Idaho murders - live: Police probing whether victim Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker
Police in Idaho are investigating whether murder victim Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker.
University of Idaho students Goncalves, along with Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death at the off-campus home on 13 November.
“Investigators have looked extensively into information they received about Kaylee Goncalves having a stalker. They have pursued hundreds of pieces of information related to this topic and have not been able to verify or identify a stalker,” Moscow police said in a Facebook post.
Police also said that the weapon used in the attacks, which investigators are still looking for, is believed to be a fix-blade knife.
More than one week later, investigators continue to be baffled by the case, with no arrests made and no suspects identified-spurring mounting frustration from families and the community.
Key points
Family & friends mourn Ethan Chapin at emotional memorial
Over a week, 600 tips, no suspects identified, no arrests made
No link between students' murders and dog found dead nearby - police
Overwhelming ‘mess’ of evidence at crime scene
Police dispel online speculation surrounding students' murders
Idaho police investigating whether victim had a stalker
03:40 , Sravasti Dasgupta
The Moscow Police Department said that it has “looked extensively” into reports that murder victim Kaylee Goncalves may have complained of a stalker.
“Investigators have looked extensively into information they received about Kaylee Goncalves having a stalker. They have pursued hundreds of pieces of information related to this topic and have not been able to verify or identify a stalker,” the department wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night.
Sheila Flynn reports from Moscow, Idaho:
Idaho police are investigating whether victim had a stalker
Xana Kernodle was ‘a strong woman who worked hard for what she wanted,’ sister says
03:00 , Andrea Blanco
Jazzmin Kernodle is a better person because of her sister, Xana, she wrote in an Instagram post last week.
The sisters would have silly fights in the halls of their high school, Jazzmin recalls, only to make up and get closer with each fight.
Xana was the “life of the party, a dancing queen,” but also the friend who would light up a room and offer and encourage her loved ones to enjoy life to the full.
“I know Xana never let an opportunity pass her by, and she was so happy whenever I saw her ... She was someone that was always worth recording because who knew what funny thing she was going to say or do next,” Jazzmin recounted in her post.
Jazzmin remembers Xana as a strong young woman who “worked hard for what she wanted,” a sentiment that was echoed by their father, Jeffrey Kernodle.
Mr Kernodle described Xana as a “tough kid,” telling CBS how investigators informed him that she had defensive wounds and likely fought her attacker until her death.
The killings of Xana, her boyfriend Ethan Chapin and her roommates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen have rocked the town of Moscow, but have also brought the community together in remembering the lives taken on 13 November.
Several memorials and tributes have already taken place and more are planned for the victims.
A timeline of the brutal murders that shocked Moscow, Idaho
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
A week on from the murders, much remains a mystery surrounding the circumstances of the horrific stabbings of Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21.
Officials believe the students were killed sometime between 3am and 4am on 13 November.
Law enforcement was called to the home on King Road at 11.58am on Sunday after a 911 call came in alerting them to “an unconscious individual”.
The call was made from the cellphone of one of the surviving roommates but police have refused to confirm the identity of the caller.
Authorities have since revealed that all four victims were stabbed to death with an “edged weapon such as a knife” – though the murder weapon has not been found.
The Independent’s Io Dodds and Rachel Sharp have an updated timeline of the developments in the case:
Timeline: What we know so far about the murder of four University of Idaho students
Idaho police rule out murders connection to brutal death of dog, incident on Monday
01:00 , Andrea Blanco
Moscow police have said that reports of a skinned dog are not related to the murders of four University of Idaho students on an off-campus housing site on 13 November.
“Detectives are aware of a Latah County Sheriff’s Office incident of the report of a skinned dog and have determined it is unrelated to this incident,” a Moscow Police Department spokesperson told The Independent.
The clarification came after reports said that an elderly couple’s Mini Australian shepherd dog was “filleted” just three miles away from where the students were murdered.
On Tuesday, police also said that an incident reported on Monday evening by two young women who claimed that a man was inside their vehicle when they tried to enter it was not linked to the murders.
Police said that they interviewed witnesses and have closed the case as unfounded, meaning that it cannot be initially substantiated. They added that it could be reopened if more information emerges but stressed that it is not connected to the murders.
“In this Thanksgiving season, the family thanks God for protecting the girls, the neighbors for how quickly they came out to assist the girls in their distress, and the Moscow Police Department for a quick and professional response last night,” the family of the young females involved in the incident
Ethan Chapin was a triplet who enjoyed life to the fullest, his mother remembers
00:00 , Andrea Blanco
When the time came for Stacy and Jim Chapin’s triplets to go to college in 2020, they all opted for the University of Idaho.
The siblings shared a special bond and had decided that they would spend their college years together.
When their parents drove away from the college’s campus in Moscow, Idaho, they thought they’d done it, they told KING5.
They had managed to raise three wonderful adults, they told the network.
But the dreams they had for Ethan were shattered when his life was taken in the early morning hours of 13 November.
Ethan had been visiting his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, who was also stabbed to death during the brutal attack.
As the family reels from the tragedy and navigate grief, they remembered Ethan as a kind young man who always tried new things and loved his family.
“We just watched a thing from the university, he was a spike ball champion, a volleyball champion. I mean, he just literally would play and do anything,” Ms Chapin told the network.
Victims posted photos enjoying college life. Hours later they were killed. What happened?
Tuesday 22 November 2022 23:00 , Andrea Blanco
The quadruple murder of four University of Idaho students on 13 November rocked the college town of Moscow.
In an Instagram post the day before, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves shared photos of her group of friends arm-in-arm, grinning carefree at the camera in a show of typical college fun.
“One lucky girl to be surrounded by these ppl everyday,” Kaylee Goncalves wrote on social media on the evening of 12 November.
Mere hours later, Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogen were killed inside the women’s rental house.
Initially, local officials insisted that there was no ongoing threat to the community and that the murders were both “isolated” and “targeted”.
They have since backtracked from those remarks, asking residents to be careful and remain vigilant.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp reports:
Four friends posted photos enjoying Idaho college life. Hours later they were killed
Multiple people were at the home when 911 call was made
Tuesday 22 November 2022 22:20 , Andrea Blanco
Police revealed earlier this week that the two surviving roommates had ‘summoned friends’ to the home around noon on 13 November because they believed one of the victims had passed out.
More than one person spoke to the 911 dispatcher before officers were dispatched to the residence in the college town of Moscow.
Police arrived at the scene and found the bodies of the four victims on the second and third floors.
It is thought that they were killed during their sleep.
Victim wrote about ‘enjoying life’ days before killings
Tuesday 22 November 2022 21:50 , Andrea Blanco
Friends of Xana Kernodle facilitated an essay she had written for her English class to her family, her sister Jazzmin Kernodle wrote in an Instagram post.
Xana wrote about listening to the song Blasé by Louis The Child in a live concert she attended with several of her friends.
“It was amazing getting to experience one of my favorite songs with some of my best friends while they were all enjoying life. That is one of the most important things you can do in life, enjoy the ride, not the destination,” she wrote in the essay on 7 November, according to the post.
Jazzmin Kernodle said that the words had brought comfort as she continues to navigate grief.
“I know this song has so much meaning to her, and now so many others. It is a song I will imagine her dancing to each time I hear it,” Ms Kernodle wrote.
Police dispel speculation surrounding murders of four University of Idaho students
Tuesday 22 November 2022 21:17 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities in Moscow, where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death last week, have warned the public against rumours online.
During a press conference on Sunday, Moscow Police revealed few details about the ongoing investigation into the brutal murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. No arrests have been made a week after the slayings and police have yet to identify any suspects.
Authorities addressed conspiracies surrounding the murders that have been spreading online. Police Captain Roger Lanier denied reports that the victims had been found tied and gagged and said that any information circulating about the identity of the 911 caller was mere speculation.
Read the full story:
Moscow police dispel specualtion surrounding University of Idaho students’ murders
Police say incident on Monday night is not linked to the murders
Tuesday 22 November 2022 20:45 , Andrea Blanco
Around 5pm on Monday, Moscow Police responded to a call from a woman saying that she had seen a man inside her vehicle when she tried to open the door.
“The female, who was with her sister, slammed the car door and ran screaming from the car and called 911. Multiple neighbors heard the girls screaming and came to assist. They checked the area but did not find anyone,” police said in a statement.
The neighbours reportedly told police that they had not seen anyone in or exit the vehicle, and a passerby informed the women that a male had been chasing them and left before speaking to the officers.
The incident was closed as unfounded, a “term is used to close an incident that cannot be initially substantiated,” and it is not believed to be linked to the murders.
Victim’s mother thanks community, police at funeral
Tuesday 22 November 2022 20:14 , Andrea Blanco
Loved ones held a memorial for University of Idaho murder victim Ethan Chapin on Monday in his hometown of Mount Vernon, Washington.
Stacey Chapin thanked everyone who attended, calling them “beacons of light”.
“Your outreach and kind words are profoundly touching. Please know we now consider all of you friends,” she said alongside other members of the heartbroken family.
Ms Chapin also thanked the Moscow Police Department for its efforts to find the person responsible for the murders of Ethan and his friends Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
Slain Idaho students often ‘hosted parties with lots of people coming in and out of the house,’ neighbours say
Tuesday 22 November 2022 19:14 , Andrea Blanco
Neighbours of the four University of Idaho students killed in Idaho said the victims often hosted parties in their rental home.
Jeremy Reagan, a third-year law student who lives near the scene of the murders that shocked the university town of Moscow last week, told Fox News that the victims would often host self-contained gatherings and added that people went in and out of the house “pretty frequently.”
“There were parties that were kind of loud,” Mr Reagan said. “As I would take my dog in and out to go to the bathroom [and] I would see people in the windows almost every night, probably four or five nights a week ... it was kind of a party house but then again this whole neighbourhood is a party neighbourhood.”
Fellow Moscow resident Heather Tetwiler also told the network that the slain students — Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Moge, 21, — would host typical college gatherings, but that the residence was “not necessarily a party house.”
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the story:
Slain Idaho students often ‘hosted parties’ in their rental home, neighbours say
Dog is found alive and unscathed at bloody scene of Idaho college murders
Tuesday 22 November 2022 18:33 , Andrea Blanco
Idaho police have confirmed that an unharmed dog was found at the crime scene of the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.
The Moscow Police Department released a statement on Monday saying that officers responding to the fatal stabbings at 1122 King Road on 13 November located a dog at the residence. The pet was unharmed and turned over to Animal Service, police said. It has since been released to a “responsible party.”
It is unclear whether the dog belongs to one of the surviving roommates or the victims — Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, who did not live in the home but was visiting Kernodle.
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn has the story:
Dog is found alive and unscathed at bloody scene of Idaho college murders
Families of Idaho murder victims beg for calm as conspiracists hijack case
Tuesday 22 November 2022 17:50 , Andrea Blanco
More than a week after University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were brutally murdered, their loved ones are trying to grieve - but rampant rumours are getting in the way, Sheila Flynn reports from on the ground in Idaho.
“All the noise out there is really harming the families,” a friend of Kristi and Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s parents, tells The Independent. “And it’s taking the police down trails that are not real and taking them away from the ones that are.”
Police, meanwhile, were issuing similar pleas on Monday, updating their social media posts repeatedly to address specific inaccuracies circulating.
Read the full story:
Families of Idaho murder victims beg for calm as conspiracists hijack case
Xana Kernodle’s sister opens up about tragedy
Tuesday 22 November 2022 17:20 , Andrea Blanco
Jazzmin Kernodle wrote a tribute post about her sister, Xana Kernodle, who was stabbed to death on 13 November in Moscow, Idaho.
Xana’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, and her roommates, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, were also killed in the attack.
“Words can’t begin to describe the emotions I have been going through while realizing that I can’t see my little sister anymore,” Jazzmin Kernodle wrote last week.
She continued: “It’s truly indescribable what happened to her, and it is so unfair. I’ve been confused and heartbroken these past couple days, and we are all still waiting for answers.”
“It is so hard to get caught up in the media during this time, but what I want most is for everyone to know what kind of amazing person Xana was. She was my first friend, my sister, and my other half.”
Surviving roommates returned home before victims
Tuesday 22 November 2022 16:35 , Andrea Blanco
Detectives said over the weekend that they believe the two surviving roommates had been out in the Moscow community, separately, but returned home by 1am on 13 November.
They woke up at noon and ‘summoned friends’ to the home because they believed one of the victims had passed out.
Police arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call from one of the surviving roommates’ cellphones to find the four victims on the second and third floors.
Read The Independent’s coverage on the ground in Idaho
Tuesday 22 November 2022 15:00 , Megan Sheets
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn is on the ground in Idaho covering the brutal murders of four college students.
In her latest report, she writes: “The university town of Moscow, Idaho, woke up on Monday with law enforcement everywhere, students scarce and answers still elusive in the frustrating – and terrifying – investigation into the vicious quadruple murder of four college kids more than a week earlier.
“The bodies of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, were discovered around noon on Sunday 13 November.
“All four had been brutally stabbed and were found on the second and third floors of a house just two blocks from the University of Idaho campus. Chapin, a Sigma Chi fraternity member, was spending the night with his girlfriend, Kernodle; she and the other two victims lived with two more female roommates in the three-storey home on King Road.
“Almost everything that happened in that residence after 1.45am last Sunday still remains a mystery – compounded by changing stories from law enforcement and wild social media speculation that has seeped into the local rumour mill.
“The investigation has already included 646 tips, 90 interviews and more than 130 members of law enforcement, authorities said Sunday. The FBI alone had 44 people working on the murders, including two members of the Behavioural Analysis Unit – the criminal profiling unit made famous by Criminal Minds.”
Read more:
No suspect, weapon or witnesses: The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
Idaho investigators ‘expand crime scene’ to cover parking lot of 1122 King Road
Tuesday 22 November 2022 14:40 , Megan Sheets
Police have cordoned off the parking lot of a home where four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death.
Investigators have expanded the crime scene to cover an area in the back of the home that had not previously been blocked off, Fox News Digital reported. New police tape and a small group of investigators could be seen in the parking lot behind the three-storey home on 1122 King Road on Monday.
It is unclear whether the department has cordoned off the area to preserve potential evidence from contamination or if new developments in the investigation into the horrific stabbings of Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, have already been made.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more:
Idaho investigators ‘expand crime scene’ to cover parking lot of 1122 King Road
Idaho police rule out murders connection to brutal death of dog
Tuesday 22 November 2022 14:20 , Megan Sheets
Moscow police have said that reports of a skinned dog are not related to the murders of four University of Idaho students on an off-campus housing site on 13 November.
“Detectives are aware of a Latah County Sheriff’s Office incident of the report of a skinned dog and have determined it is unrelated to this incident,” a Moscow Police Department spokesperson told The Independent.
The clarification came after reports said that an elderly couple’s Mini Australian shepherd dog was “filleted” just three miles away from where the students were murdered.
“It was like a deer that someone had hunted,” Pam Colbert, the owner of the dog was quoted as saying to the Daily Mail.
“They cut him around the neck and just skinned him. His little legs had fur and his little face had fur, but the rest of him was just skinned.”
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn has more from Moscow:
Idaho police rule out murders connection to brutal death of dog found ‘filleted’
Ethan Chapin’s mother thanks police at funeral
Tuesday 22 November 2022 14:02 , Megan Sheets
Loved ones held a memorial for University of Idaho murder victim Ethan Chapin on Monday in is hometown of Mount Vernon, Washington.
His mother, Stacey Chapin, thanked everyone who attended, calling them “beacons of light”.
“Your outreach and kind words are profoundly touching. Please know we now consider all of you friends,” she said alongside other members of the heartbroken family.
Ms Chapin also thanked the Moscow Police Department for its efforts to find the person responsible for the murders of Ethan and his friends Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
She said investigators “now carry the burden every day not only for us, but for all of the impacted families”.
Ms Chapin’s words of support came amid a rising wave of frustration over lack of clues in the case, as authorities have yet to identify any suspects more than a week on from the killings.
Idaho investigators ‘expand crime scene’ to cover parking lot of home
Tuesday 22 November 2022 13:20 , Andrea Blanco
Crime scene investigators have expanded the crime scene to cover an area in the back of the home that had not previously been blocked off, Fox News Digital reported.
It is unclear whether the department has cordoned off the area to preserve potential evidence from contamination or if new developments in the investigation into the horrific stabbings of Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Moge, 21, have already been made.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the full story:
Investigators ‘expand crime scene’ at home where students were brutally murdered
Moscow police dispel online speculation surrounding murders
Tuesday 22 November 2022 12:40 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities addressed conspiracies surrounding the murders that have been spreading online. Police Captain Roger Lanier denied reports that the victims had been found tied and gagged and said that any information circulating about the identity of the 911 caller was mere speculation.
“We know that people want answers, we want answers, too,” Idaho State Police Colonel Kedrick Wills also said. “Please be patient as we work through this investigation. We owe this to these young kids. To these young adults. We owe it to them. And we’re absolutely dedicated to mak[ing] sure that that happens.”
Moscow police dispel specualtion surrounding University of Idaho students’ murders
Kaylee Goncalves’ parents decry accusations against their daughter’s ex-boyfriend
Tuesday 22 November 2022 12:00 , Andrea Blanco
Goncalves, 21, had recently amicably broken up with her longtime boyfriend.
Internet sleuths spreading baseless speculation have accused him of having a connection to the crime after it was revealed that Goncalves’ called him before being killed. Moscow Police has cleared the man and said he is not suspect in the brutal killings.
The Goncalves family has said that the pair still remained extremely close and seemed on the verge of getting back together. The Independent has redacted the name of Goncalves’ ex-boyfriend to avoid undue speculation.
“They’re wasting their time with [redacted]. [redacted] is just as [redacted] as we are. Jack is our family,” Ms Goncalves said.
“[redacted] is with us and we stand behind him 1000 per cent. We know in our hearts, our minds, our souls, the depths of our souls, Jack is hurting. Kaylee and Jack would’ve eventually been married and they would’ve eventually had children together.”
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the story:
Idaho murder victim’s parents say police struggling with ‘mess’ of evidence
The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
Tuesday 22 November 2022 11:20 , Andrea Blanco
Moscow, Idaho, woke up on Monday with law enforcement everywhere, seldom students in town and answers still to be found.
The bodies of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, were discovered around noon on 13 November.
All four had been brutally stabbed and were found on the second and third floors of a house just two blocks from the University of Idaho campus.
A week on from the brutal murders, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports on the ground in Moscow:
No suspect, weapon or witnesses: The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle attended fraternity party before murders
Tuesday 22 November 2022 10:40 , Andrea Blanco
Chapin and Kernodle, who were dating at the time of their deaths, had attended a party together at the Sigma Chi house on the University of Idaho campus.
They returned to the scene of the murder, where Kernodle lived and Chapin would frequently visit, around 1.45am on 13 November.
According to police, the murders took place sometime between 3am and 4am that day.
Authorities were called to the scene around noon.
Surviving roommates returned home before victims
Tuesday 22 November 2022 10:00 , Andrea Blanco
Detectives said over the weekend that they believe the two surviving roommates had been out in the Moscow community, separately, but returned home by 1am on 13 November.
They woke up at noon and ‘summoned friends’ to the home because they believed one of the victims had passed out.
Police arrived at the scene after receiving a 911 call from one of the surviving roommates’ cellphones to find the four victims on the second and third floors.
Police struggle with ‘mess’ of evidence left behind by ‘sloppy killer’
Tuesday 22 November 2022 09:20 , Andrea Blanco
Steve and Kristi Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee was among the four killed at an off-campus house in the early hours of 13 November, said they’ve heard from police that the crime scene is sprawling and chaotic.
“They’re telling us that there’s so much evidence that it’s going to take a lot of time to process it all,” Mr Goncalves told Fox News. “This wasn’t like a pinpoint crime. This person was sloppy.”
No arrests have been made in the case and police have yet to identify any suspects in the investigation.
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the story:
University of Idaho offers alternatives to in-person classes amid safey concerns
Tuesday 22 November 2022 08:40 , Andrea Blanco
During a presser on Sunday, University President Scott Green said that instructors were preparing to accommodate students who had decided to travel home before the Thanksgiving break.
Last week, authorities asked the community to remain vigilant as the killer is still at large.
“We will be communicating decisions early this week so that families can discuss and plan their individual response over the Thanksgiving break,” Mr Green said.
Idaho victim’s injuries ‘show she fought killer’ as officials say attack ‘was personal’
Tuesday 22 November 2022 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
One of the University of Idaho students murdered in her college home fought her killer to the very end in a brutal knife attack that officials are describing as “personal”.
Autopsy findings, released on Thursday, revealed that Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were all stabbed multiple times with a large knife – sustaining injuries that caused them to bleed out inside their home.
Kernodle’s devastated father Jeffrey Kernodle said that his daughter’s injuries showed how she desperately tried to fight off the person who killed her, her boyfriend and two friends in the horror attack.
“Bruises, torn by the knife. She’s a tough kid,” he told CBS5.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Knife used in Idaho murders: University victim’s injuries show attack was ‘personal’
Dozens of law enforcement officials arrive in Moscow
Tuesday 22 November 2022 07:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Officials said that dozens of additional law enforcement officers have arrived in Moscow to aid the probe in the killing of four University of Idaho students on 13 November.
The Moscow Police Department said four detectives, five support staff and 24 patrol officers are working on the case.
22 investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are helping in Moscow, and 20 more agents assisting from outside the area.The Idaho State Police has supplied 20 investigators, 15 troopers for patrols and its mobile crime scene team.
Idaho police seek surveillance video
Tuesday 22 November 2022 07:20 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities investigating the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students as they slept in a house near campus are asking for outside surveillance video to help solve the week-old crime.
The Moscow Police Department late Saturday requested from businesses and residences in specific parts of the city any footage recorded between 3am and 6am on 13 November, the day of the killings.
Police said they have received about 600 tips after the killings shook the Idaho Panhandle community of 25,000 residents.
Dog found at the residence handed over to animal services, police say
Tuesday 22 November 2022 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Moscow Police said on Monday that a dog located at the residence of the killigs on the night of the incident was unharmed and turned over to Animal Services and then released to a responsible party.
In a Facebook update, police said: “Detectives are aware of a Latah County Sheriff’s Office incident of the report of a skinned dog and have determined it is unrelated to this incident.”
Grieving parents of University of Idaho victim hit out at conspiracies
Tuesday 22 November 2022 06:40 , Andrea Blanco
Ethan Chapin, 20, was among four students found stabbed to death at a rental home near the university’s campus over the weekend.
His grieving parents, Stacy and Jim Chapin, say they have been overwhelmed at the national attention it has brought and the online speculation about what happened.
“The things that are being said are 100 per cent not true,” Ms Chapin told King5.
“There is not drugs involved, there is not some weird love triangle. He had stayed the night at his girlfriend’s house, who was one of five girls who lived in the home.”
The Independent’s Graeme Massie has the story:
Parents of Idaho victim hit out at lies and conspiracies surrounding slayings
Two victims visited bar, food truck before heading home on night of the murders
Tuesday 22 November 2022 06:00 , Andrea Blanco
On the evening of the murders, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen were at The Corner Club, a local bar approximately 30 minutes away walking from the victims’ homes on 1122 King Road.
Goncalves and Mogen were at the bar between 10pm and 1.30 pm. They were then seen ordering from a local food truck at 318 S. Main Street at 1.40am.
They used a private party for a ride home that lasted around six minutes. The private party has been ruled out as a suspect.
Friends and family mourn Ethan Chapin at emotional memorial
Tuesday 22 November 2022 05:45 , Sravasti Dasgupta
Friends and family mourned Ethan Chapin at an emotional memorial held for the slain student in Washington on Monday.
“We want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of Ethan’s life,” his family wrote in a program for the memorial.
“It is an incredible testimony to his character just how many lives he has touched in his short 20 years.
The loss is unimaginable but our family will persevere.”
Chapin, 20, was a triplet, and is survived by his parents and his siblings Maizie and Hunter. All three triplets enrolled in the University of Idaho last August.
“Since attending the University of Idaho, Ethan lived his best life,” according to his obituary.
“He loved the social life, intramurals and tolerated the academics. He also continued to play sports.”
“If he wasn’t on the golf course or working, you could usually find him surfing, playing sand volleyball or pickle ball,” the obituary said.
Idaho students were stabbed to death in their beds
Tuesday 22 November 2022 05:20 , Andrea Blanco
Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt told NewsNation that each victim suffered multiple stab wounds from a “pretty large knife.”
“It has to be somebody pretty angry in order to stab four people to death,” Mabbutt said.
Mabbutt’s comments expanded on the autopsy reports that concluded the four students were murdered by being stabbed to death. The bodies were found on the second and third floors.
Authorities have said they were found in their bead and were likely sleeping at the time of the attack.
Ethan Chapin spent last day of his life with his siblings
Tuesday 22 November 2022 04:40 , Andrea Blanco
Chaplin, a triplet, attended the University of Idaho with his siblings, his mother Stacy Chapin told the Idaho State Journal.
“He was our daughter Maizie’s date, and his brother was Maizie’s roommate’s date,” Ms Chapin told the outlet.
“They all spent their last day together, all dressed up, and had a great time. We’re all thankful that they spent that time together.”
Ms Chapin described her son as a carefree young man who “would make every situation better.”
Nearly 130 officers, investigators have been assigned on the case
Tuesday 22 November 2022 04:00 , Andrea Blanco
According to the Moscow Police Department, 33 officers from the department are pursuing the investigation, including four detectives, 24 patrol officers and five supporting staff.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also assigned 22 investigators on the ground in Moscow, 20 agents out of other parts in Idaho, West Virginia and Utah, and two behavioural analysts.
Meanwhile, Idaho State Police has 20 investigators and 30 troopers working on the case and assisting community patrols.
Boyfriend of Idaho murder victim has had world ‘turned upside down’
Tuesday 22 November 2022 03:20 , Andrea Blanco
Madison Mogen, 21, had been in a relationship with fellow Idaho university student Jake Schriger for around a year.
His mother, Stacy Schriger, described the young couple as being like “peanut butter and jelly” and the pair often posted loving photos of each other on their social media accounts.
On 13 November, Mogen was brutally stabbed to death along with three friends inside her college home, in an attack that officials are describing as “personal”.
Ms Schriger told The New York Post that her son’s “world has been turned upside down” by the news of his girlfriend’s savage murder.
She revealed that Mogen was close with the family and she had been looking forward to the young couple both coming to spend Thanksgiving with her later this month.
“We were expecting her for Thanksgiving,” she said. “Whenever we talked on the phone, she always said, ‘I love you.’”
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Boyfriend of Idaho university student has had world ‘turned upside down’ by murder
Dog was skinned, filleted three miles from scene of the murders
Tuesday 22 November 2022 02:40 , Andrea Blanco
Three weeks ago, Jim and Pam Colbert’s 12-year-old mini Australian shepherd was killed when they let it outside their backyard.
“We called the sheriff’s department and the supervisor said that Buddy had been skinned,” Ms Colbert told the Daily Mail.
She continued: “It was like a deer that someone had hunted. They cut him around the neck and just skinned him. His little legs had fur and his little face had fur, but the rest of him was just skinned.”
Kaylee Goncalves called ex-boyfriend seven times before she was killed
Tuesday 22 November 2022 02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Kaylee Goncalves, 21, was found stabbed to death alongside friends Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, at a home where the three women lived in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
Goncalvez’ sister Alivea came forward over the weekend about her phone activity on the night of the murders. She said that her sister had called her ex-boyfriend seven times the night she was killed but he had missed the calls because he was sleeping.
“At 2.26am, Kaylee starts to call [redacted]” Ms Goncalves told Inside Edition. “Kaylee calls [redacted] six times between 2.26 am and 2.44am. From 2.44am to 2.52am Maddie calls [redacted] three times, then Kaylee makes a final call to him at 2.52am.”
Ms Goncalves gave the first name of the man in question, but The Independent has redacted it to avoid undue speculation. On Sunday, Moscow Police said that the man was not considered a suspect in the investigations.
She also told The New York Times that her family “stand behind Jack 100% and know he absolutely had nothing to do with this at all.”
The Independent’s Megan Sheets has the story:
Idaho university murder victim called man seven times before killings, sister claims
A week on from the murders, questions keep mounting
Tuesday 22 November 2022 01:20 , Andrea Blanco
The quadruple murder of Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, on 13 November shocked the small college town of Moscow.
Much of the brutal stabbings remains a mystery, with police refusing to release details in order to protect the investigation.
Among the mystery surrounding the case is how the killer was able to subdue the four victims without waking up them or the surviving roommates. The bodies were found on the second and third floors.
Police have admitted they continue to investigate the evidence to piece together what exactly happened on the night of the slayings.
Surviving roommates ‘summoned friends’ to the home before 911 call
Tuesday 22 November 2022 00:40 , Andrea Blanco
According to the authorities, two of the surviving roommates of the victims “summoned friends to the residence because they believed one of the second-floor victims had passed out and was not waking up”.
“At 11.58am, a 911 call requested aid for an unconscious person. The call originated from inside the residence on one of the surviving roommates’ cell phone,” Moscow city’s police department wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday without revealing the identity of the caller.
“Multiple people talked with the 911 dispatcher before a Moscow Police officer arrived at the location. Officers entered the residence and found the four victims on the second and third floors,” the department added.
University of Idaho murders house: Police reveal ‘multiple’ were home for 911 call
Authorities continue efforts to track killer
Tuesday 22 November 2022 00:00 , Andrea Blanco
The Moscow Police Department said that the contents of three dumpsters on King Road to locate possible evidence have been seized.
The department has also contacted local businesses with inquiries about fixed-blade knife sales similar to the one used in the killings.
More than 600 tips have been received and are currently being processed or have already been investigated and cleared.
Ninety individuals who may have information about the murders have been interviewed.
Victim’s father describes tragedy as his ‘worst nightmare'
Monday 21 November 2022 23:20 , Andrea Blanco
Jeffrey Kernodle, the father of one of four students at the University of Idaho found stabbed to death at the home three of them shared, told The Independent the tragedy is his “worst nightmare.”
Xana, her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, and roommates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were stabbed to death inside a home in the small college town of Moscow at around midday on Sunday.
“How can you protect your kid? You keep them at home and don’t let [them] go to college? They’re not gonna stay at home like that,” Mr Kornodle told The Independent on Thursday. “So, it’s really mind-boggling. It’s just completely unthinkable and it’s the worst nightmare.”
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the story:
Idaho murder victim’s father describes ‘worst nightmare’ as FBI remains silent
Timeline of the murders
Monday 21 November 2022 22:40 , Andrea Blanco
Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kaylee Goncalves were found dead at a house near the University of Idaho campus on Sunday, mere hours after posting smiling photographs on Instagram.
So far, neither the suspect nor the murder weapon have been traced and the police have cautioned the small town of 25,000 people to remain vigilant.
So what exactly happened in the hours before and after the students’ bodies were discovered?
The Independent’s Io Dodds and Rachel Sharp have a timeline of the events:
Timeline: What we know so far about the murder of four University of Idaho students
Police rules out roommates, ex-boyfriend as suspects
Monday 21 November 2022 21:40 , Andrea Blanco
Addressing rampant speculation online, Moscow police said on Sunday that a mysterious man captured on a food truck’s web camera with Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen is not suspect.
Authorities also ruled out Goncalves’ ex-boyfriend, who she called seven times before she was killed and the two roommates who were in the apartment at the time of the slayings. Investigators have warned the public against online rumours about the murders, advising the community to only listen to official sources.
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the story:
Food truck man, roommates and ex-boyfriend ruled out as suspects in Idaho murders
Xana Kernodle fought her killer, father says
Monday 21 November 2022 21:10 , Andrea Blanco
Autopsy findings, released on Thursday, revealed that Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were all stabbed multiple times with a large knife.
Jeffrey Kernodle said that his daughter had defensive wounds from the attack that took her life.
“Bruises, torn by the knife. She’s a tough kid,” Mr Jeffrey told CBS5.
Speaking with The Independent, Mr Kernodle said that the tragedy was his ‘worst nightmare.’
Multiple people were in the home when 911 was called
Monday 21 November 2022 20:39 , Andrea Blanco
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Moscow Police said the two surviving roommates ‘summoned friends to the residence because they believed one of the second-floor victims had passed out and was not waking up’
Authorities were called at 11.58am on 13 November, and more than one person spoke to the dispatcher before an officer was dispatched.
“Officers entered the residence and found the four victims on the second and third floors,” the department said in a statement. “At 11.58am, a 911 call requested aid for an unconscious person. The call originated from inside the residence on one of the surviving roommates’ cell phone.”
The Independent has the story:
University of Idaho murders house: Police reveal ‘multiple’ were home for 911 call
Killer left behind ‘mess” of evidence,’ parents are told by authorities
Monday 21 November 2022 20:05 , Andrea Blanco
The investigation into the killing of four University of Idaho students last week is moving slowly because the killer left behind a “mess” of evidence, according to one of the victim’s parents.
Steve and Kristi Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee was among the four killed at an off-campus house in the early hours of 13 November, said they’ve heard from police that the crime scene is sprawling and chaotic.
“They’re telling us that there’s so much evidence that it’s going to take a lot of time to process it all,” Mr Goncalves told Fox News. “This wasn’t like a pinpoint crime. This person was sloppy.”
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the story:
Idaho murder victim’s parents say police struggling with ‘mess’ of evidence
Support pours in for victims' families
Monday 21 November 2022 19:19 , Andrea Blanco
A week on from the brutal murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, the community has shown an outpouring of support for the grieving families of the victims.
In a GoFundMe description for Goncalves and Mogen, they were described as sweet, loving and caring young women. They had grown up together and were longtime friends.
Chapin’s fraternity also created a GoFundMe fund to support his family after the tragedy.
Maya Hippentsiel, a family friend of the Kernodles, also created a GoFundMe page to cover funeral costs.
“... waking up and realizing it’s a day Xana won’t be in - is unbearable. So I would like to at least take some stress off of her families plate,” Ms Hippentsiel wrote.
Moscow Police dismisses online speculation about the murders
Monday 21 November 2022 18:28 , Andrea Blanco
More than a week after the brutal murders that rocked the college town of Moscow, much about the circumstances surrounding the killings remains a mystery.
During a press conference on Sunday, police reminded the community to only seek updates and information from reliable sources and authorities investigating the case.
University of Idaho President Scott Greene also said that more details would be released to the families of the four slain students in the upcoming days.
“We will be communicating decisions early this week so that families can discuss and plan their individual response over the Thanksgiving break,” Mr Green said.
Roommates butchered in bed, 600 tips with no suspect, weapon or witnesses: The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
Monday 21 November 2022 17:54 , Rachel Sharp
The university town of Moscow, Idaho, woke up on Monday with law enforcement everywhere, students scarce and answers still elusive in the frustrating – and terrifying – investigation into the vicious quadruple murder of four college kids more than a week earlier.
The bodies of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, were discovered around noon on Sunday 13 November.
All four had been brutally stabbed and were found on the second and third floors of a house just two blocks from the University of Idaho campus. Chapin, a Sigma Chi fraternity member, was spending the night with his girlfriend, Kernodle; she and the other two victims lived with two more female roommates in the three-storey home on King Road.
Almost everything that happened in that residence after 1.45am last Sunday still remains a mystery – compounded by changing stories from law enforcement and wild social media speculation that has seeped into the local rumour mill.
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports from on the ground in Moscow, Idaho:
No suspect, weapon or witnesses: The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
Around 600 tips received
Monday 21 November 2022 17:30 , Rachel Sharp
To date, around 600 tips have been sent by the public to investigators on the case.
A total of 90 interviews have been conducted with individuals who may have information about the murders. Police have not revealed who these interviews have been with.
As well as the Moscow Police Department. the Idaho State Police, the FBI and the Latah County Sheriff’s Office are all assisting with the investigation.
Anyone who observed suspicious behavior, has video surveillance, or can provide relevant information about these murders, is asked to call the Tip Line at 208-883-7180 or email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us
Multiple people spoke with 911 dispatcher from home
Monday 21 November 2022 17:10 , Rachel Sharp
As the mystery surrounding the 911 call continues, police have revealed that multiple people spoke with the dispatcher from the home.
On Sunday, Moscow Police revealed that the call was made from the cellphone of one of the two surviving roommates but have nor confirmed who made the call.
The two surviving roommates woke up on the Sunday and called some unidentified friends to the home because they believed that one of the victims on the second floor “had passed out and was not waking up”, police said.
After the friends arrived on the scene, one person in the group made the 911 call from inside the home. The roommates and the unidentified friends were still on the scene when officers arrived.
“Multiple people talked with the 911 dispatcher before a Moscow Police officer arrived at the location. Officers entered the residence and found the four victims on the second and third floors,” according to a police statement.
Police to hold next briefing on murders on Wednesday
Monday 21 November 2022 16:50 , Rachel Sharp
Police are planning to hold the next press briefing abou the murders on Wednesday.
The news conference will be held at 1pm at the University of Idaho Alumni Lounge of the ICCU Arena.
To date, officials have held only two press conferences to update the public about the brutal unsolved murders.
Dog found ‘skinned’ weeks before murders
Monday 21 November 2022 16:30 , Rachel Sharp
A local pet dog was found “skinned” just weeks before the four University of Idaho students were murdered in their college home.
Buddy, a 12-year-old mini Australian shepherd, was butchered to death by an unknown assailant last month, reported DailyMail.com.
The pup had been let out of its home in Moscow – around three miles from the scene of last week’s murder – and failed to return.
Owners Pam and Jim Colbert told the outlet that they then found the dog skinned.
“They cut him around the neck and just skinned him. His little legs had fur and his little face had fur, but the rest of him was just skinned,” said Ms Colbert.
The incident has rasied fears in the community that the two violent incidents may be linked.
911 call was not made by killer, say officials
Monday 21 November 2022 16:04 , Rachel Sharp
The 911 call alerting police to the slain University of Idaho students was not made by the killer, officials have confirmed.
Questions continue to swirl around the 911 caller ever since the four students were found murdered in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
Police said officers had responded to a report of an “unconscious individual” at the property and turned up to find the four victims stabbed to death in a brutal attack.
More than one week on from the killings, police are still refusing to say who placed the 911 call or why they referred to an “unconscious individual” given the brutal nature of the crime and the bloody state of the crime scene.
In a press conference on Sunday, police did however confirm that the caller is not the killer.
“I will tell you no,” officials said.
The victims
Monday 21 November 2022 15:40 , Rachel Sharp
The four victims killed in Sunday’s attack were all close friends, with touching social media posts showing Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, enjoying college life together.
Chapin was a freshman and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, while Goncalves was a senior majoring in general studies and a member of the Alpha Phi sorority.
Both Kernodle and Mogen were members of the Pi Beta Phi sorority both majoring in marketing – the former a junior and the latter a senior.
The three young women were roommates, while Kernodle and Chapin were dating.
Mogen and Goncalves both graduated together from Lake City High School in 2019 and made the university’s dean’s list in spring 2021.
Several weeks ago, Goncalves posted a touching tribute for her “best friend” in celebration of her 21st birthday.
“swipe to watch me and @maddiemogen grow up together!!” she wrote, sharing a series of photos of the pair together.
“happy 21st maddie mayð¤ I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to be the main character in all my childhood stories. see you at the bars in 14 days, 14 minutes, and 14 seconds, i love you!!!”
Mogen replied: “I love you more than life! My best friend forever and more.”
Postponed vigil now planned for next week
Monday 21 November 2022 15:20 , Rachel Sharp
A candlelight vigil originally planned for last week will now take place on the University of Idaho campus on 30 November.
The university announced the vigil on Friday.
“Please join us from where you are, individually or as a group, to help us light up Idaho. Light a candle, turn on stadium lights, or hold a moment of silence with us as we unite on campus,” it said.
The vigil was originally planned for last Wednesday but it was put on hold after terrified students fled the college town with the killer still at large.
Instead, the college said it would hold the event after the Thanksgiving break to give more people the chance to attend.
Two victims made 10 calls to man around time of death
Monday 21 November 2022 15:00 , Rachel Sharp
Two of the four students murdered in their college home placed 10 phone calls between them to one of their former boyfriends around the time they were killed.
Between 2.26am and 2.52am on 13 November, multiple calls were made from the phones of Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen to the phone of Goncalves’ former longtime boyfriend.
None of the calls were answered.
The two best friends are believed to have returned home at around 1.45am. They were killed around 3am or 4am, police said.
Idaho murders victim Kaylee Goncalves’ parents say police struggling with ‘mess’ of evidence
Monday 21 November 2022 14:45 , Rachel Sharp
The investigation into the killing of four University of Idaho students last week is moving slowly because the killer left behind a “mess” of evidence, according to one of the victim’s parents.
Steve and Kristi Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee was among the four killed at an off-campus house in the early hours of 13 November, said they’ve heard from police that the crime scene is sprawling and chaotic.
“They’re telling us that there’s so much evidence that it’s going to take a lot of time to process it all,” Mr Goncalves told Fox News. “This wasn’t like a pinpoint crime. This person was sloppy.”
The parents also shared their final memories of Kaylee, whom they described as a bright and ambitious young woman who had recently bought her first car, and was planning a backpacking trip to Europe in January ahead of beginning a new job.
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the full story:
Idaho murder victim’s parents say police struggling with ‘mess’ of evidence
Who has been ruled out as suspects?
Monday 21 November 2022 14:25 , Rachel Sharp
More than one week on from the killings, no suspects have been identified and no arrests made.
Police have however ruled out several individuals as suspects in the murders.
Here are the people so far ruled out in the case:
- Surviving roommates: The two other roommates were home at the time of the murders and appear to have slept through the attack. They were still at the home when officers arrived the next morning.
- ‘Other friends’ at house: Police revealed that other individuals were at the house when the 911 call was placed. The surviving roommates had reportedly called friends to the home as they believed that one of the victims on the second floor “had passed out and was not waking up”. When the friends arrived, one of the people called 911.
- Man at food truck: Twitch footage captured Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves stopping by a local food truck on thier way home on Sunday morning. An unidentified man appears to arrive at the truck with them and wait as they order but Mogen and Goncalves leave the area alone.
- Victim’s ex-boyfriend: Mogen and Goncalves made 10 calls between them from 2.26am and 2.52am to Goncalves’ former longtime boyfriend. The calls were unanswered.
Multiple ‘other’ friends in home at time of 911 call
Monday 21 November 2022 14:04 , Rachel Sharp
Multiple “other” friends were in the home of the murders at the time of the 911 call, it has been revealed.
On Sunday, Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry told reporters that there were other people in the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, when police responded to the scene.
Police were called to the property at 11.58am on 13 November, after receiving a 911 call for an “unconscious individual”.
When they arrived on the scene, they found the four victims dead.
Police previously revealed that two other roommates were at home at the time of the murders and were still there when officers arrived.
The three slain female students lived in the property with two other female students. The surviving students were unharmed in the attack and are believed to have slept through the attack.
When the roommates woke up on the Sunday, they called some unidentified friends to the home because they believed that one of the victims on the second floor “had passed out and was not waking up”.
After the friends arrived on the scene, one person in the group made the 911 call.
The roommates and the unidentified friends were still on the scene when officers arrived.
Police have not revealed the identities of the other individuals who were on the scene or how many people were there.
When pressed in Sunday’s briefing, Chief Fry said only that they were “other friends”.
All of the individuals in the home when police arrived have been ruled out as possible suspects.
Police seek surveillance footage from ‘two areas of interest’ in hunt for students’ killer
Monday 21 November 2022 13:40 , Rachel Sharp
Investigators are currently seeking surveillance footage from “two areas of interest” around the city of Moscow as they hunt for the knife-wielding assailant who stabbed four University of Idaho students to death inside their off-campus home.
Businesses and homes within the geographical areas are being asked to share all outside surveillance video taken between 3am and 6am on 13 November – whether there appears to be motion and content or not.
“Investigators have determined the two areas of interests within the city and have provided maps which are on our Facebook page and on our website,” Roger Lanier, operations captain of Moscow Police Department, said at a press conference on Sunday.
“And these are areas that they have canvassed for additional surveillance video and tips and have contacted several residents in the areas.”
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Idaho police seek video from areas of interest in Moscow murders
Killer may or may not still be in Moscow
Monday 21 November 2022 13:20 , Rachel Sharp
Police admitted on Sunday that they have no idea whether or not the killer is still in the small college town of 25,000 people – or if they have fled the area.
Moscow sits on Idaho’s border with Washington State border.
More than one week on from the killings, no arrests have been made and no suspects identified.
When asked if the killer is believed to still be in the Moscow community, officials admitted in Sunday’s press conference that they don’t know.
“We’re looking everywhere that evidence would lead us,” said Moscow Police Chief James Fry.
“I can’t say if the person’s here I can’t say what community the persons in. We’re utiliSing every resource we can to make that location of that individual.
“And part of that is the safety of our community is paramount. And that’s why we brought in the resource that we brought in to keep our community as safe as we can I cannot comment on that. I’m not even aware. We’re looking everywhere.”
Police ‘cannot say’ if they believe one of victims was intended target
Monday 21 November 2022 13:02 , Rachel Sharp
Police are remaining tightlipped about whether or not one of the four victims was the intended target of the quadruple homicide.
Moscow Police Chief James Fry doubled down on their belief that the attack was “targeted” during Sunday’s press conference but would not confirm whether or not they believe one of the individuals was the main target.
“We believe they’re targeted because we take the totality of all the circumstances that we’re looking at,” said Moscow Police Chief James Fry.
“Do we know any one person that was targeted? We’re not able to say at this point in time due to our investigation.”
The four victims were killed on the second and third floor of the home.
Two other roommates were home at the time and were unharmed.
Police have said from the start that the attack was “targeted”.
Police ‘stumped’ around how surviving roommates slept through violent knife attack
Monday 21 November 2022 12:40 , Rachel Sharp
Police investigating the violent murders of four University of Idaho students have admitted that they’re stumped as to how the two surviving roommates managed to sleep through the brutal knife attack without being woken.
Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death inside a home in King Road, Moscow, in the early hours of the morning of 13 November. The coroner said that they were stabbed multiple times each with a large knife and were likely sleeping in bed when the attack unfolded. Their bodies were found on the second and third floors of the three-storey home.
Goncalves and Mogen had spent Saturday night at a bar in downtown Moscow while Kernodle and Chapin attended a sorority party on campus together. All four victims returned to the home at around 1.45am.
The three female victims live inside the home close to the university campus, along with two other female students.
Police said that the pair were also in the property at the time of the killings, having returned to the property at around 1am – not long before the four victims also returned home.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Idaho murders: Police ‘stumped’ after surviving roommates slept through knife attack
911 call was not made by killer, say officials
Monday 21 November 2022 12:20 , Rachel Sharp
The 911 call alerting police to the slain University of Idaho students was not made by the killer, officials have confirmed.
Questions continue to swirl around the 911 caller ever since the four students were found murdered in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.
Police said officers had responded to a report of an “unconscious individual” at the property and turned up to find the four victims stabbed to death in a brutal attack.
More than one week on from the killings, police are still refusing to say who placed the 911 call or why they referred to an “unconscious individual” given the brutal nature of the crime and the bloody state of the crime scene.
In a press conference on Sunday, police did however confirm that the caller is not the killer.
“I will tell you no,” officials said.
