Bryan Kohberger's ex-friend tells of his terror at news of the arrest trends now

Bryan Kohberger is being forced to wear an anti-suicide vest, also known as a turtle suit, in jail while he awaits extradition to Moscow, Idaho, where he will be charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students. 

Kohberger was arrested on Friday in Pennsylvania, more than 2,000 miles away from where the November 13 deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Maddie Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and 20-year-old Ethan Chapin took place in the off-campus home they shared. 

The PhD has agreed to be extradited to Idaho from Pennsylvania. His attorney said he is shocked by the arrest and plans on denying the murders. Kohberger was originally on suicide watch but is now believed to be off as he prepares his defense. 

A former friend of the suspect in the Chestnuthill Township, close to the Poconos Mountains, has told the media how terrified he was when news of Kohberger's arrest emerged. 

Schyler Jacobson said in an interview that he was in 'complete shock' when he realized how close he had been to the man suspected of such a gruesome act. 

Jacobson told WBRE, 'I looked at the picture and I couldn’t believe who it was. It was Bryan Kohberger. I would text him and be like ‘Hey, you wanna go for a run?' We’d go for six/seven mile runs at night so when I saw who it was I was just like in complete shock, it was so close to home.'

At the time of the murders, Kohberger, who was staying at his parents house in Monroe County, Pennsylvania when he was arrested, was studying at the University of Washington, just a 20 minute or so drive from where the murders took place.

Jacobson continued, 'I’m still kind of like shaking knowing about that. It’s just unreal to think somebody could actually do that to somebody. It’s absolutely mind-boggling, my adrenaline is still kind of running after finding that information out.' 

In a separate interview with NBC Philadelphia, Jacobson said that the pair were close around 10 years ago and that during their runs, they had 'all of these positive conversations.' 

Jacobson described the murder suspect as being 'uplifting' and often talked about wanting to get in shape. He said that there was nothing concerning about Kohberger's behavior. 

Another resident of Monroe County, Dennis Munger, told WBRE, 'It’s pretty amazing, this is right in your backyard and you don’t know anything about it. You know, to track somebody all the way across the country like that, it’s crazy.'