Dylan Mortensen, a survivor of the University of Idaho student massacre, has asked a Latah County judge to halt an order that would allow for the release of video and images that could reveal her face. In a firsthand letter to Judge Megan Marshall, Mortensen detailed how the trauma of the events has upended her life and expressed fears that any public exposure could further endanger her.
"I worry that even appearing in the background of someone’s photo could lead to more people recognizing me or identifying where I am," Mortensen wrote in an affidavit. She stated that she now uses an alias for deliveries, at her job, and when introducing herself to new people.
Since the November 2022 murders, Mortensen and her family have relocated nine times in an effort to protect their privacy and safety. "Reporters and strangers investigating the case on their own have shown up outside our homes, followed family members, and invaded our privacy in ways that have made it difficult to feel safe," she wrote. Mortensen was one of the first to speak with police after they responded to the King Road residence where four students were found dead.
Mortensen's attorney, Robyn McPherson, filed a motion to intervene after Judge Marshall agreed to release previously withheld records to an independent media company, EWU Media LLC. The motion asks the judge to reconsider her October 20 order and issue a stay until petitions and appeals are resolved. McPherson is also requesting that the judge require Moscow authorities to identify the withheld records and submit them for a private judicial review.
McPherson argued that the city attorney had informed her that the documents would likely include interviews, photographs, and videos of Mortensen. EWU Media LLC had filed a public records request on August 28, 2025, which was partially denied, prompting the company to ask the court to compel disclosure.
Mortensen's attorney is seeking to join the case to pursue a stay on the release of additional images and a reconsideration of Marshall's order, asserting that neither Moscow officials nor other intervenors, such as the families of Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogen, have adequately represented her client's specific privacy interests. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for November 12.
Bryan Kohberger, who was found guilty of the murders, is currently involved in proceedings regarding post-conviction relief, with a hearing set for December 10.