Author: KIFI

Stephanie Lucas

BOISE, IDAHO (KIFI) – The Bryan Kohberger murder case has taken another unexpected turn.

All four families of the murdered University of Idaho students are suing Washington State University, according to the Idaho Statesman.

The lawsuit maintains the University remained “idle,” despite knowing about what the lawsuit claims were “repeated instances of discrimination, sexual harassment, and stalking by Kohberger in its educational program.”

Kohberger was a teaching assistant at Washington State University while he was pursuing his P.h.D in criminology at the time of the murders.

The families claim WSU’s inaction on previous complaints that Kohberger was harassing women “ultimately culminated in Kohberger stalking and murdering the decedents.”

The Statesman got the 126-page complaint from Skagit County Superior Court in Washington. It seeks unspecified monetary damages. 

All four University of Idaho students – Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen – were murdered in an off-campus home in Moscow in November 2022.

Bryan Kohberger took a plea deal on four counts of first-degree murder earlier this year.

He is serving four life terms plus ten years at the Idaho maximum security institution. 

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David Pace

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – Following the tragic shooting at the LDS meetinghouse in Salt Lake City, students at Brigham Young University-Idaho shared their reactions to the devastating news.

“Something so tragic as a shooting like this is very upsetting and very sad for not only the people of Utah, but also for people around the world,” said Tessa Crapo, a student from Washington.

Sterling Jarvis had been in Utah’s capital on Wednesday.

“I was pretty like shocked when I heard about it. My fiance and I actually just traveled from Salt Lake, like, literally yesterday, so we, like, had perfect luck. I mean, we weren’t going to a church house or anything, but it was just pretty freaky that we were just right there,” Jarvis said. “It’s always, like, an awful thing to … like, violence is never okay. That was just super tragic.”

Mary Beth Jarman, a senior at the university, had a relative who was present at another church shooting in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

“It just makes me kind of upset because those are sacred places, and those are places that a lot of people come to worship,” Jarman said. “It’s a community, and so there really isn’t any right for any individuals to come in and try and disrupt that.”

Salt Lake City police have confirmed that the shooting was not a hate crime, and the students shared their hopes for healing in spite of the attack.

“I don’t know if it’s, like, targeted or something like that, but, you know, there’ll always be people that want to tear down things that are good,” said Miles Miller.

The students expressed confidence and optimism that despite the tragedy, they will move forward with their lives and continue to make a positive difference in the world.

“This is completely wrong, and we need to start taking action because if it was my brother, I would take action,” said BYU-Idaho student Hyrum Earl. “I would say, ‘Hey, I need to start doing something now to help this not ever happen again.’”

BYU-Idaho students discuss Wednesday’s shooting in Salt Lake City at a LDS church.

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Seth Ratliff

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — The Pocatello Police Department is actively asking for the public’s help in finding a critically missing, endangered man.

Matthew Stuart Apted left his apartment and belongings in a damaged state at the end of September 2025. However, he continued to speak with family on the phone through text and phone calls until December 16, 2025, when he said he would be boarding a plane to Colorado on December 23, 2025.

He has not been heard from since. According to the Police, Apted may be suffering from mental health issues and suicidal ideations.

He was last seen walking around Yellowstone Drive in Pocatello wearing a long trench coat.

Anyone who has seen Apted or may have information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Pocatello Police Department at (208)234-6100.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the City of Idaho Falls:

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, Jan. 9, Union Pacific crews will conduct railroad crossing work at the crossing between N. Holmes Avenue and N. Boulevard. Work is anticipated to be completed by Sunday, Jan. 11.

Work will take place daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will occur in phases. During the first phase, the center median will be closed for vacuum truck cleaning near the crossing. In a later phase, outside lanes will be closed to remove old railroad crossing signal equipment.

Drivers should expect lane closures and delays in the area. Please watch for posted directional signs, slow down and use caution near construction crews.

While this is not a City of Idaho Falls project, a notice is being sent to help Union Pacific alert the public. For questions, please contact Union Pacific at (316) 452-0949.

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News Team

MADISON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 29-year-old Sugar City man is in custody following a multi-month investigation into the possession of child pornography.

Jacob Morris was arrested on January 7, 2026, after investigators from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Idaho Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, executed a search warrant at his residence.

The case began on October 31, 2025, when Madison County detectives received a “Cyber Tip” from the Idaho ICAC Task Force. Following a two-month investigation, authorities obtained a warrant for Morris’s Sugar City home.

During the search on Tuesday, detectives took Morris into custody without incident. He has been charged with ten felony counts of possession of sexually exploitative material.

Morris made his initial appearance in Madison County Court on January 8, 2026. During the arraignment, a judge set his bond at $300,000.

This is a developing story. Local News 8 will provide additional details as we learn more information. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Ariel Jensen

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls Police Department has released body camera footage and identified the suspect in a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred just before Christmas last year.

To view the body camera video, click HERE. Viewer discretion advised.

Eduardo Trejo De Arcos, 26, died on Dec. 22 after he was shot by Officer Eric Rose, after De Arcos allegedly lunged for and grabbed a large knife as officers responded to a domestic disturbance call.

RELATED – IFPD: Man fatally shot after lunging for knife during domestic call

Shooting Background

The shooting took place at an apartment on the 700 block of Cleveland Street. Officers arrived at 5:17 a.m. following a 911 call from the father of De Arcos’ pregnant girlfriend. The father reported that De Arcos was threatening his daughter, who’d asked him to call the police.

Upon arrival, the body camera footage shows as the officers met De Arcos at the door, informing him they were responding to a noise complaint. While one officer remained De Arcos in the front room, Officer Rose spoke privately with the victim. During this conversation, she alleged that she and De Arcos had been arguing all night, and he’d threatened to kill her, even going so far as to choke her with one hand while holding a large knife in the other. Afterward, she had texted her father to call the police.

When questioned, De Arcos admitted to pushing the woman and threatening to kill her father, but denied choking her or using a weapon. During the interview, IFPD notes that Officer Rose spotted a knife in plain view inside a dresser drawer located on a couch near De Arcos.

The situation turned violent when Officer Rose informed De Arcos that he was under arrest. Police say De Arcos lunged for the knife and began struggling with the officers. The released footage shows the officers struggling with De Arco,s eventually pushing him toward the kitchen to disengage from the fight. However, De Arcos turned back toward them with the knife raised in his right hand.

Officer Rose fired a single shot, striking De Arcos in the chest. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by officers and arriving EMS, De Arcos was pronounced dead at the scene.

Ongoing Investigation

Per department policy, Officer Rose has been placed on administrative leave, as confirmed in IFPD’s original release. The East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force, led by the Rexburg Police Department, is conducting an independent investigation.

Once the investigation is complete, the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office will determine if the use of deadly force was legally justified.

“Domestic disturbance calls can be some of the most serious and most volatile calls that officers respond to,” said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. He noted that while the department responded to over 900 such calls last year, most are resolved peacefully.

“We encourage anyone who may be a victim of domestic violence to seek help from resources like the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, and report crimes to police,” concluded Chief Johnson.

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Doug Long

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Since the 1950s, the Idaho National Lab, known locally as “the site,” has been the testing grounds for nuclear reactors for both the Department of Energy and the U.S. Military. But producing any type of energy is not without risk of accidents, and the site has seen three.

The first was a deliberate destructive test at the Borax-1 reactor in 1954. The second was in 1955 at the now famous EBR-1 known for generating the first usable electricity from atomic energy. Neither of those accidents injured anyone, and there was no threat of radioactive contamination.

But the third accident, in January of 1961, was much worse. That accident was deadly.

65 years ago, on a cold January night in the west desert, three men were tasked with starting up the “stationary low power reactor number one” or SL-1 after it had been shut down for the Christmas and New Year holidays. What happened that night led to a gruesome chapter in nuclear energy history. 

The U.S. Army had dozens of manned radar stations at the Arctic Circle and this new form of electricity generation seemed like the ideal way to power those outposts.

“That particular reactor was designed – put on your Cold War hat again – for what is called the distant early warning line, (or) the dew line,” explains Shelly Norman. “They (the federal government) were going to have reactors and these little outposts along northern Canada and they would use these reactors to power those outposts.”

The SL-1 was the testing ground for a reactor that would power a warning system in case the soviets attacked.

On that night in January, army specialists Richard McKinley and John Byrnes, and navy electrician first class Richard Legg were the only men on duty responsible for restarting the reactor. This entailed pulling a single control rod upward between 3 and 4 inches from the bottom of the reactor, but no farther.

“They had just come back, first night from the break,” explains Norman as she paints the scene leading to the accident. “It’s 17 below zero. The night crew was attaching that control rod to a mechanical arm…instead of pulling it four inches, they pulled it out 20.”

At the point where John Byrnes pulled the central control rod beyond 4 inches, a power surge ten million percent above normal operation vaporized the core of SL-1 sending the 26-thousand-pound reactor core over nine feet into the air and firing the control rods, like missiles, into the ceiling.  Sl-1 had just gone prompt critical.

Experiments would show that the explosion was equal to more than 70 pounds of TNT, and all of that energy was sent directly into the bodies of McKinley, Legg, and Byrnes. There were no survivors.

What followed was a lengthy and tedious process of recovering the dead soldiers whose bodies were now highly radioactive and then deconstructing and cleaning up the site. It took a year to complete.

In May of 1961, a burial ground was constructed 16 hundred feet from the original site, where 99 thousand cubic feet of material would be sealed underground. 

The only monument to the reactor, a fence with hazard warning signs encircling the area. Another monument memorializing the three men killed that night sits at the EBR-1 reactor museum overlooking the area where SL-1 once stood.

Lessons were learned from the SL-1 meltdown. No future reactor would ever be built using a single control rod to start operation, but one thing was never determined: Why? Why did John Byrnes pull the central control rod out so far?

The best explanation based on mock-ups and experiments to reproduce that moment is that the control rod was stuck, as it had been many times before, and Brynes simply pulled too hard to get it loose.

But you’d be hard-pressed to find a telling of this story that didn’t suggest it was a suicide or even murder. Earlier that evening, John Byrne’s wife had called to tell him she wanted a divorce, and there were rumors that Richard Legg may have been having an affair with her.  

No evidence of foul play was ever found, and the final report that took over 2 years to complete concluded the cause was accidental.

While the failure of SL-1 will always be the focus of that project, SL-1’s successes and failures continue to help shape the path of nuclear energy production today.

There have been conflicting reports on where the three men are buried.

However, credible reports indicate that the three men were placed in lead-lined coffins specially made at the site and sent to their families. John Byrnes was buried in New York, and Richard Legg was laid to rest in Michigan. Meanwhile, the body of Richard McKinley is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, in a specially constructed, deep, concrete-lined vault. His headstone has an inscription on the back of it that says “Do not exhume: Contact the Department of Energy.”

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Seth Ratliff

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KIFI) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has been called to serve as the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the faith’s second-highest governing body.

President Uchtdorf was set apart for his new role on January 8, 2026, by Church President Dallin H. Oaks. This transition in leadership follows the passing of President Jeffrey R. Holland, who died on December 27, 2025.

The First Presidency. From left to right: President Henry B. Eyring (First Counselor), President Dallin H. Oaks (President), and President D. Todd Christofferson (Second Counselor). Courtesy LDS Church Newsroom.

In accordance with established Church practice, the presidency of the Quorum of the Twelve is determined by seniority of ordination. While President Henry B. Eyring is the most senior member and the official President of the Quorum, he currently serves as the First Counselor in the First Presidency, the highest governing body of the faith.

For this reason, the faith says President Uchtdorf will serve as “Acting President,” as President Holland did from November 15, 2023, through September 27, 2025.    

President Uchtdorf brings decades of leadership experience to this role. He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 2, 2004, where he later served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency under the late President Thomas S. Monson from 2008 to 2018.

Before his call to full-time Church service, President Uchtodrf served as a fighter pilot earning his wings from both the German and US air forces before becoming an executive and senior captain for Lufthansa German Airlines.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 08 JAN 26 14:24 ET

By Garna Mejia

Click here for updates on this story

    OGDEN (KSL) — New details are shedding light on the criminal background of a 21-year-old Ogden man accused of building multiple homemade bombs and posting antisemitic threats online. For at least one neighbor, the arrest came as no surprise.

Shannon Storrs, who lives near the suspect, Skyler AJ Rose, said she and her husband are still grappling with the scope of what police uncovered at his home near 1300 Millcreek Drive.

“It’s still kind of unsettling to me and my husband knowing that he had that many bombs,” Storrs said.

A prior encounter turns dangerous Storrs described a frightening encounter with Rose months before his Christmas Eve arrest. In May 2025, she was walking with her young daughter when a gunshot rang out just feet away. Surveillance video later showed Rose entering and leaving the field where the shot was fired.

Shortly before the incident, Storrs said, the suspect walked past her home, where she was sitting on the porch with her daughter. Rose then entered an empty field on the side of Storrs’ home, which sits at the end of a cul-de-sac.

“He walked by our front driveway, and my daughter was waving at him. He didn’t even acknowledge us at all. He just kept walking,” Storrs said, explaining that her daughter then started walking in the direction Rose was heading.

“We were walking a few minutes behind him, but we got into the wooded area, and I just had this weird feeling to turn around, so we got back to the side of my house, and I heard a gun shot go off, and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy killed himself.’ So I called 911, and not even one minute later, he walks out of there,” Storrs said.

According to a probable cause statement, officers found a firearm in Rose’s pocket and additional evidence in his backpack, including what investigators described as a “custom-made shotgun.” The officer noted the backpack smelled strongly of gunpowder and the weapon appeared to have been recently fired. Rose also had a “black substance on his hands and smelt of gun powder.”

Rose ultimately accepted a plea deal, pleading no contest to discharging a weapon within Ogden city limits and disorderly conduct — class B and class C misdemeanors held in abeyance. He was fined $400, was ordered to complete a gun safety course and was served with a protective order requiring him to stay away from Storrs. As a restricted person, he was barred from possessing firearms.

Storrs said the incident left her shaken, especially as she prepared to welcome another child.

“I’m also pregnant, so I was worried for my new baby and my daughter to be in the front yard. I have been on pins and needles,” she said. “I was afraid he was going to retaliate.”

Christmas Eve arrest and bomb cache On Dec. 23, police arrested Rose again — this time on far more serious allegations. Charging documents claim he had amassed an arsenal that included six completed homemade bombs, a nearly finished metal pipe bomb, and materials for four additional explosive devices. Investigators also reported finding detonation triggers, ball bearings “to maximize personal damage,” two AK-style rifles, a .22 rifle, and a significant amount of ammunition.

Detectives say Rose had also collected bags of tourniquets, gauze and survivalist gear.

Online, they found several antisemitic posts attributed to him, including threats referencing synagogues and violent rhetoric targeting Jewish people.

“Knowing what they found, I very well think that he could’ve done something very, very bad,” Storrs said.

Ongoing investigation Rose is being held without bail as Ogden police continue their investigation. Authorities say they currently believe he was acting alone. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday, facing 15 criminal charges, including 14 felonies.

For Storrs, the arrest brings relief but not complete peace.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KSL verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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CNN Newsource

Originally Published: 08 JAN 26 14:27 ET

By Lorien Nettleton

Click here for updates on this story

    TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KIVI) — More than four months after a tragic boating accident on the Snake River claimed the life of a 19-year-old man, two women who risked their lives attempting a rescue have been recognized for their heroism.

Madison Moorefield and Bree-Anna Ferrell received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award from the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office during a ceremony that fell on what would have been victim Landon Wade’s 20th birthday.

The accident occurred on Aug. 31, 2025, when Wade and Andrew Hauser were thrown from their boat after hitting a wake on the Snake River.

Moorefield was kayaking nearby when she witnessed the men fall into the water.

“There was nothing in their way; they weren’t being dumb. They literally just hit a wake and went in,” Moorefield said.

She immediately paddled toward the men as fast as she could. During what she said, felt like an eternity, she watched Wade, who was fully unconscious, being held up by his hair by Hauser, who was starting to drown himself while trying to save his friend.

As Moorefield reached the scene, fellow kayaker Ferrell also paddled over to help. Together, they secured Hauser, who was still conscious. Ferrell then dove into the water, attempting to reach Wade, who was sinking.

“There was no thinking, there was just doing,” Ferrell said. “There’s somebody in the water that needs help, I want to be that help.”

The stretch of the Snake River where the accident occurred is approximately 20 feet deep with dark, murky water, making diving extremely difficult for anyone without proper equipment. Despite their efforts, the women were unable to reach Wade.

“I thought that I had him, and he just kept slipping from me, and so watching him dive down that was the hardest part,” Ferrell said.

Moorefield said that not being able to reach Wade is what “eats me alive the most.”

Sgt. Ken Mencl, who was on marine patrol that day, praised the women’s extraordinary actions.

“To see two women on kayaks risk their lives and paddle out, and do what they did, is extraordinary,” Mencl said.

He noted that the women’s information and assistance made it possible for crews to quickly recover Wade’s body. Their willingness to help in a tragic situation stood out to law enforcement.

“It’s not common for people who see somebody in a tragedy to stop and to risk their own life to help somebody that’s needing it,” Mencl said.

Wade’s family was able to join the ceremony by video from California. The timing of the recognition ceremony on Wade’s birthday held special meaning for those involved.

“The fact that his parents showed up today was amazing. The fact that today is Landon’s birthday, I felt like I got to share that day with him,” one of the honorees said.

The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office offers regular boating safety classes for the public.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KIVI verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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