Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger's sister is a small-time actor and starred in a gory thriller that revolved around young university students who were brutally stabbed to death while on a camping trip. Amanda Kohberger, 34, starred as Lori in the low-budget thriller "Two Days Back" where students were hacked to death with hatchets and knives.
This has now raised doubts in the minds of many whether Bryan Kohberger got the idea of stabbing to death the four Idaho University students from the same film. Kohberger was arrested on Friday in connection with the terrible stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, that took place in Moscow, Idaho on November 13.
Chilling Similarities
Amanda's film "Two Days Back" has eerie similarities to the stabbing deaths of four young college friends in their beds that occurred in distant Moscow, Idaho, and for which Bryan is currently on trial. The film was released in 2011 and the murders in the film look much like the Bryan Kohberger committed 11 years later.
In the horror film, the group is seen being killed one by one by a psychotic killer who gained their trust, but Kohberger's sister is one of the few to survive the killings.
Kohberger, 28, was arrested on December 30 at his parents' Pennsylvania residence, days after the family had gathered to celebrate the holidays together.
Kevin Boon, directors of the film, told the New York Post: "You're f***ing kidding me, her brother is that guy? Goddamn man, holy cow.
"I remember her well. I directed the movie, wrote the movie, I cast her. She is a lovely woman, who was very nice. I liked her a lot."
The movie was made with students, according to Boon, a professor of English and media studies at Penn State Mont Alto, who cast aspiring actress Amanda Kohberger after an open call for actors.
Unlike Her Brother
The movie may have chilling identical similarities with the murders of the four Idaho University students but Boon says Amanda is a completely different kind of person. "I know she had tried to get into movies. On low-budget movies, there's a bunch of scummy kind of guys, but she was smart enough not to go for that stuff," Boon said.
"There was nothing weird about her I cannot believe that's her brother. Amanda, who now works as a licensed school counselor in Pennsylvania, went for the role in open auditions.
According to the film's promotional materials, it follows a group of "environmentally conscious students" who venture into the woods on a six-day quest to catch forestry students suspected of illegal logging.
However, things soon go wrong as the students disappear and are found bleeding to death from knife wounds, have been captured in bear traps, or have been killed and then fastened to trees.
However, Amanda's character "Lori" escapes the twisted peer with a previously undiscovered connection to the woods that ends up killing several pupils. She runs away as things start to get strange and is safely returns to campus at the end of the film.
Amanda, who now works as a licensed school counselor in Pennsylvania, attended Kohberger's extradition hearing on Tuesday together with her sister Melissa, parents Michael and Maryann, and her parents.
In a statement made on Sunday, Bryan Kohberger's family stated that they support him and want to " promote his presumption of innocence." The alleged murderer is expected to plead not guilty to the crimes.
Jason LaBar, Bryan's Pennsylvania-based attorney, stated in a prior statement that Bryan "is eager to be exonerated of these charges."
Katherine Howard, a co-star of Amanda Kohberger's, told The Post that the two "were friends while we shot the film" but have since lost touch.
"I don't know much about her family or anything, she was a very sweet girl, we got along great," she said.
Bryan Kohberger is accused of four charges of murder and one count of felony burglary. When he appears in court, the probable cause document that supported his arrest will be made public.
Kohberger waived his right to extradition and left the Monroe County Correctional Facility at six in the morning in a hearing on Tuesday. Kohberger has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary.
