'Chubby misfit' Bryan Kohberger 'tortured' by popular girls at school trends now
Kim Kenely, 27, contacted FBI agents after learning about former sixth-grade classmate Bryan Kohberger's arrest
FBI agents have interviewed Bryan Kohberger's middle school crush in hopes of piecing together the psyche of the man they believe is responsible for the gruesome murders of four Idaho college students.
Kim Kenely, 27, contacted the bureau shortly after learning her former classmate had been arrested for allegedly knifing four housemates to death at a university just 15 minutes from where he was studying in November.
The two were sixth-grade students at Pleasant Valley Intermediate School in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania, when Kohberger, 28, developed a crush and began romantically pursuing the girl who would go on to be a high school cheerleader.
'She told the FBI whatever she could tell them,' Kenely's mother Sandra confirmed to DailyMail.com on Wednesday.
'It was so long ago. I couldn't imagine what she had to tell the FBI. I guess it was for the character purpose.'
Kohberger attended Pleasant Valley Intermediate School in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania, where he developed a crush on fellow student Kenely and began pursuing her romantically. They are both pictured in their school yearbook photos
Kenely, 27, now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she works as an occupational therapist at an assisted living facility
Kohberger, then a chubby, awkward misfit, would become relentless in his pursuit, repeatedly leaving love letters in her locker and telling her he liked her, according to the mom.
'He would always say, "Oh Kim, I think you're very pretty." Just like weird comments. And she'd say, "Oh my God, leave me alone."
'She did not give him the time of day,' the mom noted. 'When kids are little, they're mean. They don't say, "Oh my god, thank you, but no."
Kenely would eventually tell Kohberger to buzz off, breaking his heart.
At the time she lived in Sciota, in rural eastern Pennsylvania, 90 miles north of Philadelphia and a 30-minute drive from Kohberger's home in Albrightsville.
She has since left the area and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she works as an occupational therapist at an assisted living facility.
Kohberger seemed to turn his life around in high school where he took up boxing and lost weight
In a yearbook photo, Kohberger's caption said he aspired to be an Army Ranger. Previously overweight and bullied, he lost about 100 pounds and transformed into a 'totally different person'
Details about the suspect's past are now coming to light – including that he was a 'secluded' person who used his criminology studies to 'try to understand humans and understand himself'
Kenely's awkward schoolyard encounters with Kohberger are among several bizarre accounts to emerge from former friends and witnesses in recent days that paint the picture of a troubled, disgruntled young man who didn't fit in at school.
He has been charged with brutally killing students Ethan Chapin and his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, both 21, and childhood friends Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, in an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho on November 13.
Former classmates have also revealed Kohberger was heavy-set and the subject of bullying and cruel taunts in middle school.
'The whole clique of popular girls made fun of him in school. They were the cheerleaders and the ones that every kid had crushes on,' another classmate who did not wish to be identified told DailyMail.com.
'They literally tortured him, girls started making fun of him in middle school.'
But Kohberger seemed to turn his life around in high school where he took up boxing and lost weight.
'He was a totally different person. He worked out constantly and was super aggressive,' the male friend said.
'He had a short fuse and was constantly trying to change his style and personality to fit in with cliques.'
A third former classmate added: 'It's interesting to me that the girls he's accused of killing were nice
