Idaho murders – update: Victim’s family ‘questions whether Moscow police can handle quadruple stabbings’

Rachel Sharp and Andrea Blanco

December 19, 2022 at 7:37 PM·63 min read

An attorney for the family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves has expressed doubts about whether local police can solve the crime.

The Goncalves family have previously shared their frustration at what they described as a lack of communication between Moscow police and the families of the victims.

“We want to let them know that we were holding them accountable for their decisions,” attorney Shannon Gray, who was retained by the Goncalves to act as a liaison between the family and the police department, told the Today show this week.

“I’m not sure they are capable of handling a quadruple murder ... And if they are in over their heads, then acknowledge that and turn the investigation over to someone who is more versed in handling these types of matters.”

More than six weeks after the quadruple murder of Goncalves, her roommates Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kernodle’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November, the killer remains at large.

No murder weapon has been found and no suspects have been named by police.

Key points

New video shows Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen on night of murders
Kaylee Goncalves’ father insists he supports Moscow Police
Police comb through 22,000 vehicles matching mystery car
White car linked to murders was spotted on video supplied by homeowner
Xana Kernodle’s family launch scholarship fund in her honour

More than 10,000 tips later, still no arrest

00:40 , Andrea Blanco

According to ABC, Moscow Police have received more than 10,000 tips in the investigation into the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle.

The department said it continues to review digital evidence.

“There is a massive amount of digital content to review with a robust team dedicated to handling digital submissions,” a Moscow Police department statement on Friday read.

“Other members of the investigation team are dedicated specifically to email tips, while another team is assigned to Tip Line calls.

Idaho victim’s family doubts police are ‘capable of handling a quadruple murder,’ says attorney

00:00 , Andrea Blanco

More than six weeks after the quadruple murder of Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November, the killer remains at large. No murder weapon has been found and no suspects have been named by police.

The Goncalves family previously shared their frustration at what they have described as a lack of communication between Moscow police and the families of the victims, claiming they have learned about developments in the probe through press releases as opposed to directly from the force.

Read the full article:

Idaho victim’s family doubts police are ‘capable of handling a quadruple murder’

Griving family won’t have Christmas without Kaylee Goncalves

Monday 19 December 2022 22:52 , Andrea Blanco

Kaylee Goncalves’ father has said that the family won’t be able to celebrate Christmas this year – as he is about to face the first holiday season without his 21-year-old daughter.

“To be honest we’re not even really going to have a Christmas because you just can’t get yourself there to where it would make sense,” he told Fox News on Saturday.

“One of my children – the youngest one – is going to go stay with a family as they’re going to have the normal type of Christmas. She deserves that.

“But for us we can’t do that. It’s too close to our heart and how do you have a celebration like this when you’ve lost two of your favorite people in the world?”

As well as losing his 21-year-old daughter in the quadruple homicide, Mr Goncalves also lost Madison Mogen – his daughter’s best friend who the family saw as one of their own.

Grieving father says he fears for his other children

Monday 19 December 2022 21:29 , Andrea Blanco

Kaylee Goncalves’ father has said that he fears for the safety of his other children as his daughter’s killer is still at large.

Steve Goncalves told Fox News on Saturday that he wants families to know information about the case so that they can be on the lookout for potential suspects, as he revealed that one of his other children will soon be attending the University of Idaho.

“I have another person going to school there and I don’t want him walking round the streets if it’s not safe,” he said.

“We know as a family what we’re looking for and if they see an individual looking a certain way I’m telling my kids to steer clear of that.

“So I want other families to know.”

Investigators have so far kept a profile of the killer under wraps though Mr Goncalves has revealed that it is a male.

Who has been ruled out as a suspect?

Monday 19 December 2022 20:40 , Andrea Blanco

Each individual so far linked to the murder investigation has now been ruled out as a potential suspect.

Moscow Police have said that the two surviving housemates who were in the home at the time of the killings and the other friends who were in the home when the 911 call was made are not considered suspects.

A man who was caught on camera with Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at a food truck in the downtown area before they headed home and the private party who then gave the pair a ride home from the truck have also been ruled out.

Goncalves’ former long-term boyfriend, with whom she shares a pet dog Murphy, is also not being considered a suspect.

In a twist on 6 November, however, Moscow Police Chief James Fry told Fox News that “cleared” suspects could be reinterviewed.

No updates on DNA found at the scene

Monday 19 December 2022 20:10 , Andrea Blanco

It is not clear if the killer left their DNA at the crime scene. With officials believing the attack was targeted, it is possible that the perpetrator could have visited the home before that night.

On 30 November, Idaho State Police Communications Director Aaron Snell told Fox News Digital that investigators had received the first lab results from the crime scene,

“I do know that each type of testing… some take longer than others. And I also do know that there have been results that have been returned and those go directly to the investigators, so that way they can help, again, paint that picture as we keep talking about,” he said at the time.

Mr Snell refused to confirm or deny if DNA that did not belong to the four victims or the two surviving roommates had been found at the crime scene as it is hoped that the forensics could finally provide some clues to lead police to the killer.

He told The Independent that no information on whether DNA found at the scene matched anyone in CODIS had been released to the press as of Thursday.

ICYMI: Everything we know about the yet-to-be-found murder weapon

Monday 19 December 2022 19:36 , Andrea Blanco

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt previously revealed that each victim was stabbed multiple times with a “large knife”, describing their wounds as “pretty extensive” and revealing that they bled out inside their student home.

“I’ve been a coroner for 16 years... we have had multiple [victim] murders in the past, but nothing, nothing like this,” she said.

Police have now revealed that they believe the murder weapon was a fixed-blade knife and confirmed that they had visited local stores to inquire about any recent purchases.

A local store owner previously said that officials had been especially interested in sales of a military-style Ka-Bar or “Rambo” knife.

No murder weapon has been found.

Police face challenge as students return home for winter break

Monday 19 December 2022 18:58 , Andrea Blanco

Moscow Police Chief James Fry has admitted that the uptick in students leaving the college town for the holidays may create additional challenges to the murder investigation.

Classes at the University of Idaho are now over until after the Christmas holidays and so many students have left campus and headed back to their family homes for the winter break.

It’s a similar situation to that which unfolded in the immediate aftermath of the gruesome murders when many students packed up early to go off on the Thanksgiving break.

Moscow store manager says Idaho murder victim shared fears about potential stalker

Monday 19 December 2022 18:17 , Andrea Blanco

A store manager in Moscow, Idaho has said that Kaylee Goncalves voiced fears about a potential stalker before she and three other students were killed.

The man told NewsNation that Goncalves and Madison Mogen had visited his business about three weeks before they were killed along with fellow University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin inside the young women’s off-campus rental home on 13 November.

He said that Goncalves and Mogen would always come together with two other girls. The last time the group was at the store, he said, he had asked them if they were travelling together in an attempt to stay safe.

“One of them more or less openly says, ‘Oh yeah, we’ve had one of our friends be stalked before so that is why we travel in a group like this,” the man said, adding that Mogen was who voiced the concerns while she motioned to Goncalves.

“You could tell they were all obviously trying to keep Kaylee safe and be there for her as good friends.”

Moscow Police said weeks ago that they had looked extensively at reports that Goncalves had a stalker, but were unable to link that line of investigation to the murders. The criminal probe entered its second month this week with the killer still at large.

Police expand search for footage of mystery car

Monday 19 December 2022 17:47 , Andrea Blanco

Investigators are widening their search for the occupant or occupants of the mystery white car which was spotted near the crime scene at the time of the murders.

In a video interview, published on the Moscow PD Facebook page on Friday, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said officials have expanded both the area and timeframe they are looking at in videos gathered as part of the case.

“We have looked at massive amounts of video footage especially in critical camera areas and looked at the 24 hours prior to and 24 hours after that and now we’re extending out even further to other cameras and other timeframes,” he said.

“We have a massive amount of people looking at this.”

In a statement, police said that investigators continue to comb through “hours and hours of digital content” submitted by businesses, homes, and the public as part of the murder investigation.

WATCH: Unanswered questions one month on

Monday 19 December 2022 17:18 , Andrea Blanco

Many questions are still left unanswered a month after four University of Idaho students were found dead in an off-campus home in Moscow.

The four students – Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle – were each stabbed multiple times in the early hours of 13 November.

No suspects have been named, no arrests have been made, no weapons have been found, nor has a motive been established.

Watch below:

Idaho murders: Unanswered questions four weeks on

Lawyer for victim’s family questions Moscow Police over handling of the investigation

Monday 19 December 2022 16:43 , Andrea Blanco

An attorney for the family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves has questioned whether Moscow police are capable of solving the crime.

More than six weeks after the quadruple murder of Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin inside an off-campus rental home on 13 November, the killer remains at large. No murder weapon has been found and no suspects have been named.

The Gonclaves family have previously voiced their frustrations at what they have described as a lack of communication between the Moscow Police Department and the families of the victims.

They claim to have learned about important developments in the criminal probe through press releases as opposed to directly from the force. Meanwhile, Moscow Police have maintained the department “does have a lot of information” that is not being released to protect the integrity of the investigation.

“We want to let them know that we were holding them accountable for their decisions,” Shannon Gray, who was retained by the Goncalves to act as a liaison between the family and the police department, told the Today show.

“And if they are in over their heads, then acknowledge that and turn the investigation over to someone who is more versed in handling these types of matters.”

Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

Monday 19 December 2022 16:15 , Andrea Blanco

Kaylee Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves, one of the most vocal family voices in the media, told Fox News on Saturday that he understands that investigators “have their hands full” with the case.

It marked a change of tune for the father, who has repeatedly criticised police in the five weeks since Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found brutally stabbed to death in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.

“I want kids to understand that this is such a big case that these guys have their hands full,” he said.

“I wanted to go out there and tell everyone that the Goncalves’ family supports the local police officers so much so that we want them to be able to work on this case.”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp and Megan Sheets have the story:

Idaho murders victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

Xana Kernodle’s family announces memorial endowment scholarship in her honour

Monday 19 December 2022 15:22 , Andrea Blanco

The family is setting up the Xana Kernodle Scholarship Endowment, her cousin Sheldon Kernodle told The Independent.

“We have started a memorial endowment in Xana’s name to honour her memory and keep her legacy alive,” Mr Kernodle said.

“The Xana Kernodle Scholarship Endowment is a permanent endowment, created in partnership with the University of Idaho Foundation, that will support and fund scholarships year after year for University of Idaho students.

“In order to create awareness and raise as much money as possible in Xana’s name, the Kernodle Family will be matching dollar-for-dollar donations up to $10,000,” he added.

“We are asking anyone who is willing and able to donate any amount they are comfortable with. Please know that no donation is too small.”

JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother weighs in on Idaho college murders

Monday 19 December 2022 14:41 , Andrea Blanco

JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother weighs in on Idaho college murders

The half-brother of slain child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey has weighed in on the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.

Andrew Ramsey, whose six-year-old sister’s 1996 killing made national headlines and remains unsolved to this day, theorised in an interview with Fox News that Moscow Police is “dealing with a violent psychopath who has no known relationship with the victim.”

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the full story:

Steve Goncalves insists he does support Moscow police

Monday 19 December 2022 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

The grieving father of one of the slain University of Idaho students has denied calling Moscow Police “cowards” and insisted that he does support the law enforcement officers who are working to catch his daughter’s killer.

Steve Goncalves told Fox News on Saturday that he understands that investigators “have their hands full” with the case.

“I want kids to understand that this is such a big case that these guys have their hands full,” he said.

“I wanted to go out there and tell everyone that the Goncalves’ family supports the local police officers so much so that we want them to be able to work on this case.”

Read the story here:

Idaho murders victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

Kaylee Goncalves’ mother re-lives day of daughter’s murder

Monday 19 December 2022 13:40 , Rachel Sharp

The grieving mother of murdered student Kaylee Goncalves re-lived the day of her daughter’s murder in an interview with NBC’s Today show.

Kristi Goncalves described how she learned that her daughter and three of her friends had been brutally murdered in a quadruple homicide that has shocked the community of Moscow.

“There was nothing you could do. Absolutely nothing,” she said.

“We were just running around for hours just not knowing what was going on, what happened, because we found out by people calling us.

“And the sheriff showed up about three hours later.”

Ms Goncalves said that – a month into the investigation – it is hard to stay optimistic that her daughter’s killer will be caught.

“We’re a month in and that’s all we got.

“I have to have hope, I have to have faith. I have to trust God that it’s in the right hands, and that the right people are doing it – the right people are leaving the investigation. I have no choice,” she said.

Who is ruled out as a suspect?

Monday 19 December 2022 13:20 , Rachel Sharp

More than a month on from the killings, no suspects have been identified.

However, investigators have ruled out several people as suspects in the murders.

They are:

The two surviving housemates who were left unharmed and appear to have slept through the murders
Other friends who were in the home when the 911 call was made alerting police to the murders
Kaylee Goncalves’ former long-term boyfriend
A man dubbed “hoodie guy” who was caught on footage with Madison Mogen and Goncalves at a food truck on the night of 12 November
The person who gave them a ride from the food truck back to the home on King Road

A sixth person listed on the lease of the student home and two men involved in a “stalker” incident with Goncalves around a month before the murders are also not believed to be connected to the case, police said.

Murders that have rocked the safe college town

Monday 19 December 2022 13:00 , Rachel Sharp

Before the murders on 13 November, Moscow had a reputation for being a safe college town where many left their doors unlocked and there hadn’t been a murder in seven years.

But there have been other high-profile killings in the town of 25,000 people.

The last murder took place in 2015 when local man John Lee shot and killed his adoptive mother, his landlord and a local restaurateur. Lee, who also goes by the name Kane Grzebielski, also shot another man who survived. He pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery and was sentenced to life in prison.

Before this, in August 2011, a University of Idaho professor shot and killed a student before turning the gun on himself in a shocking murder suicide

Professor Ernesto Bustamante and psychology student Katy Benoit had been in a romantic relationship which had recently come to an end.

Months later, Benoit was shot and killed outside her off-campus apartment in Moscow.

The day after her murder, police found the professor’s body in a hotel room. Police said Bustamante shot and killed Benoit and then shot himself in the head.

Four years earlier in 2007, local man James Leonard fatally shot another man in a driveway in Genesee. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

On Wednesday, Leonard was arrested just a mile from the home on King Road where Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were butchered in their beds.

The 39-year-old convicted killer is not connected to the brutal stabbing murders of the four University of Idaho students, police said.

Will the Idaho college murders become America’s next cold case?

Monday 19 December 2022 12:40 , Rachel Sharp

It’s been one month since four Idaho students were brutally murdered, and fears are growing that the case is going cold.

Rachel Sharp and Josh Marcus explore a troubling trend in America’s homicide clearance rates – and what happens to the families and communities left waiting for answers:

Will the Idaho college murders become America’s next cold case?

Investigators exploring possibility mystery driver might not own white car

Monday 19 December 2022 12:20 , Rachel Sharp

Investigators are said to be exploring the possibility that the mystery driver of the white Hyundai Elentra might not own the vehicle.

For more than a week, Moscow police have been searching for the occupant or occupants of a white car seen in the “immediate area” of the crime scene at the time of the murders.

Kaylee Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves said that investigators have done “due diligence” on the car and not been able to track down the occupants.

“They’ve kind of informed us through communications that they’ve checked all the easiest paths,” he told Fox News on Saturday.

“If this individual had this car registered to his name and it was just something very quick that they could just look up in the area and go right to his house — they’ve done all the due diligence there. They’ve done all that.

“So now they’re reaching out and they’re going to look to the community to see if this individual borrowed this car.”

He added: “It doesn’t appear that it’s something that they have real easy access to, so he may have ran and they really pushed the narrative saying, ‘Hey, if we can get these guys to focus on something that’s really helpful, which is this car,’ and find out if somebody says, ‘Hey, you know, that car that looks a lot like mine, I’m going to come forward and just volunteer my information,’ and then they can figure out if somebody else had borrowed it or if — heck, who knows.”

Why murders can take a long time to solve:

Monday 19 December 2022 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

While it is perfectly understandable that the public wants a quick resolution in shocking murder cases, Professor David Carter, a criminologist who has studied police clearance rates, says this often doesn’t match up with the reality of police work.

The more expansive the crime and crime scene, the longer it takes to investigate.

“I understand the community need and social media need,” he tells The Independent. “We want to know what happened. We want to know who the suspect is.”

However, he says a case like the Idaho murders has numerous elements that police need to work through slowly and deliberately to get things right: a large crime scene, extensive blood at the murder site, and multiple victims. Then, there’s all the usual elements of police work: interviewing witnesses, searching for surveillance footage, and cross-referencing information between different evidentiary sources.

“It’s incredibly time-consuming to do all this,” Professor Carter says.

Investigation enters sixth week

Monday 19 December 2022 11:40 , Rachel Sharp

The investigation into the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students has now entered its sixth week with the killer or killers still at large.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were all stabbed to death in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho on 13 November.

The four victims were stabbed to death in their beds with a fixed-blade knife at around 3am or 4am, investigators said. There was no signs of sexual assault.

Two surviving roommates were also out that night and arrived home at around 1am, police said. The two women, who lived in rooms on the first floor of the home, are believed to have slept through the brutal killings and were left unharmed.

The horrific crime scene went unnoticed for several more hours, with police receiving a 911 call at 11.58am on Sunday, reporting an “unconscious individual” at the home.

The surviving roommates had first called friends to the home because they believed one of the second floor victims was unconscious and would not wake up. When the friends arrived, a 911 call was made from one of the roommates’ phones.

Police arrived on the scene to find the four victims dead from multiple stab wounds.

Sunday marked the fifth week anniversary of the murders. No arrests have been made, no suspects named and the murder weapon is yet to be found.

Victim’s father says he fears for safety of other children

Monday 19 December 2022 11:20 , Rachel Sharp

Kaylee Goncalves’ father has said that he fears for the safety of his other children as his daughter’s killer is still at large.

“I have another person going to school there and I don’t want him walking round the streets if it’s not safe,” he said.

“We know as a family what we’re looking for and if they see an individual looking a certain way I’m telling my kids to steer clear of that.

“So I want other families to know.”

Investigators have so far kept a profile of the killer under wraps though Mr Goncalves has revealed that it is a male.

How successful is Moscow PD with solving crimes?

Monday 19 December 2022 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

The families of the four victims and residents of the small college town are living in hope that the murders will be solved soon.

But there may be one detail about the Moscow Police Department that gives those searching for justice in the Idaho murders concern. Police there tend to do far worse than their counterparts across the state in solving crimes.

Up until the student killings, there hadn’t been a murder in Moscow since 2015, so it’s difficult to compare the department’s homicide record to other agencies around the state and country.

However, generally speaking, Moscow police only cleared about a quarter of “Group A” crimes between 2016 and 2021, according to The Independent’s analysis of state data, a broad category which includes everything from murder to theft. The state average during this same period was a clearance rate over 50 per cent.

22,000 vehicles matching mystery car now on police radar

Monday 19 December 2022 10:40 , Rachel Sharp

Police investigating the quadruple homicide case are combing through around 22,000 vehicles that match the mystery car spotted near the crime scene at the time of the brutal slayings.

Last week, police announced that they were looking for a mystery white car in connection to the murders.

Moscow Police said that a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown licence plate was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings.

“Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case,” police said in a statement.

Investigators urged the public to come forward with any information, revealing that it might just be the missing “piece of the puzzle”.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car.

Tips have been pouring in from the public ever since and Moscow Police said on Thursday that they have a list of 22,000 registered 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantras that they are now sorting through in their search for the occupant or occupants near the home at the time of the killings.

“Even though there’s sometimes a fascination with the particular case, some people simply don’t see the news and may not know that we’re looking for it,” Moscow Police Capt. Roger Lanier said.

“Maybe your neighbor has one in the garage that they don’t drive very often, and maybe there’s one that’s just not on the registration database: Let us know.”

Police insist murder investigation will not slow down over the holidays

Monday 19 December 2022 10:23 , Rachel Sharp

Moscow Police Chief James Fry has insisted that the investigation into the brutal murders of the four University of Idaho students will not slow down over the holidays.

In a video interview, published on the Moscow PD Facebook page on Friday, the police chief vowed to “keep up with the pace” over the winter break.

“We will continue to keep up with the pace,” he said.

“We’re giving individuals time off when they need it. We’re augmenting other people into those spots… We’re not going to stop investigating the case.”

His comments come as law enforcement officials are coming under increasing pressure to track down the killer as – more than a month on from the murders – no suspect has been identified.

Investigators exploring possibility mystery driver might not own white car

Monday 19 December 2022 10:00 , Rachel Sharp

Investigators are said to be exploring the possibility that the mystery driver of the white Hyundai Elentra might not own the vehicle.

For more than a week, Moscow police have been searching for the occupant or occupants of a white car seen in the “immediate area” of the crime scene at the time of the murders.

Kaylee Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves said that investigators have done “due diligence” on the car and not been able to track down the occupants.

“They’ve kind of informed us through communications that they’ve checked all the easiest paths,” he told Fox News on Saturday.

“So now they’re reaching out and they’re going to look to the community to see if this individual borrowed this car.”

Kaylee Goncalves’ father says mystery ‘Adam’ is not connected to murders

Monday 19 December 2022 09:40 , Rachel Sharp

Kaylee Goncalves’ grieving father has spoken out to say that the mystery man his daughter and her best friend are speaking about in newly-obtained surveillance footage is not connected to their murders.

Video, obtained by Fox News, shows Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen walking through downtown Moscow just hours before they were brutally murdered.

The two women appear to be the same man known as “hoodie guy” who they were with when they stopped at late-night food spot the Grub Truck. Police have already ruled this man out as a suspect.

In the video, the two best friends appear to be discussing an unidentified individual named “Adam”.

Steve Goncalves told Fox News on Saturday that investigators and the families had been aware of the footage for some time.

“We’ve had that film for a while. I believe the business reached out to us directly after they had given it to police,” he said.

Mr Goncalves said that the man known as “Adam” is not viewed as a suspect in the murders.

“We did the obvious due diligence and we looked into that and it was pretty clear that this individual is not part of the investigation as far as [being] a suspect,” he said.

Mr Goncalves said it was “comforting” to see his daughter and her friend enjoying their night together.

“It’s kind of comforting as it’s just two girls having a good time talking... and just being girls on their way to the Grub Truck,” he said.

Internet sleuths say new video gives ‘bigger picture’ about night of murders

Monday 19 December 2022 09:20 , Rachel Sharp

Internet sleuths have claimed that a new video capturing Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen not long before they were brutally murdered gives a “bigger picture” about that night.

Surveillance footage, obtained by Fox News Digital, shows the two slain University of Idaho students walking through downtown Moscow with a man as they discuss an unidentified individual named “Adam”.

The man with them appears to be the same individual – dubbed “hoodie guy” – who was also with them when they stopped at late-night food spot the Grub Truck.

The footage was taken in the early hours of 13 November.

A Moscow resident first shared the video with the “University of Idaho Murders - Case Discussion” Facebook group – after handing it over to police – and the group provided it to Fox.

Kristine Cameron and Alina Smith, the creators and administrators of the Facebook group, said the footage gives a “bigger picture” from the night of the killings, including showing that “hoodie guy” had been with the victims prior to the food truck.

“We can all scrutinise those couple of minutes at the food truck, but we just have to remember there was an entire evening before this,” Ms Cameron told Fox.

“There’s more than just that one timestamp that we have into that evening.”

She added: “People are drawing the conclusion that he’s creepy from that [few] minutes, and I want to give a bigger picture. He wasn’t just staring at them…He was with them prior.”

Police have already ruled “hoodie guy” out as a suspect but he continues to be subjected to rampant online speculation.

New video shows Idaho students discussing mystery man named ‘Adam’ hours before college murders

Monday 19 December 2022 09:00 , Rachel Sharp

Newly-obtained surveillance footage has come to light showing two of the slain University of Idaho students walking through downtown Moscow discussing a mystery individual named “Adam” just hours before they were brutally murdered.

The video captures Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen walking together with a man in the early hours of 13 November.

The man appears to be the same individual – now known as “hoodie guy” – who the two best friends were with when they stopped by late-night food spot the Grub Truck.

Police have already ruled him out as a suspect in the murders.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Video shows Idaho students discussing man named ‘Adam’ hours before college murders

Steve Goncalves insists he does support Moscow police

Monday 19 December 2022 08:30 , Rachel Sharp

Steve Goncalves told Fox News on Saturday that he understands that investigators “have their hands full” with the case.

“I want kids to understand that this is such a big case that these guys have their hands full,” he said.

“I wanted to go out there and tell everyone that the Goncalves’ family supports the local police officers so much so that we want them to be able to work on this case.”

He went on to address “rumours” that he called law enforcement officers “cowards” saying that he was actually referring to “a lawyer who was standing in between what the officers would like to release and what is actually being released” when he made those comments.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

Idaho murders victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

Victim’s family says they won’t have Christmas without her

Monday 19 December 2022 08:00 , Rachel Sharp

Kaylee Goncalves’ father has said that the family won’t be able to celebrate Christmas this year – as he is about to face the first holiday season without his 21-year-old daughter.

“To be honest we’re not even really going to have a Christmas because you just can’t get yourself there to where it would make sense,” he told Fox News on Saturday.

“One of my children – the youngest one – is going to go stay with a family as they’re going to have the normal type of Christmas. She deserves that.

“But for us we can’t do that. It’s too close to our heart and how do you have a celebration like this when you’ve lost two of your favorite people in the world?”

As well as losing his 21-year-old daughter in the quadruple homicide, Mr Goncalves also lost Madison Mogen – his daughter’s best friend who the family saw as one of their own.

Victim’s father says he fears for his other children

Monday 19 December 2022 07:30 , Rachel Sharp

Kaylee Goncalves’ father has said that he fears for the safety of his other children as his daughter’s killer is still at large.

“I have another person going to school there and I don’t want him walking round the streets if it’s not safe,” he said.

“We know as a family what we’re looking for and if they see an individual looking a certain way I’m telling my kids to steer clear of that.

“So I want other families to know.”

Investigators have so far kept a profile of the killer under wraps though Mr Goncalves has revealed that it is a male.

How unsolved murders take a toll on families:

Monday 19 December 2022 07:00 , Megan Sheets

Thirty miles from Moscow in another Idaho town along the Washington border, Gloria Bobertz knows only too well the toll it takes on a family when a murder goes unsolved.

For her family, it’s been 40 years since her cousin Kristina Nelson vanished from Lewiston one night, her body discovered in a canyon 18 months later.

It was 12 September 1982 and Nelson, 21, and her stepsister Brandy Miller, 18, went to buy groceries and do laundry. They were never seen alive again.

Stephen Pearsall, a 35-year-old janitor, also vanished that night, too, after heading to the local theatre where he worked to practice his clarinet. His body has never been found.

She tells The Independent her story:

Will the Idaho college murders become America’s next cold case?

What we know – and don’t know – about the Idaho murders

Monday 19 December 2022 06:30 , Rachel Sharp

The investigation into the brutal murders of University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin is now in its fifth week, with the killer or killers still at large.

Every individual connected to the case so far – from two surviving roommates to a victim’s former boyfriend – has been publicly ruled out by police, leaving an echo chamber with no names to fill it.

Details about the murders that shook the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, remain scant, the murder weapon is nowhere to be found and there are huge gaps in the timeline of the last known movements of two of the victims.

Investigators have admitted that they are stumped by the killings in the small, notoriously safe college town and still have no suspects or persons of interest on their radar. For the past few weeks, officials have given little in the way of updates on the case – this silence and absence of information only serving to trigger an avalanche of online rumours and conspiracy theories among internet sleuths.

While police won’t say what they do know, they have resorted to debunking some of these online theories that they know to be incorrect.

But, with each piece of information revealed or each theory debunked, dozens more questions emerge about the case.

Here, The Independent takes a deep dive into the mountain of unsolved questions – and the scant details we do know.

These 12 questions could hold the key to solving the Idaho murders

Half of murders go unsolved in America

Monday 19 December 2022 06:00 , Rachel Sharp

It is now over a month into the investigation and law enforcement officials appear to be no closer to catching the killer.

While the victims’ families are voicing a lack of confidence in police abilities, Moscow Police Chief James Fry continues to insist that his department still has a handle on the case.

“This case is not going cold. We have tips coming in, we have investigators out every day interviewing people. We’re still reviewing evidence, we’re still looking at all aspects of this,” he said last week.

But the reality is, in America, it’s almost as common for murders to go unsolved as it is for the killer to be caught.

According to FBI data, just 54 per cent of homicides were cleared through arresting and charging the suspected killers in 2020 – marking the lowest murder clearance rate on record.

Thomas Hargrove, founder and chairman of nonprofit the Murder Accountability Project which tracks unsolved homicides across the US, tells The Independent that this rate likely plunged even further in 2021.

“Unfortunately we’re right on the edge of becoming the first Western nation to allow more murders to go unsolved than they are solved,” he says.

And the longer a case rumbles on, the likelihood of it being solved only diminishes further.

“It’s a depressing curve. Nothing good happens over time in a murder investigation,” he says.

This leaves communities searching for answers that sometimes never come.

How the white car landed on police radar:

Monday 19 December 2022 05:00 , Rachel Sharp

Last week, police announced that they were looking for a mystery white car in connection to the murders.

Moscow Police said that a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown licence plate was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings.

“Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case,” police said in a statement.

Investigators urged the public to come forward with any information, revealing that it might just be the missing “piece of the puzzle”.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car and tips have been pouring in from the public ever since – so much so that the calls are now being directed to a national FBI tip line.

A local landlord has now indicated that police may have been focusing on the mystery vehicle long before releasing the details to the public and that the lead may have come from footage he handed over one day after the killings.

Kane Francetich told Fox News that investigators had reached out asking for surveillance footage from a camera on his six-unit rental building on Linda Lane in Moscow. The property is 0.3 miles from the King Road address where the killings took place.

Mr Francetich said he handed over footage from 2am to noon on 13 November.

The video captured a “white” or “light coloured” car driving past at around the time of the murders, he said.

The vehicle was travelling west on Taylor Road sometime between 2.45am and 3.15am, he said. Taylor Road is the main street which connects the home on King Road to Highway 95.

Moscow Police have not revealed whether or not this is the same vehicle they are now searching for.

The lost five hours: Where were Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin?

Monday 19 December 2022 04:00 , Rachel Sharp

There continues to be a huge gap in the timeline of the last known movements of Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

Police said that the young couple were at a fraternity party at Sigma Chi from 8pm to 9pm on the night of 12 November.

They arrived at the home on King Road at around 1.45am on 13 November, and were stabbed to death at around 3am or 4am.

Their whereabouts in the roughly five hours between the party and returning to the student home remains unclear.

Kernodle’s mother Cara Northington has said that she believes her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend were at a bar during that time.

However, she confirmed that she does not know that for sure.

Moscow Police continue to seek information about the young couple’s movements.

“Detectives continue investigating what occurred from approximately 9 p.m. on November 12th to 1:45 a.m. on November 13th, when Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were believed to be at the Sigma Chi house on the University of Idaho Campus at 735 Nez Perce Drive,” police said in a press release on Friday.

“Any interactions, contacts, direction and method of travel, or anything abnormal could add context to what occurred.”

Death row inmate reveals theory on Idaho murders

Monday 19 December 2022 03:30 , Rachel Sharp

An inmate on death row in California has revealed his theory on the University of Idaho murders.

William Noguera, a convicted killer who has been on death row for more than three decades, told podcast “Unsolved No More” that he believes the killer was likely waiting for the victims inside the home.

“I believe that the killer was inside the house already. I believe that the person was already in the house when the kids arrived...he took advantage that they were not home,” he said.

He added that the suspect could have been watching the house from nearby woods.

Law enforcement officials have not said whether they believe the killer was in the home when the students arrived back from their nights out or entered sometime later.

Xana Kernodle’s family announces memorial endowment scholarship in her honour

Monday 19 December 2022 03:00 , Megan Sheets

The family is setting up the Xana Kernodle Scholarship Endowment, her cousin Sheldon Kernodle told The Independent.

“We have started a memorial endowment in Xana’s name to honour her memory and keep her legacy alive,” Mr Kernodle said.

“In order to create awareness and raise as much money as possible in Xana’s name, the Kernodle Family will be matching dollar-for-dollar donations up to $10,000,” he added.

“We are asking anyone who is willing and able to donate any amount they are comfortable with. Please know that no donation is too small.”

Who has been ruled out as a suspect so far?

Monday 19 December 2022 02:30 , Rachel Sharp

More than a month on from the killings, no suspects have been identified.

However, investigators have ruled out several people as suspects in the murders.

They are:

The two surviving housemates who were left unharmed and appear to have slept through the murders
Other friends who were in the home when the 911 call was made alerting police to the murders
Kaylee Goncalves’ former long-term boyfriend
A man dubbed “hoodie guy” who was caught on footage with Madison Mogen and Goncalves at a food truck on the night of 12 November
The person who gave them a ride from the food truck back to the home on King Road

The rumours and conspiracy theories ruled out by investigators

Monday 19 December 2022 02:00 , Megan Sheets

Over a month has passed since four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in the small college town of Moscow – with no suspects identified, no arrests made and the murder weapon nowhere to be found.

Despite multiple law enforcement agencies being drafted in to work on the case, police appear to be no closer to catching the killer, leaving students and residents of the notoriously safe town racked by fear and social media awash with speculation.

While officials are remaining tightlipped about key parts of the investigation including why they believe the murders were targeted, they have debunked several online rumours and ruled out potential ties to the killings.

This is what police have ruled out so far:

Idaho college murders: The rumours and conspiracy theories ruled out

Kaylee Goncalves’ mother re-lives day of daughter’s murder

Monday 19 December 2022 01:30 , Rachel Sharp

The grieving mother of murdered student Kaylee Goncalves re-lived the day of her daughter’s murder in an interview with NBC’s Today show.

Kristi Goncalves described how she learned that her daughter and three of her friends had been brutally murdered in a quadruple homicide that has shocked the community of Moscow.

“There was nothing you could do. Absolutely nothing,” she said.

“We were just running around for hours just not knowing what was going on, what happened, because we found out by people calling us.

“And the sheriff showed up about three hours later.”

Ms Goncalves said that – a month into the investigation – it is hard to stay optimistic that her daughter’s killer will be caught.

“We’re a month in and that’s all we got.

JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother weighs in on Idaho college murders

Monday 19 December 2022 01:00 , Rachel Sharp

The half-brother of slain child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey has weighed in on the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students.

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the full story:

JonBenét Ramsey’s half-brother weighs in on Idaho college murders: ‘Near impossible’

Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

Monday 19 December 2022 00:30 , Rachel Sharp

“I want kids to understand that this is such a big case that these guys have their hands full,” he said.

“I wanted to go out there and tell everyone that the Goncalves’ family supports the local police officers so much so that we want them to be able to work on this case.”

Read the full story here:

Idaho murders victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

Victim’s father says he fears for his other children

Monday 19 December 2022 00:00 , Rachel Sharp

Kaylee Goncalves’ father has said that he fears for the safety of his other children as his daughter’s killer is still at large.

“I have another person going to school there and I don’t want him walking round the streets if it’s not safe,” he said.

“We know as a family what we’re looking for and if they see an individual looking a certain way I’m telling my kids to steer clear of that.

“So I want other families to know.”

Investigators have so far kept a profile of the killer under wraps though Mr Goncalves has revealed that it is a male

Police comb through 22,000 vehicles matching mystery car

Sunday 18 December 2022 23:30 , Rachel Sharp

Police investigating the quadruple homicide case are combing through around 22,000 vehicles that match the mystery car spotted near the crime scene at the time of the brutal slayings.

Last week, police announced that they were looking for a mystery white car in connection to the murders.

Moscow Police said that a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown licence plate was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings.

“Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case,” police said in a statement.

Investigators urged the public to come forward with any information, revealing that it might just be the missing “piece of the puzzle”.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car.

“Maybe your neighbor has one in the garage that they don’t drive very often, and maybe there’s one that’s just not on the registration database: Let us know.”

Police expand search for footage of mystery car

Sunday 18 December 2022 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

Investigators are widening their search for the occupant or occupants of the mystery white car which was spotted near the crime scene at the time of the murders.

“We have a massive amount of people looking at this.”

In a statement, police said that investigators continue to comb through “hours and hours of digital content” submitted by businesses, homes, and the public as part of the murder investigation.

New video shows Idaho students discussing mystery man named ‘Adam’ hours before college murders

Sunday 18 December 2022 22:30 , Rachel Sharp

The video captures Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen walking together with a man in the early hours of 13 November.

The man appears to be the same individual – now known as “hoodie guy” – who the two best friends were with when they stopped by late-night food spot the Grub Truck.

Police have already ruled him out as a suspect in the murders.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Video shows Idaho students discussing man named ‘Adam’ hours before college murders

WATCH: Unanswered questions one month on

Sunday 18 December 2022 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

Many questions are still left unanswered a month after four University of Idaho students were found dead in an off-campus home in Moscow.

The four students – Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle – were each stabbed multiple times in the early hours of 13 November.

No suspects have been named, no arrests have been made, no weapons have been found, nor has a motive been established.

Watch below:

Idaho murders: Unanswered questions four weeks on

Why murders take a long time to solve

Sunday 18 December 2022 21:30 , Rachel Sharp

The more expansive the crime and crime scene, the longer it takes to investigate.

“I understand the community need and social media need,” he tells The Independent. “We want to know what happened. We want to know who the suspect is.”

“It’s incredibly time-consuming to do all this,” Professor Carter says.

How successful are Moscow Police Department with solving crimes?

Sunday 18 December 2022 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

The families of the four victims and residents of the small college town are living in hope that the murders will be solved soon.

Up until the student killings, there hadn’t been a murder in Moscow since 2015, so it’s difficult to compare the department’s homicide record to other agencies around the state and country.

Investigators gather footage 24 miles away from crime scene

Sunday 18 December 2022 20:30 , Megan Sheets

Investigators have gathered surveillance footage from as far as 24 miles away from the student rental home where four University of Idaho students were murdered as the hunt for the killer continues.

Security footage has been collected from the Food City store in Kendrick, Fox News reported.

A manager at the store – which is about 24 miles east of Moscow – said that Idaho State Police had reached out on 30 November asking for footage from 12 November to 14 November.

The manager said they were able to provide video covering those timeframes.

In the town of Troy – around 12 miles east of Moscow – a gas station employee revealed that law enforcement officials had also come knocking for footage but that the business was unable to help as it does not have cameras outside.

It is not clear whether investigators are honing in on those Idaho towns for any particular reason but the revelation comes amid a search for the occupant or occupants of a white Hyundai Elentra which was spotted “in the immediate area” around King Road at the time of the murders.

Police insist murder investigation will not slow down over the holidays

Sunday 18 December 2022 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

Moscow Police Chief James Fry has insisted that the investigation into the brutal murders of the four University of Idaho students will not slow down over the holidays.

In a video interview, published on the Moscow PD Facebook page on Friday, the police chief vowed to “keep up with the pace” over the winter break.

“We will continue to keep up with the pace,” he said.

“We’re giving individuals time off when they need it. We’re augmenting other people into those spots… We’re not going to stop investigating the case.”

His comments come as law enforcement officials are coming under increasing pressure to track down the killer as – more than a month on from the murders – no suspect has been identified.

How the white car landed on police radar

Sunday 18 December 2022 19:30 , Rachel Sharp