Posted on 11/15/2022 12:32:40 PM PST by Red Badger
BOISE, Idaho — Four University of Idaho students found dead in an off-campus home were targeted, and the killer or killers used a knife or other “edged weapon” in the attack, police said Tuesday.
The Moscow Police Department made the announcement in a news release, adding that investigators were working to establish a timeline to recreate the victims' activities before they were found dead Sunday. Police said the killings likely occurred in the early morning hours, and the bodies were found around noon.
The students' deaths were considered to be “an isolated, targeted attack and there is no imminent threat to the community at large,” according to police, who earlier said evidence from the scene led them to believe there was no broader risk. Police provided no information about that evidence or why they believe the victims were targeted.
Autopsies expected to be completed later this week could provide more information about how the victims were killed.
Investigators were “following all leads and identifying persons of interest” in the case, the news release said. Monday night, police Captain Anthony Dahlinger told the Idaho Statesman that officers were searching for a suspect.
Police discovered the students’ bodies Sunday as they responded to a report of an unconscious person at a home steps away from the campus. The victims were identified as Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old from Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, from Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, from Rathdrum, Idaho.
The university canceled classes on Monday, and said additional security staffers were available to walk students across campus if needed during the remainder of the week.
Still, the initial lack of information about the cause of the deaths — and the fact that police have said there is no one in custody — prompted many students to leave campus early, days before the Thanksgiving break was scheduled to begin.
A vigil for the slain students originally scheduled for Wednesday evening has been postponed until after Thanksgiving break, University of Idaho spokesman Kyle Pfannenstiel said in an email Tuesday.
In an earlier memo, University of Idaho President Scott Green urged university employees to be empathetic and flexible, and work with students who decided to leave classes to spend time with their families.
“Words cannot adequately describe the light these students brought to this world or ease the depth of suffering we feel at their passing under these tragic circumstances,” Green wrote of the slain students.
Police said anyone with information should contact the department and asked that people respect the privacy of the victims' family and friends.
Brian Nickerson, the fire chief of the Moscow Volunteer Fire and EMS Department, said police were the first to arrive at the home. The first responders from the fire and EMS department didn't go inside or transport anyone from the scene, Nickerson said.
The city of Moscow is a close-knit college town nestled in the rolling hills of north-central Idaho, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Spokane, Washington.
The university said Chapin was a freshman and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and Kernodle was a junior majoring in marketing and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Mogen was a senior also majoring in marketing and a member of Pi Beta Phi, and Goncalves was a senior majoring in general studies and a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, the university said. The university also had different home town listed for Chapin and Kernodle than the towns listed in the Moscow Police Department release: The school said Chapin was from Mount Vernon, Washington, and Kernodle was from Post Falls, Idaho.
Shortly after Moscow police announced the homicide investigation, students at the University of Virginia were also told to shelter in place after police said a suspect gunned down fellow students on a bus as they returned from a school field trip. The shooting left three members of the school's football team dead and two other students injured. The shooting touched off an intense manhunt Sunday, and authorities announced Monday that a suspect, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., had been apprehended.
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Why does this remind me of Danny Rolling and the Gainsville murders?
it wouldn’t be hard if they were all drunk and passed out in different rooms in the house..
difficulty would be if the male was sharing a bed with one of the females ( which I assume to be the case)..even then being drunk would severely limit the ability of the female to react, assuming the male was taken out first..
it’s still amazing given the fact that no young adult that I know ever is outside of 12 inches from their phone, all that’s required is a voice command “ siri call 911” and the perp is screwed
Yep, now play your video game, eat your bugs and shut up!/sarc
Or Ted Bundy and the FSU murders................
Yeah, killing four people with a knife would require one who is pretty nifty with a knife-—but possible. But let’s wait for the autopsies. One of my guesses is a party time bad coke dose, knocked everybody out, and the dealer didn’t want any survivors to complain about his stuff? No apparent calls for help is curious and suggests a knockout event.
It’s likely the middle of the night.
Passed out or just sleeping, it would be easy.
This happened before, it was on a Forensic Files or one of those shows.
All the college kids killed were hanging out together and basically asleep in the living room together. I do believe it was targeted and had something to do with drugs or revenge over a boyfriend.
Who cares?! At least that pesky black-on-black multiple murder at the U. of Virginia is off the front page. These white kids are much more attractive.
sorry I asked the mod to pull the post. I realized as soon as I pressed post that I had made one of my rare but grand errors.
Ex boyfriends... Stay far away from them.
I heard recently the average person being held up obeys the criminal more when facing a knife than a gun.
A black woman in her late 50s I used to know said the criminals probably watch the TV news and break out in a cheer when they hear “the police have no suspects.” Means they won.
Victims’ pictures....
May God bless their souls and heal the grief of their loved ones.
Which proves the need for an “assault” weapons ban.
RE: Ex boyfriends... Stay far away from them.
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Good idea.
They say to a child the worst combination is their mother having a live-in boyfriend. Worse than alone with their single mother.
And a percentage of women are less likely to re-marry if they are the mother of a girl. They subconsciously or consciously fear for the daughter.
A machete wouldn’t require much skill to use , pretty effective edged weapon.
You could hack four people to death very easily.
I read another media report saying authorities have ruled out murder-suicide. The term “edged weapon” was used rather than simply stating a knife was used. Certainly seems to be a lack of specificity here.
Why no press conf by the police?
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I saw a brief press conference on One America News earlier today.
‘Edged weapons’, ban edged weapons. A samurai sword comes to mind as the murder weapon. Must have been a bloody mess!
Well, actually, No. Rather, May God reveal the murderer and avenge their blood speedily. Death to wanton murderers.
You should be a detective! Excellent reasoning
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