Convicted mass murderer Bryan Kohberger has earned an unsettling reputation inside prison walls, not only for his horrifying crimes but also for his bizarre behavior behind bars. The 30-year-old former PhD student, who was sentenced to four life terms without parole for the brutal slayings of four University of Idaho students, has been described by fellow inmates as a “f****** weirdo.”
Bryan Kohberger, according to police documents, spends excessive amounts of time on personal hygiene, engages in lengthy phone calls with his mother, and displays obsessive compulsive tendencies that have made him a nuisance among those incarcerated with him.
These revelations come after Kohberger shocked the nation by pleading guilty earlier this month, sparing himself from the possibility of the death penalty. Now, with sentencing behind him, newly released police files paint a disturbing portrait of his life in jail and the perceptions of those around him.
Obsessive Habits and Jailhouse Irritations
While detained at Latah County Jail, Bryan Kohberger quickly became a subject of conversation among other inmates—not for his crimes, which are already among the most gruesome in recent memory—but for his daily routine that some considered unbearable.
According to police documents released by the Moscow Police Department, inmates recounted Kohberger’s frequent and extended handwashing sessions, with one noting he would wash his hands dozens of times a day. This compulsive behavior extended to the shower, where he would remain for up to 45 minutes to an hour at a time, hogging the facilities and causing tension among other inmates.
One inmate bluntly described Bryan Kohberger as a “f****** weirdo” and confessed he would have assaulted him if not for the legal consequences. Another said he was one of the smartest individuals he had ever encountered in confinement, though he added Kohberger quickly became annoying due to his incessant nighttime activity and peculiar routines.
Read : Bryan Kohberger Who Killed Four Students of University of Idaho Sentenced to Life in Prison
These accounts suggest a man who, though academically intelligent, was deeply out of sync with his environment and unable to adapt socially even in incarceration. Inmates shared that Kohberger stayed awake most of the night and only napped during the day, which disrupted the routines of others. The constant pacing, whispering, and movement from his cell became an added annoyance for those nearby.
Daily Calls to Mom and the One Time He Lost His Cool
Perhaps most unusual was Bryan Kohberger’s daily phone ritual. Multiple inmates observed that he would video call his mother for hours each day. It wasn’t just a routine—this interaction seemed to dominate his day, forming an emotional lifeline that was difficult for others to ignore. These prolonged calls became a source of frustration, particularly when Kohberger’s activities clashed with those of fellow inmates.
In one documented incident, an inmate was watching a sports match when he casually said, “You suck,” to a player. This prompted an aggressive reaction from Kohberger, who immediately got up, faced the bars of his cell, and asked in a threatening tone whether the inmate was referring to him or his mother. It was reportedly the only time Kohberger visibly lost his temper while in custody.
Alivea fucking Goncalves folks
— Ashley from 4th grade (@PhD_OnTheCouch) July 23, 2025
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Fuck you Bryan Kohberger pic.twitter.com/BDezVmV7t2
The incident not only reflects the close emotional bond he maintained with his mother but also hints at a hypersensitive and perhaps paranoid side of Kohberger’s personality. Despite his quiet demeanor and lack of engagement with others, this episode showed that he was acutely aware of what was being said around him and was easily provoked when it involved his family.
Interestingly, Bryan Kohberger’s mother was present during the sentencing hearing and broke down in tears during victim impact statements, further underlining the emotional entanglement between the two. Her visible distress stood in stark contrast to her son’s cold, emotionless refusal to explain his actions or express remorse.
The Crime That Shocked the Nation and the Silence That Followed
On the night of November 13, 2022, Bryan Kohberger entered an off-campus residence in the quiet town of Moscow, Idaho. There, he murdered four young University of Idaho students—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—most of whom were asleep at the time. The brutality and randomness of the act stunned the local community and the nation at large. The victims were well-liked, outgoing students, and their deaths brought widespread sorrow and outrage.
Kohberger, who was pursuing a PhD in criminology at Washington State University, became the prime suspect through a combination of DNA evidence, surveillance footage, and digital forensics. His arrest shocked many who knew him as a quiet academic. However, even as the evidence mounted, Kohberger remained silent about his motives.
That silence continued through to the sentencing. Despite being given the opportunity to speak in court and possibly offer some explanation or apology to the victims’ families, Kohberger declined. Judge Steven Hippler, clearly appalled by the gravity of the crime, sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus ten additional years for burglary. During the hearing, the judge referred to the murders as “unspeakable evil” and called Kohberger a “faceless coward.”
The victims’ families, particularly the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, expressed frustration and disappointment with the plea deal. They had hoped for a trial that would expose more about Kohberger’s motivations and perhaps give them closure. Instead, they were left with unanswered questions and the image of a man who murdered in cold blood and then withdrew into silence.
Bryan Kohberger’s story is not just about a horrifying crime—it’s also about the perplexing contradictions in a man who was both brilliant and socially alienated, composed and compulsive, calculating yet seemingly emotionally stunted. In the confined world of jail, these contradictions became glaringly evident to his fellow inmates, who saw firsthand his erratic and obsessive behavior.
Calling his mother for hours, taking hour-long showers, and scrubbing his hands dozens of times daily may seem like mere quirks on the surface. But within the context of his crimes and his complete lack of remorse, these behaviors point to deeper psychological issues that continue to baffle those who try to make sense of what he did.
While the legal proceedings may have ended, the mystery surrounding Bryan Kohberger—his motives, his mind, and the root of his darkness—remains unresolved. For now, he will live out his days in a maximum-security prison, isolated not just by walls and bars, but by the haunting silence of four lives he chose to extinguish and the chilling legacy he has left behind.