Many people in the U.S. have been following the tragic stabbing deaths that took place at the University of Idaho. As of right now, the investigation is still ongoing, and a suspect is currently in custody. Four students were sadly killed during the ordeal, while two others survived. Since details of the attack have been divulged, some have been critical of the surviving students due to how they reportedly reacted when things went down. But Alanna Zabel – the yoga instructor involved in the Adam Levine sexting scandal – is coming to their defense. In doing so, she detailed how she was involved in a dangerous situation of her own years ago.
After the quadruple murder, local authorities were reportedly “puzzled” by the gap of time between the incident and the moment 9-1-1 was dialed. Officials have questioned why 21-year-olds Dylan Mortensen and housemate Bethany Funke waited hours before calling the cops. Mortensen – who was the one to eventually make the call – also confirmed that she saw and communicated with the suspect, who reportedly had on all black and was wearing a mask. A local law official told the New York Post that they “don’t know if it was an issue of intoxication, or of fear.”
Regardless, Alanna Zabel, 50, doesn’t believe that either of the young women should be criticized. The yoga instructor told the DailyMail.com that she can understand their “anguish” because, when she was a college student in 1992, she walked into her roommate’s quarters and found her near death and covered in blood. Zabel explained that at the time, she lived with five sorority sisters in a house in proximity to the University of Buffalo, where she was a student. In addition to finding her housemate, she allegedly also heard heavy breathing in the room, though she didn’t enter until the following day. Zabel specifically said of the situation:
Someone was stalking us and broke in one night while we were out partying and drinking late. They brutally beat and raped my housemate. I found her six hours later and she nearly died. I didn't see any blood at first, even though the room was covered in it. … I called 911 to report my housemate unconscious and assumed she had choked on her vomit from drinking too much. I then called [her] parents.
As mentioned, Alanna Zabel first gained national attention in relation to Adam Levine’s alleged cheating scandal this past September. Levine’s former yogi accused him of sending her a text that read, “I want to spend the day with you naked.” She also claimed that Levine (who has spoken out on the controversy surrounding him) treated her like “used trash.” More recently, Zabel said that she still feels “guilt” as a result of what allegedly occurred decades ago. During her interview with the British news outlet, she also shared more thoughts as to why people shouldn’t slam Dylan Mortensen:
For those coming down on the roommate who saw him inside the house and didn't call police, I understand completely, and I too am in anguish that she hadn't. But I can also say that you don't know how you would react or respond in a similar situation until you're there.
21-year-olds Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin are the four who were killed in the stabbing attacks. 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger has been accused of the murders, though has contended that he’s innocent. More details on Kohberger have since come to the surface, including the tragic irony that his sister once starred in a horror movie about stabbings. The situation as a whole has been widely analyzed by legal experts like Camille Vasquez, Johnny Depp’s lawyer.
It’s likely that more details on the tragic murders in Idaho will be divulged as authorities continue to investigate. Whether or not other individuals like Alanna Zabel will chime in on the matter with personal thoughts as time goes on remains to be seen.
