Haunting reality survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke still face after Idaho murders

They were key witnesses in the investigation

Although prosecutors linked Bryan Kohberger to the crime through DNA evidence and cell phone data, both surviving roommates also became crucial witnesses as investigators built the case.

Just weeks after the murders, the pair broke their silence through letters read aloud at a memorial service for the four victims in December 2022.

Mortensen wrote that knowing Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan had “greatly impacted” her life, while Funke said she wished she could “give them one last hug.”

A friend later told PEOPLE that both women were struggling with overwhelming survivor’s guilt in the months after the attack.

The source added: “Their friends are gone and they’re still here. It’s been really rough on them. They’re going to be dealing with this for the rest of their lives.”

Via Netflix

Bethany Funke has tried to rebuild her life away from the spotlight

Unlike the intense media attention surrounding the case, Funke has largely kept out of the public eye.

She appears to have transferred to the University of Nevada, where she was introduced as an “ATO sweetheart” by the fraternity in late 2024. In the post, Funke revealed she was a senior studying public health and playing on the university’s soccer team.

She also wrote that the fraternity members had “always made me feel so welcomed and safe” since arriving on campus.

In 2023, Funke also fought a legal request that would have forced her to testify before Kohberger’s trial. However, at his sentencing hearing in July 2025, she shared a powerful victim impact statement that was read by her friend Emily Alandt.

She also revealed, “I have not slept through a single night since this happened.”

Perhaps the most heartbreaking line came as she described how the trauma has followed her ever since.

“The fear never really leaves. Every day I remind myself to live for them.”

via Netflix

Dylan Mortensen said she now plans escape routes everywhere she goes

Mortensen also addressed Kohberger directly during sentencing, delivering one of the hearing’s most emotional victim impact statements.

“He is a hollow vessel. Something less than human. A body without empathy or remorse,” she said.

She continued: “He chose destruction, he chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me.”

Mortensen also explained how surviving the attack has permanently changed the way she moves through everyday life.

“I made escape plans everywhere I went. If something happens, how do I get out? What can I use to defend myself?”

She added that the “emotional pain” and “grief” she continues to experience are “too much to handle.”

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Featured image credit: Netflix