Dylan Mortensen Asks Latah County Judge to Block Unredacted Video Release
“I worry that even appearing in the background of someone’s photo could lead to more people recognizing me or identifying where I am,” Dylan Mortensen wrote in a firsthand affidavit detailing how the aftermath of the University of Idaho student massacre has upended her life, Fox News reported.
Nearly four years after coming face-to-face with a masked man inside 1122 King Road on November 13, 2022, the surviving roommate is asking Latah County Judge Megan Marshall to press pause on an order that would release video footage and images showing her unblurred face. Mortensen’s legal team filed a motion to intervene and reconsider an October 20 order granting the release of records requested by EWU Media LLC, arguing that disclosing unredacted files constitutes an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
The legal battle centers on records the City of Moscow previously withheld under public records requests. While city attorneys indicated those files include interviews, photographs, and videos of Mortensen, her attorney, Robyn McPherson, argues that municipal lawyers failed to provide the disputed files to the judge for private judicial review before the initial ruling was handed down.
The Hidden Toll of Constant Speculation and Public Scrutiny
Since the murders of her roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, she and her family have relocated nine times.
“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,” Mortensen wrote in her affidavit. She now uses an alias for delivery orders, at her job, and when introducing herself to strangers.
Mortensen saw a masked man in the house after the 4 a.m. stabbings and texted another surviving roommate, but 911 was not called until noon the following day after friends arrived at the residence.
“Along with losing four of my friends and experiencing something incredibly traumatic, I have spent nearly four years dealing with public attention, harassment, threats, and constant speculation about my involvement in what happened. People who have never met me have formed opinions about my character, questioned my actions, and accused me of things I had absolutely nothing to do with.”
Neither Moscow city officials nor other intervenors in the case, including the families of Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogen, share Mortensen’s specific legal interest in guarding her visual anonymity, according to her attorney.
Upcoming Court Dates and Next Steps in the Legal Proceedings
The broader criminal case against Bryan Kohberger shifted dramatically when he pleaded guilty in July 2025, though he subsequently attempted to withdraw that plea earlier this year. Post-conviction proceedings are currently playing out before a different judge.
Meanwhile, the specific dispute over the public records is moving toward a crucial courtroom test. Judge Marshall has scheduled a hearing on Mortensen’s motion to reconsider for November 12. McPherson is asking the court to require Moscow authorities to identify the withheld records, submit them for an in-camera review, and prepare a detailed index, allowing the defense to fully argue its privacy case. At the same time, Kohberger is scheduled to return to court for a hearing regarding his petition for post-conviction relief on December 10.
