A former high school administrator revealed an investigation carried out years ago into Bryan Kohberger when he was a student, which ultimately doomed his enrollment in a law enforcement training program.
Kohberger, a Pennsylvania native who had been doing doctoral studies at Washington State University, was arrested at his parents' home in late December and charged with the killings of four Idaho college students. The students—Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20—were all found stabbed to death on the morning of November 13 at a shared residence near their school, the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. The home was only eight miles away from Kohberger's campus.
An extensive FBI investigation, utilizing vehicle records and DNA evidence, ultimately led to Kohberger becoming the prime suspect in the killings. In May, a grand jury indicted him on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. The judge overseeing his arraignment entered a "not guilty" plea on his behalf, as Kohberger refused to speak at the hearing. His trial is set to begin in October, with the prosecutors aiming for the death penalty.
Tanya Carmella-Beers previously served as an administrator at a vocational high school that Kohberger attended, with her duties including mental health services and student discipline. Kohberger attended the vocational program of the Pleasant Valley School District in Eastern Pennsylvania during his sophomore and junior years of high school. Speaking with the "Idaho Massacre" podcast, she described an incident in which several female students lodged complaints against him, ultimately leading to his removal from the school's vocational law enforcement program.
"A situation occurred where a complaint was made and the teacher reported it to me and said...an investigation needed to be conducted," Carmella-Beers explained. "Other students were interviewed, Bryan was interviewed, and, you know, there comes a time when decisions have to be made, whether it's the decision the student wants or not."
She continued: "He was removed from [the law enforcement program] and transitioned into HVAC [program] and then, at the end of that 11th-grade year is when he decided not to return as a senior."
Carmella-Beers would not elaborate on what Kohberger had been accused of, but did note "what had him removed from the program when I look back on it now, makes sense."
Kohberger ended up completing his high school education with online classes, later pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master's in criminology.
Newsweek reached out to the Pleasant Valley School District via email for comment.
