an unidentified object was placed across Goncalves’ mouth.”⁵

Madison Mogen

Mogen sustained 28 stab and incised wounds: 13 to the scalp, face, and neck, 10 to the upper extremities, and five to the chest. Internally, the injuries reached her lung and liver and perforated the subclavian vein, subclavian artery, and blood vessels of the chest wall. Dr. Singh found no evidence of natural disease that could have contributed to her death.²³

Ethan Chapin

Chapin’s injuries were the least extensive of the four, though still fatal. He sustained 17 wounds: six incised wounds to the upper extremities, six to the lower extremities, four to the scalp, face, and neck, and one stab wound to the upper chest. A single stab wound to the neck reached a depth of seven inches. Internally, the wounds perforated his jugular vein, subclavian vein, and subclavian artery. Dr. Singh concluded Chapin experienced a high degree of pain and suffering before his death, though “to a lesser degree than the other decedents.”⁵²⁶

The Weapon

Dr. Singh determined that the wounds on all four victims were consistent with a Ka-Bar Full Size U.S. Marine Corps Fighting Knife, a single-edged combat blade. Some injuries appeared to have been caused by different parts of the weapon. The force behind the blade was sufficient to puncture the outer table of the skull in both Kernodle and Goncalves. Forensic investigators described the concentration of facial trauma inflicted on Mogen and Goncalves as indicative of a “frenzied event” and potential “overkill.”¹⁷²

Toxicology

The toxicology findings included in the unsealed filings showed all four victims had consumed alcohol before their deaths. Blood alcohol concentrations were:

Madison Mogen: 0.282 g/100 mL
Xana Kernodle: 0.229 g/100 mL
Ethan Chapin: 0.122 g/100 mL
Kaylee Goncalves: 0.107 g/100 mL

Both Chapin and Kernodle also tested positive for amphetamines, with Chapin’s level at 260 ng/mL and Kernodle’s at 12 ng/mL.³

Why the Reports Were Sealed Until 2026

The autopsy reports were kept under seal throughout the criminal proceedings against Bryan Kohberger, a common practice in high-profile murder cases to protect the integrity of a potential trial. After Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025, and was sentenced on July 23, 2025, the Ada County court began unsealing batches of case filings. The autopsy reports were released publicly on June 4, 2026, providing the first full accounting of each victim’s injuries.¹⁸

1
Fox News. Bryan Kohberger Victims Endured High Degree Pain Suffering Unsealed Autopsy Reports Show
2
Court TV. Autopsy Reports Reveal Brutality of Murders of Four University of Idaho Students
3
Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository. Exhibits S-1 and S-1 a-e to State’s Supplemental Response to Request for Discovery RE Penalty Phase Experts
4
New York Post. Bryan Kohberger’s Victims Endured a High Degree of Pain and Suffering Unsealed Autopsy Reports Show
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Court TV. Kaylee Goncalves Had Nose Broken Tooth Knocked Out Autopsy Report
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People. Bryan Kohberger Victims Endured High Degree of Pain Before Deaths
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CBS Austin. Horrific Homicides Newly Released Autopsy Report Details Brutal Murders of Idaho Students
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NBC News. Bryan Kohberger Guilty Plea Idaho Murders Live Updates