Bryan Kohberger Reportedly Sent Multiple DMs To One Of The Victims

The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students reportedly sent numerous direct messages to one of the victims, a source with knowledge of the investigation told PEOPLE.

Two weeks before Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were killed, Bryan Kohberger reached out to one of them on Instagram.

His initial message was ignored, but he continued to send messages.

"He slid into one of the girls' DMs several times, but she didn't respond," the source said. "Basically, it was just him saying, 'Hey, how are you?' But he did it again and again."

In addition to reaching out on social media, Kohberger reportedly stalked the victims before the murder. Police used location data from his cell phone to trace his movements leading up to the November 13 murder and found he was in the vicinity of the students' off-campus home on numerous occasions. However, it is unknown if he had any in-person interactions with any of the victims before they were stabbed to death.

Kohberger remains behind bars while awaiting trial on four counts of murder. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 26. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.