Judge Hears Arguments Over University of Idaho Records

Dylan Mortensen seeks to keep her face blurred in previously released police footage from the 2022 killings.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Sex Crimes

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a stone courthouse facade with columns and a flag under a pale overcast sky, in deep red, cream, and slate grey. — A federal judge in Idaho will hear arguments Thursday on whether redactions concealing a surviving roommate's face in 2022 University of Idaho murder footage should stay in place. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

A judge will hear arguments Thursday over access to records from the 2022 University of Idaho murders. Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen asks that existing redactions concealing her face be preserved in police interviews and body-camera footage.

Why it matters

The case weighs a survivor's safety concerns against public access to investigative records in Idaho. The outcome could shape how much identifying material from the case becomes available to the public and media.

Idaho Judge Megan Marshall has already ordered the release of previously withheld records, and Thursday's hearing addresses Mortensen's request to keep her face concealed. Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four murders and was sentenced to four consecutive life terms.

The players

Dylan Mortensen

One of two roommates who survived the 2022 University of Idaho attack and has since faced public attention.

EWU Media

A company that produces crime documentaries and sued the city of Moscow to obtain investigative records.

Megan Marshall

An Idaho judge who ordered the release of previously withheld records in the case.

Bryan Kohberger

The former criminology student who pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the four University of Idaho murders.

The details

EWU Media, a company that produces crime documentaries, sued the city of Moscow to obtain investigative records. Mortensen submitted an affidavit citing years of harassment and threats following the killings in support of keeping existing redactions in place.

November 2022: Attack on University of Idaho students occurred.
July 2025: Kohberger pleaded guilty to four murders.
Thursday: Judge hears arguments over records access.

Legal Context

The dispute follows Kohberger's July 2025 guilty plea and four consecutive life sentences, which closed the criminal case but left open questions about public access to its records. It tests how Idaho courts balance transparency in investigative files against the privacy and safety of surviving victims.

Thursday's ruling will determine whether the faces of survivors remain blurred in records available to the public and media. Residents and reporters following the case will see whether previously released footage stays as it is or becomes fully visible.

The takeaway

Survivors of violent crimes may seek ongoing protection of their identities even after a case concludes. Readers following court records should note that redactions can be contested long after a trial ends.