Police don’t think 911 caller, roommates were killers in U of Idaho student stabbings
Authorities in the University of Idaho student-death investigation still don’t have a suspect in custody, but they believe that several people are not suspects, including the person who made the first 911 call and the man whom two of the slain women called but who did not answer.
At a news conference Sunday, Moscow police Chief James Fry also declined to say which victims were on which floors of the three-story rental house where they died. Two of the four students were on the second floor and two on the third, police said.
The news conference was the second time authorities addressed the public in person since the four students were fatally stabbed in an off-campus home a week earlier.
Others whom Moscow police Capt. Roger Lanier said are not suspects include the surviving two roommates at the house, the man two of the victims made calls to, a hooded man seen on video with two of the victims, and a person who gave them a ride home. Responding to a question from a reporter, Fry said the 911 caller is not believed to be the killer either.
The four victims in the killings early Nov. 13 were U of I seniors Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, who were close friends; and junior Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington, who were dating. The three women lived in the house, while Chapin was staying overnight with Kernodle.
Lanier recounted what happened that night:
Kernodle and Chapin had been at the Sigma Chi fraternity house — at a party, police said previously — before returning home at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday. Moden and Goncalves had been at a local bar and, later, a downtown Moscow food truck before returning home, also about 1:45 a.m.
The house’s two other tenants had returned about 1 a.m. and did not wake up until the the morning, long after the attack.
Multiple calls were made “from Madison and Kaylee’s phone” to a male. (Previously, authorities had confirmed that the calls were made after 2 a.m. and that the man, a friend, was sleeping. Goncalves’s sister, Alivia Goncalvez, has said the man’s name is Jack.)
When the 911 caller two minutes before noon reported an unconscious person, police found the four students dead, two on the second floor and two on the third. (Police said separately that the two women who were unharmed were sleeping on the first floor. They said they didn’t know if the killer entered through the sliding glass door on the house’s second floor. The house is on a hillside, with a first-floor entrance on one side and a second-floor entrance on the other.)
Autopsies later confirmed that they died from multiple stab wounds and that all were likely asleep when the attacks occurred, though some victims showed defensive wounds indicating that they struggled with the attacker. There was no sign of sexual assault, and none were tied or gagged.
Early in the investigation, police canvassed local businesses to see if any fixed-blade knives had been purchased. The weapon used in the crime still has not been found.
Detectives searched three nearby dumpsters for evidence, “but nothing of note was discovered.”
Chief: We’ll release 911 caller’s identity when ready
Police have not disclosed who made the noontime 911 call. “When we get ready to release that, we will,” Fry said. Police also have not released audio of the call.
Fry declined to say whether the attack was carried out by a single person, and he said he did not know why the attack did not wake up other roommates.
Police still believe the attacks were targeted, but Fry said he is “not able to say” if any one of the four in particular was targeted.
Avoid speculation, Idaho State Police chief says
“We do appreciate the community’s support,” Lanier said. “We understand how stressful it is and we will continue to work through this situation.”
Kedrick Wills, director of Idaho State Police, said the agency — working together with U of I, Moscow police and the FBI — is committed to solving the “senseless murders.” He encouraged the public to avoid speculation and instead rely on official information.
“We know that people want answers,” Wills said. “We want answers too.”
University president: Some students will stay away
U of I President C. Scott Green said he recognized that some students do not want to return to campus anytime soon and want to finish the fall semester remotely.
“We’re asking instructors to plan for both sets of students as they finish this semester,” he said.
Jodi Walker, senior communications director at U of I, told the Statesman by text that the university is considering “fully in person and flexible” options, which may include conducting classes on Zoom.
“We know there are students looking for both options,” Walker said. “There are lots of flexible options depending on the class.”
Surveillance video, observations still sought
Investigators said they are seeking more surveillance from homes and businesses “within the geographical area” of West Taylor Avenue (north boundary), West Palouse River Driver (south), U.S. 95-2700 block (east) and Arboretum and Botanical Garden (west). The target time is 3 to 6 a.m. Nov. 13.
Business and Local Government Editor David Staats contributed.
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