The King Road house is gone now. It was demolished in late 2023, turned into a patch of gravel and memory, but the digital footprint of what happened inside that Moscow, Idaho, home remains a focal point of intense, often macabre, public interest. When people go looking for Idaho murder crime scene photos, they usually aren't just looking for pictures. They’re looking for answers to a puzzle that feels like it’s missing half the pieces.
It’s heavy.
Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were killed on November 13, 2022. Since then, the case against Bryan Kohberger has moved through the legal system with a glacial pace that frustrates the internet's need for instant "receipts." You’ve probably seen the grainy bodycam footage from neighbors or the exterior shots of the house wrapped in yellow tape. Those aren't the photos people are actually whispering about in Reddit threads or true crime Discord servers.
They want the inside. They want the truth of the "messy" scene described in early leaks.
What’s actually in the Idaho murder crime scene photos?
Honesty time: the public hasn't seen the actual evidentiary photos of the victims. And we likely won't for a long time, if ever. What exists in the official case file—the stuff the Latah County Prosecutor’s office and the defense team are currently haggling over—is reportedly some of the most graphic material in modern Idaho legal history.
Police logs and the 19-page probable cause affidavit give us a roadmap of what those photos contain. We know there’s a shoe print. Specifically, a "latent shoe print" found during the second processing of the scene, located just outside the door of Xana Kernodle’s room. It was a diamond-shaped pattern, similar to what you’d find on a Vans sneaker.
Then there’s the biological evidence.
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The affidavit mentions "blood on the wall" visible from the exterior of the house, which was captured in early news photography. But the internal photos? Those show the positions of the bodies. Madison and Kaylee were found in the same bed on the third floor. Xana and Ethan were on the second. Forensic experts like Joseph Scott Morgan have noted that in a struggle involving a fixed-blade knife, the "cast-off" patterns—where blood flies off the weapon during a swing—would be all over the walls and ceilings. The crime scene photos document this "blood splatter" to determine the height and reach of the attacker.
The Nondissemination Order (The Gag Order)
Why can't you find these photos? Because Judge John Judge isn't playing around.
The gag order in the Kohberger case is one of the strictest we've seen in years. It basically bans lawyers, law enforcement, and witnesses from talking to the press about anything that could jeopardize a fair trial. This includes the Idaho murder crime scene photos.
If those photos leaked, the defense would immediately move for a mistrial or a change of venue—well, they already moved for a change of venue to Ada County, and they got it. The concern is "preshaping" the jury pool. If 12 people see the carnage of that third-floor bedroom before they ever sit in a jury box, they can’t be impartial.
It’s a tug-of-war between the First Amendment and the Sixth Amendment. Media outlets like the Associated Press have fought the gag order, arguing the public has a right to know. So far, the courts have prioritized the integrity of the trial.
What has been leaked vs. what is real
You’ve probably seen "leaked" images online. Most are fakes. Some are AI-generated "reconstructions" that are as disrespectful as they are inaccurate.
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The real photos that have been released or seen include:
- The white Hyundai Elantra being towed from the Kohberger family home in Pennsylvania.
- The Ka-Bar knife sheath (the photo of the actual sheath hasn't been public, but its location on the bed next to Maddie Mogen is documented).
- Exterior shots showing the "blood weeping" from the foundation, which was actually a mix of biological fluids and insulation breakdown, a grim detail that went viral early on.
Why the defense wants the "raw" digital data
In recent hearings, Kohberger’s defense attorney, Anne Taylor, has been aggressive about getting the "original" Idaho murder crime scene photos. Not just prints. She wants the metadata.
Why? Because metadata shows exactly when a photo was taken, what the lighting settings were, and if the image was altered. In a death penalty case, the margin for error is zero. If a flash on a camera made a smudge look like a footprint, the defense has to point that out.
There are thousands of photos. Think about that. Every inch of that three-story house had to be documented. Every blood droplet. Every hair. The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and forensic teams spent weeks inside. They used 3D mapping technology (likely a Leica BLK360 or similar lidar scanner) to create a virtual walkthrough of the house.
The psychological toll of the imagery
It’s easy to forget that these photos represent the worst moments of human lives.
The families of the victims have spoken about the "burden of knowing." Steve Goncalves has been vocal about wanting transparency, but there’s a line. The crime scene photos from the Idaho murders are so severe that even seasoned investigators reportedly sought counseling after the first 48 hours.
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When you search for these images, you're looking at a piece of evidence that will eventually decide if a man lives or dies by lethal injection. Idaho recently moved to reinstate the firing squad as a backup execution method, adding a layer of historical weight to the stakes of this evidence.
What happens next with the evidence?
The trial is currently scheduled for 2025/2026, though dates in this case are notoriously slippery. When the trial finally begins, the Idaho murder crime scene photos will be shown to the jury.
They might not be shown to the public gallery.
Often in high-profile cases, the judge will allow the jury to see the graphic images on individual monitors while the public sees a censored version or nothing at all. This happened in the Alex Murdaugh trial and the Nikolas Cruz sentencing. It’s a way to maintain decorum and protect the dignity of the deceased.
Moving forward: How to track the case accurately
If you’re trying to stay informed without falling into the trap of "shock site" hoaxes or fake leaks, you have to look at the court filings. That is the only place where the truth lives right now.
- Follow the Latah County Court (or now Ada County) public portal. They post every motion. When a new batch of "discovery" (evidence) is handed over, it’s listed there.
- Ignore "Trust Me Bro" sources. If a TikTok creator claims to have the Idaho murder crime scene photos, they are lying. Period. Those files are encrypted and tracked by the court.
- Understand the "Latent" vs "Patent" distinction. If you see reports about "new photos," check if they’re talking about latent evidence (invisible to the naked eye, found with chemicals) or patent evidence (visible blood/prints). It changes the whole context of the prosecution's "timeline."
The trial will eventually reveal the visual horror of that night. Until then, the photos remain locked in digital vaults, protected by a legal system that is trying—however imperfectly—to ensure that the eventual verdict is based on facts, not the viral outrage of the internet.
Actionable Next Steps:
To follow this case with an expert eye, stop looking for "leaked" imagery and start reading the Probable Cause Affidavit alongside the Defense Motions to Compel Discovery. This reveals the descriptions of the photos, which provides more context than a grainy image ever could. Pay close attention to the DNA transfer theories mentioned in recent filings, as these will be the primary battleground where those crime scene photos are used to either convict or acquit. For the most reliable updates, stick to the Idaho Judicial Branch's dedicated case page, which remains the gold standard for verified court documents.