World · North America · 3 hrs ago
Idaho murders survivor asks judge to keep her face blurred in recordings
Dylan Mortensen is asking an Idaho judge to keep her face blurred in investigative recordings tied to the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students.
Mortensen was living with the students in a home in Moscow, Idaho, when they were killed.
She told police she saw a masked man in the home that night, and she and another roommate survived.
She says years of threats and accusations have disrupted her life, and that she and her family have moved nine times.
Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the killings and was sentenced to life in prison in 2025; he is now trying to withdraw his plea.
A judge ordered investigative records released after a company that makes crime documentaries sued the city of Moscow, though records covered by legal exemptions may be withheld.
Mortensen says that showing extended police interviews and body-camera footage without blurring her face could make her easier to recognize and expose her to more harassment.
A hearing on her request is set for next week, and the court will consider her privacy concerns alongside public access to records.
Dylan Mortensen is asking a judge to keep her face blurred in investigative recordings related to the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students.
She says she has faced years of harassment, threats and accusations, and that she and her family have moved nine times.
Mortensen says releasing extended footage could make her easier to identify and expose her expressions to public scrutiny.
A judge ordered the city of Moscow to disclose records sought by crime-documentary producer EWU Media, subject to applicable exemptions.
A hearing on Mortensen’s motion is scheduled for next week.
- Who
- Dylan Mortensen, a survivor and former roommate of the four students who were killed, is seeking the protections.
- What
- She asks a judge to keep her face blurred in investigative recordings due to privacy and safety concerns.
- When
- She filed an affidavit dated October 29; a hearing is set for next week.
- Where
- Latah County, Idaho; the recordings concern the killings in Moscow, Idaho.
- Why
- She says she has endured harassment and threats and fears that footage showing her face could make her easier to identify.
Dylan Mortensen
EWU Media
Access to recordings
Dylan Mortensen
Mortensen wants her face to remain blurred in police interviews and other investigative footage.
EWU Media
EWU Media sued the city of Moscow to obtain records related to the case.
Privacy and transparency
Dylan Mortensen
Mortensen says removing the protections could harm her privacy and personal safety.
EWU Media
EWU Media sought release of the records; its position on keeping Mortensen’s face blurred is not stated.
Four University of Idaho students were killed in their home in Moscow, Idaho.
Bryan Kohberger received four life sentences after pleading guilty, according to Us Weekly.
Judge Megan Marshall ordered the city of Moscow to disclose records, subject to applicable exemptions.
Mortensen filed an affidavit describing harassment and asking to preserve the facial blurring.
A hearing on Mortensen’s motion is scheduled.
- Victim count
- Four University of Idaho students
- Crime date
- November 13, 2022
- Location
- Moscow, Idaho
- Affidavit date
- October 29
- Family moves
- Nine
- Documented messages
- More than 30 screenshots of messages, according to Mortensen’s affidavit
2 sources
What people are saying
my life “has changed in ways I never could have imagined.
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
I understand the importance of transparency and why the public has an interest in this case
I have preserved more than 30 screenshots documenting these messages, which span multiple years and demonstrate that the harassment did not end after the initial attention surrounding the case