The families of two of the slain University of Idaho students are preparing to sue the university, Bryan Kohberger’s university Washington State University and the city of Moscow over their murders, it has been revealed.

An attorney representing the families of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, filed tort notices this month protecting their rights to sue within the next two years.

The notices, obtained by ABC News, do not reveal what claim the families may make and no lawsuit has been filed at this stage.

The revelation comes after their accused killer Mr Kohberger appeared in court for his arraignment in Latah County Court in Moscow, Idaho, on Monday.

On Friday (19 May), Steve Goncalves told ABC News: “I can’t wait to see the evidence… And then I’m gonna bring it.”

“And he’s gonna realize that this… is the family that’s gonna make sure he doesn’t get away with it,” he added.

Kaylee’s mother Kristi Goncalves said the family had given a lot of thought as to whether there was any connection between their daughter and her alleged killer.

“We’ve talked as a family, you know, we’ve done a lot of research on what’s out there… None of it makes sense,” she told ABC News.

Describing her reaction when she saw Mr Kohberger for the first time at an initial court appearance, she said: “I was completely overwhelmed. I actually almost thought I was gonna pass out.”

“My daughter saw him face-to-face and in a very different light than we saw him, sitting there, looking very meek,” she said.

As the sole suspect in the stabbings of four Idaho students on murder charges heads to trial, The Independent’s Andrea Blanco, Rachel Sharp and Sheila Flynn report on the case in small-town Idaho that has shocked America:

Bryan Kohberger is believed to have broken into the home of a female student and then installed security cameras to spy on her in the months before he allegedly killed four other students in a horror attack in Moscow, Idaho.

The 28-year-old criminology PhD student had befriended the woman after he moved to Pullman, Washington state, to begin a graduate program in criminal justice at Washington State University (WSU), according to a source.

One day, the woman returned to her apartment and found that someone had broken in and moved items around the home – but that nothing was missing.

Since nothing was taken, the woman decided not to call the police but instead called her new friend Mr Kohberger and asked him to come over.

Mr Kohberger allegedly offered to install a video security system inside her home and the woman agreed.

A preliminary hearing, where prosecutors had to show a judge that there is enough evidence to justify moving forward with charges of burglary and four counts of murder, was previously scheduled for 26 June.

However, on 16 May, a grand jury indicted Mr Kohberger on the same charges, effectively rerouting the case directly to the state’s felony court level and allowing prosecutors to skip the preliminary hearing process, the Associated Press reported.

The former Washington State University PhD student is now expected to appear for his arraignment at the Latah County District Court at 9am on Monday to enter a plea. According to the indictment, Mr Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the first degree and one count of burglary.

Each murder count states that he “did wilfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and with malice aforethought, kill and murder” each of the victims by stabbing.

The list of witnesses who testified before the grand jury is sealed. Mr Kohberger’s indictment means that the jurors empanelled on the grand jury believed there was enough evidence against him for the case to proceed to trial.

He is being represented by Ann Taylor, one of thirteen public defence attorneys in the state who can work in cases where the prosecution requests capital punishment. Prosecutors in the Idaho murders case have not publicly addressed whether they plan to make that request

A tentative trial date has been set for 2 October.

The Goncalves’ attorney Shannon Gray issues a statement on behalf of the family to local news station KREM2:

“The family would like to thank everyone for continuing to follow this case and keep the memories of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan alive.

“They are what is important not the Defendant. We are thankful that the Latah County District Attorneys Office finally took the case to a GJ and came back with an indictment.

“At the same time we are disappointed that the judicial process has not been more efficient in addressing the Gag order. This is just the beginning of a long journey for all the families and we are thankful for your continued support and coverage.”

He is being represented by Ann Taylor, one of thirteen public defence attorneys in the state who can work in cases where the prosecution requests capital punishment.

Prosecutors in the Idaho murders case have not publicly addressed whether they plan to make that request

A tentative trial date has been set for 2 October.

Meanwhile, a court hearing has been scheduled for 9 June to discuss the current gag order in the case and whether cameras will be allowed during trial proceedings.

At the time of the murders, Mr Kohberger was studying for his PhD and working as a teaching assistant in criminal justice at WSU.

Prior to this, Mr Kohberger studied criminology at DeSales University first as an undergraduate and then finishing his graduate studies in June 2022.

According to online school records, Mr Kohberger received an associate arts degree in 2018 from Northampton Community College in Albrightsville and received a masters degree in criminal justice this year from DeSales University.

While studying at DeSales, he studied under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland who interviewed the BTK serial killer and co-wrote the book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer with him.

He was working part-time as a security guard until August 2021 at Pleasant Valley School District, where his mother was listed as a paraprofessional.

The alleged murderer carried out a research project “to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime”.

Mr Kohberger reached out to potential participants on Reddit, with the chilling survey resurfacing after his arrest.

“In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with an emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience,” the post said.

His fascination appears to have continued around the time of the murders when he applied for an internship with the local police department.

The affidavit revealed that he applied for an internship in the fall of 2022 with the Pullman Police Department and wrote in an essay how he had an interest “in assisting rural law enforcement agencies with how to better collect and analyze technological data in public safety operations”.