Idaho Murders Survivor Asks Judge to Block Release of Her Records
Dylan Mortensen, who survived the 2022 University of Idaho student killings, says her family has moved nine times because of harassment and is asking a judge to reconsider an order releasing police records that could show her face.
Dylan Mortensen, one of two roommates who survived the November 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, is asking a Latah County judge to pause an order that would release police records that could show her face. In a sworn affidavit, she says her family has moved nine times since the murders because reporters and strangers have shown up at their homes and followed relatives.
What happened
Judge Megan Marshall agreed on Oct. 20 to release records that the City of Moscow had withheld from EWU Media LLC, an independent media company. EWU requested the records on Aug. 28, 2025, was at least partly denied, and then asked the court to compel disclosure, according to Fox News, which first reported the filings.
Mortensen’s attorney, Robyn McPherson, filed a motion to intervene and a motion asking Marshall to reconsider the order and stay the release while appeals proceed. McPherson says Moscow’s city attorney told her the records are expected to include interviews, photographs and videos of Mortensen. She argues that blurring her client’s face in redacted material is the protection she has left, and that releasing unblurred versions would be an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”
In her affidavit, Mortensen writes that she uses an alias for delivery orders, at her job and when meeting new people. She says strangers have accused her of things “I had absolutely nothing to do with” and that she worries even a background appearance in someone’s photo could help people identify where she is.
The underlying case dates to Nov. 13, 2022, when police responded to 1122 King Road in Moscow and found Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, dead on the top floor, and Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20, elsewhere in the home. Mortensen was among the first to speak with police; she has said she saw a masked man in the house after the 4 a.m. killings and texted another surviving roommate but did not call 911. Police were not called until around noon.
Why it matters
The dispute pits public-records access against the privacy of a witness who was never charged with a crime. It also tests how much weight a judge gives to a survivor’s account of harassment when deciding whether disclosure would be an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” — the legal standard McPherson cites.
McPherson also argues that Moscow officials failed to give the judge the files before her decision, and that neither the city nor the other intervenors — the families of Chapin and Mogen — represent Mortensen’s specific privacy interest. This suggests the fight is as much about process as about the records themselves.
Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 and later tried to withdraw the plea; that case is before a different judge. Kohberger is due in court Dec. 10 on his petition for post-conviction relief.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Survivor | Dylan Mortensen |
| Judge | Megan Marshall, Latah County |
| Order at issue | Oct. 20 order granting release of withheld Moscow records |
| Requester | EWU Media LLC; request filed Aug. 28, 2025 |
| Mortensen’s attorney | Robyn McPherson |
| Hearing | Nov. 12 |
| Kohberger next court date | Dec. 10, post-conviction relief petition |
| Moves by Mortensen’s family | Nine since November 2022 |
What this means for you
- Public records can include witness material. Police interviews, photos and video can become disclosable even when the person in them was never accused of anything.
- Privacy arguments can be narrow. McPherson is arguing only that the release would be an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,” not that the records should never be public.
- Timing matters. A stay, if granted, would pause release only while the motion and any appeals are resolved.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dylan Mortensen?
She is one of two roommates who survived the Nov. 13, 2022, killings at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho. She spoke with police that day and has said she saw a masked man in the house after the murders.
What records are at issue?
Records the City of Moscow withheld from EWU Media LLC. Mortensen’s attorney says the city attorney told her they are expected to include interviews, photographs and videos of Mortensen.
Has the release been stopped?
Not as of the reporting. Mortensen is asking Judge Marshall to reconsider the Oct. 20 order and issue a stay; a hearing is set for Nov. 12.
What happened to Bryan Kohberger?
He pleaded guilty in July 2025 and later tried to withdraw the plea. His case is before a different judge, and he has a Dec. 10 hearing on his petition for post-conviction relief.
What to watch next
The Nov. 12 hearing will show whether Marshall pauses the release or orders the city to identify the withheld records for a private review. It is not yet known what the records contain or whether an appeal would follow.
- Dylan Mortensen says her family has moved nine times since the 2022 killings because of harassment.
- She is asking Judge Megan Marshall to reconsider an Oct. 20 order releasing withheld Moscow police records.
- A hearing is set for Nov. 12; Kohberger has a Dec. 10 hearing on post-conviction relief.
