Murdered Idaho student’s best friend—not roommate—called 911 to report massacre

The friend, whose name has not been released, reportedly discovered the bodies of Chapin and his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, in their bed before grabbing Mortensen's cell phone and calling police. The bodies of their slain roommates Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were found soon after.

According to NewsNation, a number of students went to the housing complex in the morning following the gruesome murders. Chapin's best friend noticed something was off and took his pulse, and upon realizing he was dead, alerted first responders using Mortensen's cell phone.

It was originally unclear why police had been called hours after the murders had taken place and not sooner, with the lack of action chalked up to "an issue of intoxication, or of fear."

Mortensen reportedly figured the commotion was from a regular Saturday night party, not the carrying out of a quadruple murder. After the attack had taken place, she told police she opened her bedroom door and saw a man dressed in black make his way out of the home's back door. After snapping out of a "frozen shock phase," she locked herself in her room.

Neither Mortensen, nor the other surviving roommate, Bethany Funke, were ever considered suspects in the case.

Nearly a month after the murders took place, alleged killer Bryan Kohberger was arrested. The criminology graduate student from nearby Washington State University had been suspected of committing the crime, and was tracked by FBI agents as he and his father drove across the country to their family home in Pennsylvania for the holidays.

He has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, and is set to be arraigned later this year.