Police are still struggling to move forward with their investigation into the murders of four college students killed in Idaho last month.
The days pass but the investigation still stalls. On November 13, four University of Idaho students were found dead in a house off campus. Two roommates who were sleeping at the time of the crime discovered the bodies. They were quickly put out of business after they both explained that they had heard nothing.
On Monday, authorities said officers had taken every precaution to best protect the bodies for later examination. Medical Examiner Cathy Mabbutt told Fox News that the hands of the victims had been wrapped in plastic bags by the officers so as not to lose any possible DNA trace corresponding to the murderer. “When you have close attacks like these, there’s a good chance the victim will hit the assailant’s face or arms as they try to defend themselves,” explained the “New York PostJoseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It is in particular often at the level of the nails that traces can be found.
Online rumors and the impatience of families
Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 were found dead on two different floors of the house. All had been stabbed. Early last week, Kaylee Goncalves’ father told Fox News he believed his daughter or her best friend Madison may have been the main targets of the killings. This theory would come in particular from a rumor of a stalker who was following Kaylee. In this regard, police captain Roger Lanier told the press “not to be able to corroborate this information”, while indicating “continue to examine it”. Fox News reports that it was also Kaylee who bore “significantly more brutal” injuries to her body than the other victims. This information has not been confirmed by the authorities.
From the start of the investigation, the police indicated that these crimes had been specifically targeted, but did not say more. Last week, she launched an appeal for witnesses in order to find the driver or the passengers ofa white car parked near the scene of the tragedy. But so far, nothing seems to have been conclusive. Faced with the impatience and grief of the families who complained of not being informed of the progress of the investigation, the authorities replied that they preferred to remain discreet so as not to compromise the search. Not much has been revealed about what might look like a perfect crime.
Due to the lack of information provided by the police, many rumors have emerged online. Lately, the profile of a man convicted of murder has surfaced on social networks, and in particular on YouTube where budding investigators are trying to shed light on the crime. Questioned by theDaily Mail“, the wife of this man affirmed that her husband “has nothing to do” with these murders. “People on the internet are trying to point their fingers at it,” she lamented. Police confirmed he was unrelated to the case. In addition, a mysterious black glove has also been mentioned online and in the podcast of American journalist Nancy Grace, who spoke with a former agent who went to the scene and claimed to have found this object. “I reported it to the officer securing the scene and they came and picked it up (…). Is this glove from the night of the murder? Was it there by chance, ie someone missed the trash can as it passed by… Is the suspect mocking the authorities by hypothetically placing something like this? asked this former officer in an interview on YouTube.
Nothing appears to have been stolen from the victims the night of the murders. There was also no sign of forced entry. Upon entering the crime scene, officers came across what the Moscow police chief described as “the worst crime scene they have ever seen.”