Dylan Mortensen, a roommate of the four University of Idaho students killed in 2022, has detailed the years of harassment, threats, and unfounded accusations she has endured since the tragedy. In a court filing, Mortensen requested that her face be blurred in an upcoming release of investigative video recordings, stating that her life has changed in ways she never could have imagined.
In an affidavit filed Oct. 29, Mortensen explained that the "amount of attention and hostility" she has received has "affected nearly every aspect" of her life. This harassment has forced her and her family to move nine times. Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison last year after pleading guilty to the Nov. 13, 2022, stabbing deaths of the students in Moscow, Idaho. He is currently attempting to withdraw his plea.
Judge Megan Marshall ordered the release of records after EWU Media, a documentary production company, sued the city of Moscow for them. In her affidavit supporting her motion to intervene in the case, Mortensen specifically asked Marshall to ensure her face is blurred in police interviews, body-camera footage, and other investigative recordings.
Mortensen noted that her statements to law enforcement are already available through previously released recordings. "I am already being recognized despite the privacy protections currently in place, and I worry that making additional footage of my face available would make it even easier for strangers to identify me in everyday situations," she wrote.
Marshall ruled that the Idaho Public Records Act does not broadly exempt the identity of witnesses in an investigation, but she stated that the city had not demonstrated that specific records were properly withheld. She ordered the city to disclose them, absent any applicable exemptions.
Mortensen described receiving "numerous unsolicited messages from strangers accusing me of participating in my friends’ murders, blaming me for their deaths, and making cruel statements about what they believe should happen to me." She has adopted an alias at her job and uses a different name for package deliveries to protect her privacy.
She emphasized the distinction between publicly available photos and videos and the extended footage of police interviews and body-camera recordings taken during a highly traumatic period. Mortensen fears that the release of this footage, which captures her speech patterns, reactions, and expressions, could increase her recognizability and lead to further scrutiny. She expressed a desire to engage in ordinary life experiences, such as working, attending events, and spending time with friends, without constant fear of being recognized or confronted.
A motion hearing in the case is scheduled for next week.