On November 13, 2022, University of Idaho student Dylan Mortensen opened her bedroom door and came face-to-face with Bryan Kohberger. She watched as he slowly walked away from her and exited the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Mortensen then sent a message to her roommate, Bethany Funke, describing the unfamiliar man with “bushy eyebrows” who had just left through the kitchen door.
She later ran toward Funke’s bedroom, passing roommate Xana Kernodle, who appeared to be unconscious on the floor.
Hours later, Mortensen would discover that four of her roommates had been brutally murdered. She was also the only surviving roommate known to have seen the suspected killer inside the house that night.
Nearly four years have passed since the shocking murders. Now, in a new court filing, Mortensen says she continues to fear for her privacy and personal safety.
Mortensen has submitted a motion to intervene ahead of the planned release of several sealed records connected to the Kohberger case. She is asking the judge to ensure that her face is obscured in any upcoming public release.
“I understand the importance of transparency and why the public has an interest in this case. However, I hope the court will … consider the impact that removing these protections could have on my privacy, personal safety, and ability to move forward with my life,” Mortensen wrote in the motion, a copy of which was obtained by PEOPLE.
She also described how dramatically her life has changed since the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
“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’ve spent nearly 4 years dealing with public attention, harassment, threats, and constant speculation about my involvement in what happened,” she wrote.
Because Mortensen was the only surviving roommate who reported seeing the suspect inside the home, she became the subject of numerous unfounded conspiracy theories.
Some people also criticized her for not immediately calling 911 that night. However, Kaylee’s father, Steve Goncalves, publicly said that given the severity of the victims’ injuries, an earlier emergency call would not have changed the outcome.
Despite that explanation, the accusations have continued to affect Mortensen.
“People who have never met me have formed opinions about my character, questioned my actions and accused me of things that I had absolutely nothing to do with,” she wrote.
She further explained that the level of “attention and hostility [she has] received has affected nearly every aspect of [her] everyday life.”
Mortensen added: “It has changed how I interact with people, where I feel comfortable going, and how much public information I feel safe sharing.”
Her concerns may also be connected to Kohberger’s petition for post-conviction relief, through which he is seeking a criminal trial.
If a judge agrees to overturn his guilty pleas and allows a trial to proceed, Mortensen could once again find herself at the center of the case as a key prosecution witness.
credit: Kyle Green-Pool/Getty
Mortensen faced Kohberger in court in July 2025 when she attended his sentencing hearing in person.
After taking a moment to compose herself, she delivered an emotional victim impact statement through tears.
She described the fear she continues to experience following the loss of her four friends. She also directly addressed the man responsible for their deaths as he sat only a few feet away.
“He is a hollow vessel. Something less than human. A body without empathy or remorse,” Mortensen told the court. “He chose destruction, he chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me.”
She then spoke about the lives and memories that were taken from her because of Kohberger’s actions.
“Because of him, four beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason,” Mortensen said. “He didn’t just take their lives, he took their light that carried into every room.”
