Idaho murders – update: Moscow police say ‘progress’ has been made in hunt for mystery car seen at crime scene

Investigators trying to track down the killer of four University of Idaho students have said that “progress” has now been made in the hunt for a mystery car spotted at the crime scene.

For almost two weeks, police have been searching for the occupant or occupants of a white Hyundai Elentra seen in the “immediate area” of the King Road home at the time of the murders.

On Monday, Moscow Police said that “progress continues to be made in finding information” about the vehicle with more than 10,000 tips so far received from the public throughout the murder investigation.

While more FBI agents have been assigned to the case this week, an attorney for Kaylee Goncalves’ family expressed a lack of confidence in law enforcement’s abilities to catch the killer.

More than five weeks have now passed since Goncalves, her roommates Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin were brutally stabbed to death inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November.

No murder weapon has been found, no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made.

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

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

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

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, the lead agency handling the quadruple stabbings, is “dealing with a violent psychopath who has no known relationship with the victim.”

Investigators have not divulged whether they believe the perpetrator in the 13 November slayings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin knew the victims or not. Nearly five weeks after the stabbings, no suspects have been identified.

“Moscow PD are in a near impossible position,” Mr Ramsey told Fox. “They simply don’t have the experience to run a complex homicide investigation.”

Read the story here:

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

Mystery driver ‘might not own white car,’ grieving father says

10:10 , Rachel Sharp

Kaylee Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves said that investigators have done “due diligence” on the car and have 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.”

Investigators said a Hyundai Elantra was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings (Moscow PD)
Investigators said a Hyundai Elantra was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings (Moscow PD)

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

09:40 , Rachel Sharp

A month has now passed since four University of Idaho students were found brutally murdered in their beds, and police in the small university town of Moscow appear no closer to solving the case.

Not a single arrest has been made. No suspects have been identified. And the murder weapon is nowhere to be found.

With each day that passes, fears grow that the investigation is going cold and that the mass murderer who violently stabbed Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin to death will continue to walk free.

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

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

What happened in the Idaho murder victims’ final hours?

09:00 , Andrea Blanco

They did what they’d do on any Saturday night.

Could clues to the Idaho killings lie in victims’ ordinary evenings?

Reporting from Moscow, Idaho, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn outlines the four young students’ final hours.

Idaho police say ‘patterns’ in college killing tips could help them find mystery car

Kaylee Goncalves’ mother reveals agonising fear about Idaho murders

08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Kristi Goncalves, whose 21-year-old daughter Kaylee Goncalves was stabbed to death in her off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November, appeared on the Today Show on Thursday and spoke of her family being “left in the dark” as her daughter’s killer remains at large.

Nearly five weeks after Kaylee was killed along with friends Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, authorities have not named a suspect or motive, found the murder weapon, or produced a criminal profile of the potential killer.

Asked if she thinks the case could go unsolved, Ms Goncalves said: “I mean, in all honesty, that is a possibility. There’s a lot of unsolved murders.

“It’s sleepless nights. It’s feeling sick to your stomach. It’s being left in the dark.”

Her comments came as tensions over a lack of developments continue to rise between investigators and the families and the public.

In the absence of major updates, conspiracy theories have exploded while concerns have mounted that the killings could become America’s next cold case. The Independent explored that possibility in an analysis earlier this week, which noted that just 54 per cent of homicides in the US were cleared through an arrest in 2020 - and experts believe clearance rates have only worsened since then.

New video shows Idaho students discussing mystery man named ‘Adam’

07:00 , Andrea Blanco

Newly-obtained surveillance footage has come to light purportedly 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 – known in social media circles 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.

Read the full story:

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

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

06:00 , 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 has the story:

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

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

05:20 , Andrea Blanco

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.

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

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

Coroner told victim’ teen sister horrifying details about her death, mother says

04:40 , Andrea Blanco

Kaylee Goncalves’s mother Kristi Goncalves shared her anguish over the case in an interview with the Today Show on Thursday, more than a month after her daughter was stabbed to death alongside friends Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.

Ms Goncalves revealed that some of the most gruesome details the family knows about the case came from a conversation between her younger daughter, who is 17, and Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt.

Earlier this week, Kaylee’s father Steve Goncalves described how the coroner had told the family that the victims suffered “big open gouges”.

Ms Mabbutt had given that description to Kaylee’s little sister over the phone, Ms Goncalves said.

“[Ms Mabbutt] asked her: ‘Are you sure you want to know this?’ And my daughter, thinking that she did, for whatever reason, said ‘Yes,’” Ms Goncalves said. “And she proceeded to tell her.”

‘Patterns’ in college killing tips could help them find mystery car, police say

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Police investigating the murders of four University of Idaho students last month said that patterns identified through tips have led them closer to finding a vehicle that could be key in solving the crime.

In a press release last week, Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier said that investigators are sorting through 22,000 registered 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantras.

Last week, authorities asked for the public’s help in locating a vehicle of that model seen near the scene of the quadruple stabbings.

The department said that the occupants of the car could have critical information about the brutal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin on 13 November. The probe entered its second month on Tuesday with no suspects named by police.

“Through our tips, through our leads, and some of the evidence that came in, we started to identify patterns,” Capt Lanier said in a video statement.

He added: “We understand that even though sometimes there is a fascination with a particular case, some people simply don’t watch the news and may not know what we’re looking for.

Xana Kernodle’s family announce tribute scholarship fund

03:20 , Andrea Blanco

In a statement to The Independent on Friday, Xana Kernodle’s family said they’ve decided to start a memorial endowment in partnership with the University of Idaho to keep her legacy alive.

Kernodle, her roommates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin were killed inside the young women’s off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November. A month on from the brutal stabbings, the killer remains at large.

“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,” the family said. “We sincerely thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts.

“At the very least, we hope to create some good out of such a terrible and heartbreaking situation.”

Moscow police scoured at least 24-mile radius for video

02:40 , Andrea Blanco

Moscow investigators travelled to the nearby towns of Troy and Kendrick for the footage that could help in the investigation into the slayings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, according to a Fox News Digital report.

Store owners in those towns said that authorities showed up at their doors asking for surveillance video from 12 November and 13 November. Several other stores in that area including a liquor store, a coffee shop, a gym and a gas station were visited by police, per Fox.

Last week, police asked for the public’s help in tracking down the occupant or occupants of a white Hyundai Elantra in connection to the case.

Moscow store owner says Kaylee Goncalves shared fears about potential stalker

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

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.”

 (Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram)
(Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram)

ICYMI: Everything we know about the ‘messy’ crime scene

01:20 , Andrea Blanco

Describing the crime scene to Today, coroner Latah County Coroner Mabbutt said that there was “quite a bit of blood”.

DNA has been recovered from the home, which Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle shared with at least two other roommates.

Those roommates were home at the time of the killings but apparently were unaware of the murders until hours later. Nearly three weeks after the killings, police revealed a sixth person may have lived at the home.

Police have taken more than 4,000 pictures of the residence after the murders. The door appeared to be unlocked with no sign of forced entry and nothing seemed to have been taken, investigators said.

The bodies were found in the victims’ beds on the second and third floors, leading authorities to believe they were asleep when killed.

At a vigil on 30 November, Goncalves’ father revealed that his daughter and Mogen were in the same bed when they were killed.

Goncalves’ parents had previously said that they had been told by authorities that the investigation is moving slowly because the killer left behind a “mess” of evidence.

Steve and Kristi Goncalves 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.”

In an interview nearly four weeks into the case, Mr Goncalves revealed that the victims suffered “big open gouges” rather than simple stab wounds.

A neighbour told Fox that the victims often hosted gatherings at the home and had a lot of people coming in and out of the residence, which could potentially complicate crime scene analysis.

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.

“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.

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.”

 (Kernodle family)
(Kernodle family)

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.