Video shows mystery man with slain Idaho students
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Questions are mounting about a potential link between the quadruple murders of four University of Idaho students and a 2021 stabbing murder in Salem, Oregon, which also remains unsolved.
Both cases involved an assailant breaking into a home at around 3am in the morning and attacking victims in their beds with a knife while other people were in the house.
When asked about the case in a press conference on Wednesday, Moscow Police Chief James Fry confirmed he had received a tip and that there is “stuff that we are going to follow up on”.
Frustration is mounting over the investigation into the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, as 11 days on from the brutal stabbing deaths no arrests have been made and no suspects identified.
The four students were all stabbed to death in an off-campus home on 13 November while their two other roommates slept.
The housemates, Goncalves’s former boyfriend, the person who gave Goncalves and Mogen a ride home, and a man who was with them at a food truck have all been ruled out as suspects.
Key points
Weapon believed to be a fix-blade knife, say policePolice probing whether victim Kaylee Goncalves had a stalkerPolice rule out mystery car incident from 21 NovemberNeighbour says victims’ residence ‘not necessarily a party house’Families of victims plead to end wild conspiracy theoriesOver a week, 600 tips, no suspects identified, no arrests madeShow latest update
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Terror grips Idaho college town after quadruple murder
Parents are ordering deadbolts, teens are asking for guns and the streets are empty in Moscow.
There is a killer – or killers – on the loose, ten days after four college students were murdered in their beds.
Locals reveal how fear is deepening as time goes by without any arrests and with little information from police.
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reveals all in this special report from on the ground in Moscow, Idaho:
Guns, deadbolts and mass student exodus: Terror grips Idaho town after murders
Parents are ordering deadbolts, teens are asking for guns and the streets are empty in Moscow. There is a killer – or killers – on the loose, ten days after four college students were murdered in their beds. Locals tell Sheila Flynn how fear is deepening as time goes by without any arrests and with little information from police
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 13:50
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Frustration mounts as police remain stumped by case
Frustration is mounting against the local authorities investigating the murders as they appear to be stumped by the case and continue to withhold key details about the killings.
On Wednesday, Moscow Police gave what is only the third press conference about the high-profile unsolved case in 11 days.
In it, they released few new details, simply reiterating people who have been ruled out as suspects and saying that they were still looking into the theory that Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker.
They also refused to say why they believe the murders were targeted – instead telling the terrified community to “trust us”.
“You’re going to have to trust on that at this point because we are not going to release why we think that,” said Moscow Police Department captain Roger Lanier.
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 13:30
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Who have police ruled out as suspects?
Eleven days into the investigation, no arrests have been made and no suspects named.
However, police have ruled out several people as suspects in the grisly murders. They are:
– The two surviving housemates who were in the home at the time of the killings.
– The man who was caught on camera with Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at a food truck in the downtown area before they headed home.
– The person who gave Mogen and Goncalves a ride home from the food truck.
– Goncalves’ former long-term boyfriend, with whom she shares a dog.
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 13:10
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Idaho police unable to confirm reports that victim had a stalker
The Moscow Police Department have been unable to confirm reports that murder victim Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker.
Kaylee, 21, was found brutally stabbed to death on 13 November along with her roommates Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Xana’s visiting boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20.
Despite “looking extensively” into concerns raised by people who knew Goncalves that she had complained about a stalker, police were unable to confirm those reports, the department said during a press conference on Wednesday.
“We obtained information through some of our interviews that Kaylee had made some comments about having a stalker, so that’s where that came from,” Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier said.
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports from on the ground in Moscow, Idaho:
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 12:50
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Surviving housemate gets tattoo in tribute of slain friends
One of the housemates who survived the horror quadruple murders in Moscow, Idaho, has revealed that she has gotten a new tattoo paying tribute to her slain friends.
Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death in an off-campus home that the three women shared in Moscow back on 13 November.
Two other roommates were home at the time of the murders but were left unharmed.
Police said they were in the first floor of the house and are believed to have slept through the attack. The housemates, two other female University of Idaho students, have been ruled out as suspects.
One of the surviving housemate shared a photo of a new tattoo on her arm on her VCSO account this week.
The tattoo features anglel wings and the initials of her four murdered friends: “MKXE”.
The arm of a second person is also in the photo with the same tattoo.
The tattoo in tribute to the four victims
(VCSO)
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 12:30
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Questions mount about potential link to a 2021 unsolved stabbing murder
Questions are mounting as to whether the quadruple murders of the four University of Idaho students may be connected to a 2021 unsolved stabbing murder in Oregon.
Back on 13 August 2021, two victims were attacked in their home in Salem, Oregon, by an assailant who broke in armed with a knife.
Travis and Jamilyn Juetten woke at around 3am in the morning and were attacked by the suspect.
Mr Juetten tried to fight off the attacker but was stabbed to death.
Ms Juetten was stabbed 19 times in the attack but survived.
More than one year on, the case remains unsolved with similarities being drawn between the stabbing murder and the slayings of the four students on 13 November in Moscow, Idaho. Both cases involve a suspect armed with a knife breaking into a home at around 3am and attacking victims in their beds.
During a press conference on Wednesday, a reporter asked whether Moscow police were exploring a possible connection between the two cases.
Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry confirmed that he was aware of the 2021 case and that investigators had received a tip about it.
“We’re looking at every avenue and we have other agencies reaching out to us with other cases, stuff that we are going to follow up on,” he said.
The two cases have not been officially connected by law enforcement.
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 12:10
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Police retrace victims’ final steps before murders
During a press conference on Wednesday, Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier 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 after arriving home before 2am.
Two surviving victims are believed to have been around 1am. 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, which police said will not be released at this time, was made from the cellphone of one of the surviving roommates.
Authorities have since revealed that all four victims were stabbed to death in their sleep.
The murder weapon has not been recovered.
The Independent’s Io Dodds and Rachel Sharp have the timeline of the events:
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 11:55
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Police reiterate roommates and male seen on video with victims have been ruled out as suspects
Moscow authorities gave a press conference on Wednesday revisiting much of the information that had already been released days prior and offering no updates on the murder investigation.
Captain Roger Lanier reiterated that the two surviving roommates who placed the 911 call around noon on 13 November are not considered suspects.
A man who was captured on Twitch video with two of the victims mere hours before the murders, and a private party who drove the victims home have also been ruled out.
Authorities have asked for speculation to stop, highlighting that reports online that the four victims had been tied and gagged before they were murdered was completely inaccurate.
Moscow Police Chief James Fry during a press conference on 16 November
(KHQ-TV)
Rachel Sharp24 November 2022 11:35
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Guns, deadbolts and a mass student exodus
Parents are ordering deadbolts, teens are asking for guns and the streets are empty in Moscow, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports.
The eerie scene has not changed in the more than ten days since four University of Idaho students — Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, were murdered in their off-campus rental home.
The killer remains on the loose and locals in the town of just 25,000 tell The Independent that fear is deepening as time goes by without any arrests and with little information from police
Read Sheila’s report from on the ground in Idaho:
Guns, deadbolts and mass student exodus: Terror grips Idaho town after murders
Parents are ordering deadbolts, teens are asking for guns and the streets are empty in Moscow. There is a killer – or killers – on the loose, ten days after four college students were murdered in their beds. Locals tell Sheila Flynn how fear is deepening as time goes by without any arrests and with little information from police
Andrea Blanco24 November 2022 11:00
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Moscow Police urge the public to continue submitting tips
On Wednesday, police renewed their commitment to the investigation and thanked the public for the numerous tips received, stressing that no piece of evidence was too small.
They continue looking into more than 1,000 tips received since the murders took place on 13 November, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said.
He encouraged residents to continue submitting information they think may be linked to the killings.
“We still believe there is more information to be gathered,” Mr Fry said. “We ask anyone, with any information … to get that information to us.”
“Even if you don’t believe that it is relevant, investigators will determine if and how, your information builds a picture. Sometimes what a picture or video doesn’t show is as important as what it should be there.”
Andrea Blanco24 November 2022 10:00