A former Bryan Kohberger college professor has said the accused murderer was “one of my best students, ever” – and the then masters candidate was one of only two students she recommended for a doctorate. program.
Michelle Bolger, 33, an associate professor at DeSales University in Pennsylvania, told the Daily Mail that Kohberger, who was arrested in the murders of four University of Idaho students, was a “great writer” and a “brilliant student”.
“In my 10 years of teaching, I have only recommended two students for a doctorate. program and he was one of them. He was one of my best students, ever. Everyone is in shock,” she told the outlet, adding that he was “always completely professional” with her.
The associate professor at the private Catholic University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, said she was stunned that her former student was charged with the shocking crime.
“I am shocked as s— at what he was accused of. I don’t believe it, but I get it,” Bolger said. “This news is shocking. I haven’t slept at all since I heard about Bryan.
Bolger told the outlet that she taught Kohberger in an online class last year and helped him with his master’s thesis at DeSales.
“I’ve never seen him in person, couldn’t tell you how tall he was or how much he weighed, my only interaction with him was via email and Zoom. I didn’t know anything about him, if he was married, had a girlfriend, etc. Bolger told the Daily Mail.
“He seemed normal to me, but again, I only knew him from teaching him online. I didn’t know anything personal about him. I believe he was working full time like most of our graduate students,” she added.
Bolger said she advised Kohberger with her thesis, which involved asking people about their thoughts and feelings while committing a crime.
“I was one of the professors who helped Bryan with his proposal for his graduate thesis, his capstone project. He brought out a routine questionnaire for his thesis. It looks weird, I understand from the audience’s point of view. But in criminology it’s normal,’ she told the Daily Mail.
“It’s a criminological theory called script theory, it’s a normal theory of how and why criminals commit their crime etc.,” she said.
After graduating from DeSales last year, Kohberger enrolled as a doctoral student at Washington State University in Pullman, just 15 miles from Moscow.
Here’s the latest coverage on the brutal murders of four college friends:
The 28-year-old was arrested Friday at his family home in Pennsylvania and will soon be extradited to Idaho to face four counts of first degree murder after he waived his right to an extradition hearing.
He “looks forward to being cleared of these charges and looks forward to resolving these matters as quickly as possible,” his public defender Jason LaBar said in a statement.
. The old teacher Bryan Kohberger said he was student brilliant
