Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle.
As authorities head into the second week of the investigation into thebrutal killings of four University of Idaho studentswho werestabbed to death on Nov. 13, they have not named any suspects or persons of interest.
Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed between 3 and 4 a.m. in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. Their bodies were discovered around noon after a 911 call came in about an unconscious person at the residence, authorities have said.
During aSunday press conference, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said authorities have received 646 tips so far in the investigation and conducted 90 interviews.
Neither of the surviving roommates is considered a suspect, Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier said Sunday.
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Lanier said that the 911 call reporting an unconscious person at 11:58 a.m. on Nov. 13 came from inside the residence and from the phone of one of the surviving roommates.
When police responded to the scene, they found two victims on the second floor of the residence and two victims on the third floor.
“On the morning of November 13th, the surviving roommates summoned friends to the residence because they believed one of the second-floor victims had passed out and was not waking up,” apress releasereads.
Multiple unidentified people talked on the phone with the 911 dispatcher before authorities arrived.
Along with saying the surviving roommates are not suspects, Lanier also said police have ruled out a man in a white hoodie who was seen in alivestream video from a food truckGoncalves and Mogen visited hours before they were killed. Another person who has been ruled out is a private party driver who took the two women home around 1:45 a.m. that day.
No Suspects, No Weapon
No suspects have been arrestedor named at this time and police have not found a weapon. Lanier said detectives have asked local businesses if they recently sold a fixed-blade knife.
The Idaho home where four students were killed on Nov. 13, 2022.Angela Palermo/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Police have previously confirmed that on the evening of Nov. 12, Chapin and Kernodle were at a party at the Sigma Chi fraternity house on the University of Idaho’s campus near the home while Mogen and Goncalves were at a local bar and later a food truck. All four victims returned to the residence around 1:45 a.m. on Nov. 13, and their bodies were discovered around noon.
Last week, Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt confirmed that the four victims were all found in bed and were likely sleeping when they were attacked.
“The coroner stated the four victims were likely asleep, some haddefensive wounds, and each was stabbed multiple times,” Lanier said. “There was no sign of sexual assault.”
Between 2:30 a.m. and 2:52 a.m., Goncalves' sister, Alivia Goncalves, toldInsideEditionthat her sister and Mogen made a series of phone calls to a man, but did not provide any further information.
During Sunday’s news conference, Lanier said that authorities are aware of these phone calls.
“Investigators are aware that multiple phone calls from Madison and Kaylee’s phone were made to a male subject,” he said.
When a reporter asked if the man was ruled out as a suspect during the press conference, Fry said, “everything we have taken from those calls, we’ve followed up on, we’ve cleared, and we believe that there’s no connection there.”
Killings Were ‘Targeted,’ Say Police
Fry said authorities still believe the attacks were targeted “because we take a totality of all the circumstances that we’re looking at.” However, police are not able to say if they think one specific victim was the target.
Police are interested in two specific areas in the Moscow community and have called on the public for help and for outside surveillance video taken in these areas from between 3 and 6 a.m. on Nov. 13.
Colonel Kedrick Wills of the Idaho State Police asked the public for patience while the investigation continues.
“We know that people want answers — we want answers, too,” Wills said. “Please be patient as we work through this investigation. We owe this to these young kids — to these young adults. We owe it to them. And we’re absolutely dedicated to make sure that that happens.”
Another news conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. Mountain Time.
The Moscow Police Department is asking anyone who may have information about the killings to call 208-883-7180 or email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us.
source: people.com
