She Survived Facing Bryan Kohberger On The Night Of The Idaho Murders, Only To Be Forced To Move Nine Times And Use A Fake Name Just To Escape Death Threats

Dylan Mortensen was in her bedroom at 1122 King Street on November 13th, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho, when she pulled open her door and came face to face with the man who had murdered her roommates, but she didn't know it at the time.

Bryan Kohberger would later confess to killing four of Dylan's roommates, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, but he never revealed a motive.

Dylan was the only person who got a good look at the man who murdered them, and yet, years after the killings took place, Dylan is afraid for her own safety, which is wild to think about, considering Bryan is behind bars and serving four life sentences with no chance of parole.

So why is Dylan terrified with Bryan locked up, never to be released?

Well, a motion she filed on October 29th is shedding light on the heartbreaking reasons as to why she's so scared, and this poor girl is a victim all over again due to the actions of some crazy people out there.

Now, before I get into it, some of the sealed records in the case are about to be publicly released, and Dylan asked that her face be obscured in body-cam footage and police interviews in order to help protect her.

"Since November 2022, my life has changed in ways I never could have imagined. Along with losing four of my friends and experiencing something incredibly traumatic, I have spent nearly four years dealing with public attention, harassment, threats, and constant speculation about my involvement in what happened," Dylan explained in the motion, which I managed to get a copy of.

"People who have never met me have formed opinions about my character, questioned my actions, and accused me of things I had absolutely nothing to do with."

"I understand that I cannot control what people choose to believe or say about me, but the amount of attention and hostility I have received has affected nearly every aspect of my everyday life. It has changed how I interact with people, where I feel comfortable going, and how much personal information I feel safe sharing."

Idaho Dept of Corrections - pictured above is Bryan Kohberger in a recent mugshot

Dylan revealed that she and her family have had to move a jaw-dropping nine times in the four years since the murders. Strangers as well as reporters have appeared on their doorsteps, followed Dylan and her loved ones, and done things that have made her feel unsafe.

Dylan and her family moved so many times, hoping they would be able to live in peace, without the fear of having to be followed, watched, or spoken to.

When Dylan had a job, she used a fake name, as she was worried about people finding her. She is still, to this day, concerned about where she goes in public and asks her friends not to take photos of her.

She won't go anywhere alone without trusted people or her dog to back her up. People make threats against her online or concoct accusations, which makes her even more upset about trying to simply live her life out here in the world.

Back in May, while celebrating the graduation of one of her friends at a restaurant, Dylan went to the restaurant by herself.

"...As I walked out into the hallway, a girl approached me and asked if I was Dylan Mortensen. The restroom was located down a hallway away from the main restaurant and bar area, and it felt as if she may have been waiting for me to come out," Dylan recalled.

"Being approached while I was alone in that setting made me uncomfortable, especially because I had no way of knowing why she wanted to identify me or what she believed about the case."

Last month, Dylan attended a festival, and despite wearing sunglasses, many people were able to identify her. Dylan admits that people being able to tell who she is doesn't mean they have nefarious intentions, but after getting countless messages full of threats and vitriol, it's easy to see why she's so hurt and scared.

This is why she wants her face to be blurred out in any video recordings that are released to the public about the murders. She really does not wish for it to be easier for people to spot her out and about as she attempts to rebuild her life.

And speaking of the harassment she's suffered at the hands of strangers, Dylan detailed that people have messaged her to blame her for the murders of her roommates, accuse her of ending their lives, and say other horrific things about her.

She even included over 30 screenshots of what these messages have entailed. Although attention around the case died down, the messages did not.

"Some individuals have called me a murderer, accused me of lying, and told me that I should have died that night. Others have expressed hopes that I would be killed or hurt," Dylan added.

"These messages are difficult to receive on their own, but what concerns me the most is that some individuals have made statements about finding me or confronting me in person. For example, I have received messages stating, 'I'll find you' and 'Don't let me find where u live.'"

"Another individual threatened to share my parents' address, while someone else expressed the hope that I would be stabbed and die a slow, painful death. My mom also came across a disturbing TikTok in which someone stated that if they saw me in downtown Boise, they would put me in the trunk of their car to question me about the case."

Dylan then brought up how people have endlessly analyzed her actions and her words, making it seem like she was involved in what Bryan did to her roommates when she unquestionably was not.

She fears that showing her face in released recordings will invite this kind of behavior all over again. Dylan expressed her desire to have a normal life where she can celebrate milestones with her friends, go to concerts, and have a job without being identified.

Dylan wishes she could use her real name and have her photo taken without being scared of what that will invite. Dylan acknowledged that her name will forever be tied to the murders of her roommates, but that shouldn't mean she should be forced to give up the shreds of her privacy she's still clinging to.

"I have changed where I live, the name I use in everyday interactions, the places I feel comfortable going, and the way I interact with people because of the attention surrounding this case," Dylan continued.

"Removing the blurring would take away one of the few remaining protections I have over how much of myself is publicly exposed. I cannot know exactly what additional harm would result from releasing this footage without redactions, but based on the harassment, threats, and unwanted recognition I have already experienced, I am genuinely concerned about the consequences."

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