Dylan Mortensen The Survivor of the Idaho Murders Who Saw the Killer
Dylan Mortensen is one of the two roommates who were not injured during the horrific knife attack that killed four University of Idaho students in their off-campus rental house on November 13, 2022. Mortensen, who is a transgender woman, saw the masked killer as he fled the house, but she was in a state of “frozen shock phase” and locked herself in her room. She and the other surviving roommate, Bethany Funke, did not call 911 until almost eight hours later. Mortensen’s encounter with the suspect and her delayed reaction have sparked interest and speculation on social media and in the media. In this blog post, we will explore her background, her role in the case, and her current situation.
Who is Dylan Mortensen?
Dylan Mortensen was born in 2001 and is 21 years old. She is a student at the University of Idaho, where she majors in psychology. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community and identifies as a transgender woman. She has a boyfriend named Tyler, who is also transgender.
Mortensen lived in a house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, with five other roommates: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Bethany Funke. They were all students at the University of Idaho and friends with each other. They often hosted parties and socialized with other students.
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What did she see on the night of the murders?
On the night of November 13, 2022, Mortensen was sleeping in her bedroom on the second floor of the house. Around 4 a.m., she heard some noises that sounded like her friends talking or laughing downstairs. She shouted at them to be quiet, thinking they were being too loud. However, she later realized that those noises were actually screams and cries from her friends who were being stabbed by a masked intruder.
According to court documents, Mortensen got out of bed and walked to the hallway, where she saw a figure wearing a black mask, a black hoodie, black pants, and black gloves. The figure was holding a large knife with blood on it. The figure walked past Mortensen as she stood in a “frozen shock phase”, a trauma response that causes people to dissociate or immobilize when faced with a threat. The figure then exited through the back sliding glass door. Mortensen locked herself in her room after seeing the figure.
The figure was later identified as Brian Kohberger, a doctoral student in criminology at Washington State University who lived nearby. He has been charged with four counts of murder for killing Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin. He allegedly stalked the house 12 times before the attack and left behind a knife sheath with his DNA on it. The motive for the killings is still unknown.
Why did she wait so long to call for help?
Mortensen did not call 911 immediately after seeing the killer. She stayed in her room until around noon, when she and Funke finally called for help from Funke’s cellphone. The police arrived at the scene and found the four victims dead from multiple stab wounds. They also found Mortensen and Funke alive and unharmed.
The reason for the delay in reporting the crime has been a mystery for many people. Some have speculated that Mortensen and Funke were intoxicated, scared, or involved in some way. However, medical experts have explained that Mortensen’s reaction was consistent with a severe trauma response that can impair judgment and memory. Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, told TODAY that he believes Mortensen and Funke were too upset to act rationally.
“They got to remember these two girls were so upset that when they went outside after seeing this … one passed out,” he said. “And the other one was so hyperventilating that the message wasn’t clear enough for the operator.”
The police have also cleared Mortensen and Funke of any involvement or suspicion in the case. They have stated that they are not believed to be involved and that they are cooperating with the investigation.
How is she doing now?
Mortensen has not spoken publicly about her experience or her feelings since the murders. She has deleted or deactivated most of her social media accounts, except for TikTok, where she occasionally posts videos about her life. She has received support from her boyfriend, her family, and some friends who have defended her online. She has also received criticism and harassment from some people who have accused her of lying or hiding something.
Mortensen is likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that can develop after a traumatic event. PTSD can cause symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, and avoidance. Mortensen may benefit from professional help and therapy to cope with her trauma and heal from her loss.
Mortensen is a survivor of a horrific crime that took the lives of her friends and changed her life forever. She is also a witness who saw the killer and may have valuable information for the case. She is a human being who deserves respect and compassion for what she has been through. She is not a suspect, a liar, or a villain. She is Dylan Mortensen.
