Bryan Kohberger ate at Idaho restaurant where two victims worked: report
MOSCOW, Idaho - Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger ate at a local Moscow restaurant where two students he's accused of stabbing to death worked as waitresses, according to a new report.
A former employee at Mad Greek told People magazine that Kohberger, 28, visited the restaurant at least twice and ordered vegan pizza before the Nov. 13 quadruple homicide.
Madison Mogen, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, both worked at the eatery on South Main Street in downtown Moscow.
The staffer said that Kohberger stood out because he had checked to make sure his food had not come into contact with animal products.
Although Mad Greek's menu features Keira's Amazing Vegan pizza with sautéed red and green peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes, the eatery specializes in lamb and beef dishes.
Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole said it is noteworthy that Kohberger would select a restaurant with a heavy meat focus, given his strict vegan diet.
His aunt told the New York Post that he wouldn't eat food from a pot or pan that had been used to prepare meat.
"It looks like he's finding a reason to go to the restaurant, and it’s not the pizza," said O'Toole, who worked in the agency's esteemed behavioral analysis unit.
It wasn't clear whether Kohberger interacted with either victim or dined in on the visits.
The criminology Ph.D. student is accused of ambushing and fatally stabbing Mogen; Kernodle; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Ethan Chapin, 20, in the early morning hours of Nov. 13 at an off-campus rental home.
A now-deleted Instagram account that appeared to belong to Kohberger followed Mogen, Kernodle and Goncalves, People reported.
O'Toole said she'd like to know whether he had followed the women before eating at the restaurant where two of them worked.
"If he saw them there in person, that could have been enough to generate his interest, or he could have gone there because he’d already identified them," she said. "Either way, that’s significant. I’m sure law enforcement is finding out their work schedules and if they were there at the same time."
Kohberger had repeatedly messaged one of the female victims on Instagram beginning in October.
Idaho murder victims: Who were Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen
The college town of Moscow, Idaho is still reeling from the loss of University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen.
"He slid into one of the girls' DMs several times, but she didn't respond," the source told People. "Basically, it was just him saying, 'Hey, how are you?' But he did it again and again." The report didn't identify which victim he messaged.
Investigators are aware of Kohberger's visits to the restaurant and have interviewed employees and the owners of Mad Greek. They have also collected surveillance video from the restaurant and surrounding businesses.
If all the staffer remembers is Kohberger's order and nothing else, that's important, O'Toole said.
"It suggests he doesn’t stand out like a monster and has the ability to fit in and be normal, which is what has allowed him to get along until this point and allowed him to go back to normal life after he committed the murders," she told Fox News Digital.
The Washington State University graduate student is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
Kohberger has denied the allegations through his lawyer and is being held without bail at the Latah County Jail in Moscow.