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Dylan Mortensen & Bethany Funke

Dylan and Bethany are not just survivors—they are victims of this horrific crime. Both young women are now faced with the immense challenge of recovering from the trauma of losing their friends in the very home where they all lived. They must cope with survivor’s guilt, persistent self-questioning about what they could have done differently that early morning, and the emotional pain of wondering why and how they survived—sometimes even wishing they had not. These struggles are known to be common in survivors of traumatic events and can lead to psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and prolonged grief disorder ([American Psychiatric Association, 2023](https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd); [National Institute of Mental Health, 2024](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/coping-with-traumatic-events)).

On top of all this turmoil, trauma, distress, and emotional pain, Dylan and Bethany could not have anticipated that they would also become targets of online trolls and individuals falsely accusing them of involvement in the murders. The relentless public scrutiny and baseless accusations have only compounded their suffering, adding another layer of psychological harm.

It is important to understand the context in which Dylan and Bethany found themselves during the early morning hours of the tragedy. The house they lived in was known as a lively party house, with students frequently coming and going, especially on weekends. With six students sharing a three-story home—two bedrooms per floor—it was common for there to be noise, movement, and even unfamiliar people present, especially after a night of socializing and drinking.

Like many college students in the United States, Dylan and Bethany were around 20 years old—under the legal drinking age. That Saturday night, they, along with their housemates, had been out drinking and socializing into the early hours of Sunday. In such an environment, it would not be unusual to hear commotion, raised voices, or other noises late at night or early in the morning. Occasional arguments, laughter, or the sound of people moving around were all part of the normal backdrop of life in a busy student house.

When one of the girls reportedly saw a masked man, the situation may not have registered as immediately dangerous. In a party house, people sometimes wear costumes or masks as a joke, and unfamiliar faces are not uncommon. The presence of alcohol, fatigue from a long night out, and the absence of any prior threats or alarming behavior from their housemates could all contribute to a sense of false security or confusion.

Additionally, many young students are hesitant to involve the police in situations that are ambiguous or unclear—especially when underage drinking is involved. There is a real concern that calling 911 could lead to citations or legal consequences for themselves or their friends. The fear of getting in trouble with the law, parental notification, or negative marks on their academic records can make students think twice before contacting authorities, especially if they are unsure about the seriousness of a situation.

In most cases, if a student is unsure or feels uncomfortable, their first instinct is to reach out to friends or roommates rather than immediately call the police. This is even more likely in a scenario where there has been no prior indication of danger, no alert or warning from other housemates, and no direct evidence of a crime. If nothing seemed unusual in the days leading up to that night, it would be even less likely for someone to suspect that something so horrific could be happening just a few rooms away.

All of these factors—student culture, underage drinking, the unique dynamic of a party house, lack of clear danger, and fear of consequences—help explain why calling 911 was not their immediate response. The tragedy that unfolded was unimaginable, and it is important to approach the actions of Dylan and Bethany with empathy and understanding of the context they were in.

References:

This perspective highlights how ordinary circumstances, student anxieties, and the absence of clear warning signs can impact critical decisions during a crisis.

Here are examples of how different individuals might respond to the same traumatic situation, such as the experience Dylan and Bethany endured. These responses reflect the natural variation in human psychology and resilience after trauma:

Examples of Different Responses to the Same Trauma

1. Acute Stress and Withdrawal

  • One person might become withdrawn, avoiding conversations, social events, or even leaving their home. They may have difficulty sleeping, experience nightmares, and show signs of hypervigilance or startle easily.

2. Seeking Support and Community

  • Another individual might cope by reaching out for support—talking openly with friends, family, or mental health professionals. They may attend support groups for survivors of trauma or engage in advocacy or awareness efforts related to the tragedy.

3. Survivor’s Guilt and Self-Blame

  • Some survivors, like Dylan and Bethany, may struggle with survivor’s guilt, questioning their actions and blaming themselves for surviving while others did not. This can manifest as persistent feelings of shame or intrusive thoughts about what they “should have done.”

4. Emotional Numbing

  • Others may experience emotional numbing, where they feel detached from their emotions or from the reality of the event. They might appear calm or unaffected on the outside, even though they are struggling internally.

5. Anger or Irritability

  • Trauma can lead to increased irritability or anger. Some may direct their frustration at themselves, others, or even at systems or authorities they feel failed them or their friends.

6. Hyperactivity or Distraction

  • A person might throw themselves into work, studies, or hobbies to distract from their pain. This can sometimes be a way to avoid processing difficult emotions.

7. Delayed Reactions

  • Not everyone feels the effects of trauma immediately. For some, symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD may develop weeks or months after the event.

8. Resilience and Growth

  • It’s also possible for survivors to demonstrate post-traumatic growth, finding new strengths, greater compassion, or a new sense of purpose after working through their trauma—though not everyone experiences this, especially in the immediate aftermath.

References:

These examples illustrate that trauma responses are highly individual. There’s no single “right” way to react, and the process of healing can look very different from one person to the next.

Dylan and Bethany were two students who believed that Saturday night would be just like any other weekend evening. Their house was always busy—a lively place known for its parties. Despite what they heard and saw, neither girl ever imagined they would become surviving victims and witnesses to the horrific murders of their four housemates.

That night, the girls stayed up for a while before drifting off to sleep. When they awoke, the house, usually bustling with activity, was eerily quiet—an unusual silence for a home with five residents and one pet dog, sweet little Murthy, who was Kaylee’s and Jack’s dog. Confused and alarmed, they panicked. They were scared and reached out to friends for help—something not uncommon for students in their early twenties.

In rural Moscow, Idaho, murders were rare, let alone a quadruple homicide of innocent students. Is it so difficult to understand the trauma these two young women experienced? Even if they weren’t fully aware of what had happened in the early hours of November 13, 2022, the reality and trauma struck them hard when Hunter told them to get out of the house and call 911, despite not knowing the extent of the tragic loss they were about to be faced with in just a few minutes.

Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were housemates of the murdered victims: Ethan Chapin and his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, as well as Kaylee Goncalves and her childhood best friend and like-a-sister, Madison (Maddie) Mogen. All four were brutally slain by Bryan Kohberger, who has since pleaded guilty to all charges for this sadistic and vile crime.

On the morning after the Idaho murders

On the morning after the murders, Dylan and Bethany woke up to an eerily quiet house, which was extremely unusual. By 10 a.m., there were still no signs of anyone walking upstairs, chatting, laughing, or making any noise. After repeatedly calling out to all four housemates and getting no response, they decided to seek help from their close friend Emily Alandt. Emily and her boyfriend, Hunter Johnson—who was Ethan Chapin’s best friend, while Emily was close to Xana Kernodle—arrived at 1122 King Road where Dylan and Bethany were waiting in Bethany’s first-floor bedroom.

The two girls told Hunter and Emily what they had seen and heard in the early hours around 4 a.m., but admitted they hadn’t thought much of it until that morning. Hunter went upstairs, followed by the girls, and entered Xana’s bedroom. The door was open, and Hunter immediately saw Xana lying on the floor. He recognized, from clear signs—such as the presence of blood and the appearance of her body—that Xana was dead, but chose not to tell the girls directly. Instead, he instructed them to get out of the house and call 911, reporting an unconscious person.

Although Ethan was later found dead in Xana’s room, Hunter had not seen him, possibly because of the door’s position, which hid Ethan from view. Hunter decided not to investigate further, knowing that two other housemates and possibly Ethan were in the house and wanting to spare the girls additional trauma. He waited for law enforcement and paramedics to arrive and make the official pronouncements.

After the 911 call

After the 911 call, police and emergency services arrived and discovered the four murdered housemates—Xana, Ethan, Kaylee, and Maddie. Hunter and the girls were told to wait outside across the street from the house. Paramedics gave them blankets and something to stand on, as Dylan and Bethany did not have shoes.

Recently released bodycam footage

Recently released bodycam footage from the first responding officer shows him interviewing Dylan and Bethany on the side of the road. In the footage, Dylan Mortensen can be heard saying she “opened the door for a second,” whereas detectives later reported in interviews and court documents that she said, “I opened the door for a second time.” This detail doesn’t align with what Dylan stated on the bodycam at the crime scene, immediately after the victims were discovered on November 13, 2022.

For more than two and a half years, details about the surviving housemates, as well as Hunter and Emily, were kept sealed from the public and law enforcement. This secrecy fueled drama, speculation, and even abuse directed at them—including false accusations of involvement in the murders or claims that they had directly killed their friends. Rumors spread that Hunter, Emily, Dylan, and Bethany knew the victims were dead before calling 911 and had cleaned up the crime scene or hidden evidence, such as drugs, before contacting law enforcement. As a result, Dylan, Bethany, Hunter, and Emily have faced horrible accusations, threats, and ongoing discomfort in their daily lives.

The bottom line—and nothing but the truth—is that Dylan Mortensen, Bethany Funke, Hunter Johnson, and Emily Alandt are innocent. They are emotionally devastated by the loss of their friends. Hunter and Emily were only at the house that morning because Dylan and Bethany reached out to them for help, asking them to go upstairs and look for their housemates. Any suggestion otherwise is unfounded, cruel, and only adds to the pain these young people continue to endure.

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