Newly released court documents have revealed the horrific extent of injuries suffered by University of Idaho student Xana Kernodle, who was stabbed 67 times while attempting to fight off murderer Bryan Kohberger during a brutal home invasion.
Brave Student's Final Stand Against Intruder
The 20-year-old student was disturbed in the early hours of November 13, 2022, when Kohberger broke into the off-campus rental property in Moscow, Idaho. According to the autopsy report included in recent court filings, Kernodle immediately engaged in a desperate struggle with the armed intruder despite being unarmed and significantly smaller than her attacker.
Gruesome Details Emerge from Autopsy Report
The forensic examination reveals Kernodle suffered extensive injuries during her courageous resistance. The autopsy documents 23 stab and incised wounds to her face, neck and scalp, seven stab wounds to her chest, four abdominal stab wounds, three incised and puncture wounds to her back, 25 incised wounds to her upper extremities, and five incised wounds to her lower extremities.
Medical evidence indicates Kernodle continued fighting throughout the attack, with blood found on the bottom of her feet and wiped blood on her body suggesting movement during the assault. The autopsy further reveals punctures to the outside shell of her skull, perforations of her jugular vein, heart, lung and pulmonary blood vessels, hemorrhage into her chest cavities, wounds extending into the bones of her right hand, and numerous scrapes and bruises across her face, torso and extremities.
Protecting Her Sleeping Boyfriend
Court documents indicate Kernodle was eating a takeaway meal when she heard commotion in the house where Kohberger had already killed her flatmates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21. Despite the imminent danger, Kernodle chose to confront the intruder rather than flee, positioning herself between Kohberger and her sleeping boyfriend Ethan Chapin.
Forensic evidence shows blood transfer stains from Mogen and Goncalves on the door of Mogen's bedroom, the stairwell and bannister leading from the third to second floor, and on walls near Kernodle's bedroom. Autopsy reports for Mogen and Goncalves determined neither woman stood up once Kohberger began attacking them, meaning the transfer stains had to be left by another person moving through the house - likely Kernodle during her confrontation with the killer.
Aftermath and Legal Proceedings
After killing Kernodle, Kohberger went on to murder 20-year-old Ethan Chapin in the same property. Two other roommates miraculously survived the massacre, having been protected by Kernodle's brave intervention. The other three fatal victims were stabbed as they lay in their beds, according to court testimony.
Kohberger was sentenced to life imprisonment last summer after admitting four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The newly released court documents provide the most detailed account yet of Kernodle's heroic final moments and the forensic evidence supporting her courageous resistance against the armed intruder.
