Yahoo News Idaho murders - live: Update on possible link to Salem Oregon stabbing sparks new theories in Moscow mystery
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”.
The mother of the man killed in the attack 15 months ago told The Independent that finding out who killed her son and also catching the killer of the slain students in Idaho – would be “the best Christmas present ever”.
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 police
Police probing whether victim Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker
Police rule out mystery car incident from 21 November
Neighbour says victims' residence 'not necessarily a party house'
Families of victims plead to end wild conspiracy theories
Over a week, 600 tips, no suspects identified, no arrests made
Moscow police dispel online speculation
04:00 , Andrea Blanco
Authorities in Moscow, where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death last week, have warned the public against rumours online.
“We know that people want answers, we want answers, too,” Idaho State Police Colonel Kedrick 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 mak[ing] sure that that happens.”
On Sunday, police Captain Roger Lanier denied reports that the victims had been found tied and gagged and said that any information circulating about the identity of the 911 caller was mere speculation.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the story:
Moscow police dispel specualtion surrounding University of Idaho students’ murders
Roommates butchered in bed. The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
03:00 , Andrea Blanco
Almost everything that happened after 1.45am on 13 November inside the college home where four students were murdered still remains a mystery.
Compounded by changing stories from law enforcement and wild social media speculation that has seeped into the local rumour mill, investigators continue to piece together the events that led to the attack, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports.
Sheila reports: “As the investigation entered its ninth day on Monday, residents remained nervous and had no idea what to think in the 25,000-person town that borders Washington State.”
“The University of Idaho is Moscow’s largest employer. The town is nestled among rolling hills and farms in Latah County, known for its production of wheat and other grains. The Welcome to Moscow sign sits just yards away from the Welcome to Idaho sign.”
Follow Sheila’s coverage:
No suspect, weapon or witnesses: The Idaho murder mystery that’s stumped police
Idaho police rule out murders connection to brutal death of dog found ‘filleted’ nearby
02:00 , Andrea Blanco
Moscow police have said that reports of a skinned dog are not related to the murders of four University of Idaho students on an off-campus housing site on 13 November.
“Detectives are aware of a Latah County Sheriff’s Office incident of the report of a skinned dog and have determined it is unrelated to this incident,” a Moscow Police Department spokesperson told The Independent.
The clarification this week came after reports said that an elderly couple’s Mini Australian shepherd dog was “filleted” just three miles away from where the students were murdered.
Victims often ‘hosted parties with lots of people coming in and out of the house'
01:00 , Andrea Blanco
Neighbours of the four University of Idaho students killed in Idaho said the victims often hosted parties in their rental home.
Jeremy Reagan, a third-year law student who lives near the scene of the murders that shocked the university town of Moscow last week, told Fox News that the victims would often host self-contained gatherings and added that people went in and out of the house “pretty frequently.”
“There were parties that were kind of loud,” Mr Reagan said.
“As I would take my dog in and out to go to the bathroom [and] I would see people in the windows almost every night, probably four or five nights a week ... it was kind of a party house but then again this whole neighbourhood is a party neighbourhood.”
The Independent has more:
Slain Idaho students often ‘hosted parties’ in their rental home, neighbours say
Moscow authorities won’t say why they think attacks were targeted
Thursday 24 November 2022 23:55 , Andrea Blanco
Local police still have not named a suspect or located the murder weapon, despite assistance from the Idaho State Police and federal officials.
“You’re going to have to trust on that at this point because we are not going to release why we think that,” Moscow Police Department captain Roger Lanier said during a press conference on Wednesday.
Officials defended their work on the investigation, telling the public it took time to process the crime scene, an off-campus rental home shared by victims Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle, where the fourth victim, Ethan Chapin, was visiting.
Mr Lanier said that his department was prioritising a thorough investigation over speed.
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the story:
Moscow police refuse to say why they think murdered students were targeted
Criminal expert warns bloody crime scene could be a challenge for investigators
Thursday 24 November 2022 22:50 , Andrea Blanco
Joseph Scott Morgan, a distinguished scholar of forensics at Jacksonville State University, told Fox News that it is likely the perpetrator is a predator who did not know the victims personally.
“From a blood evidence standpoint, this is a profoundly bloody scene,” Mr Morgan added.
“It’s going to be a very complicated case when you go through blood evidence, when you go to do DNA typing. It’s a major challenge.”
Mr Morgan said that he believed this is the type of case that is solved by “the public’s participation and tips,” because the DNA evidence collected at the scene could be from somebody who is not on a law enforcement database.
Xana Kernodle’s father calls tragedy his “worst nightmare”
Thursday 24 November 2022 21:46 , Andrea Blanco
Xana, her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, and roommates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were stabbed to death inside a home in the small college town of Moscow at around midday on Sunday.
No arrests have been made in the investigation and authorities have released very few details about the murders.
Jeffrey Kornodle called the tragedy his “worst nightmare.”
“How can you protect your kid? You keep them at home and don’t let [them] go to college? They’re not gonna stay at home like that,” Mr Kornodle told The Independent last week.
“So, it’s really mind-boggling. It’s just completely unthinkable and it’s the worst nightmare.”
Idaho murders Reddit sleuth community tops 43,000 after frustrating Moscow police update
Thursday 24 November 2022 20:46 , Andrea Blanco
Following a press conference on Wednesday marked by a lack of notable developments, the Reddit subchannels MoscowMurders and IdahoMurders have amassed more than 43,000 members who discuss the case on a daily basis.
In the forums, people from across the country are weighing in on the investigation into the slayings of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen inside their off-campus rental home in Moscow.
Some posts contain information that is entirely speculative and has already been debunked by authorities, while other users have posted reminded that police are doing their jobs and the case is “not a 60-minute CSI crime show.”
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco:
Idaho murders Reddit sleuth community tops 43k after frustrating Moscow police update
What happened in the Idaho murder victims’ final hours?
Thursday 24 November 2022 19:46 , Andrea Blanco
It could have been anyone, in any US college town, on any Saturday night, The Independent’s Sheila Flynn writes.
That’s how typical the murdered students’ behaviour was in Moscow, Idaho.
Instead, housemates Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Kernodle’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were brutally stabbed to death.
Could clues to the Idaho killings lie in victims’ ordinary evenings?
Sheila reports from on the ground in Idaho:
Mother of murdered Oregon man speaks out after police reveal possible link to Idaho student slayings
Thursday 24 November 2022 18:43 , Andrea Blanco
Myra Juetten told The Independent on Thursday that finding out who killed her son Travis Juetten in a brutal stabbing attack in his home in Silverton, Oregon – and also catching the killer of the slain students in Idaho – would be “the best Christmas present ever”.
Back on 13 August 2021, Travis, 26, and his wife Jamilyn Juetten, 24, were woken at around 3am when a masked assailant broke into their home, entered their bedroom and stabbed them both multiple times with a knife.
This week, similarities were drawn between the knife attack on the young couple and the 13 November stabbing murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, 400 miles away in Moscow.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:
Exclusive: Mother of murdered Oregon man reacts to possible link to Idaho slayings
Surviving roommate in Idaho University murders gets tribute tattoo
Thursday 24 November 2022 18:20 , Andrea Blanco
On Tuesday, the survivor posted a picture of her ink featuring angel wings and the victims’ initials — MKXE — on VSCO. The wings are reminiscent of a tattoo Mogen also had on the back of her arm.
The Independent has chosen not to name the woman to avoid undue speculation. Authorities have reiterated that the two surviving roommates are not considered suspects in the brutal stabbings and are not necessarily witnesses of the crime.
“Maddie Kaylee Xana Ethan —MKXE— Love You Always and Forever,” she captioned the picture of the tattoo, in which another individual with the same art — it is unclear whether it is the second surviving roommate — was also featured.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the story:
Roomate who survived Idaho University murders gets tattoo in tribute of victims
Three missteps on the 10-day investigation, experts say
Thursday 24 November 2022 17:16 , Andrea Blanco
Experts have pointed out a series of missteps in the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students.
While the public and grieving families have grown frustrated over the lack of information being released and the conspiracy theories fueled by internet sleuths, respectively, a retired NYPD sergeant told Fox that Moscow Police have revealed plenty.
“Investigators have given out too much information,” Joseph Giacalone, a 20-year police veteran and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice told the network.
The Independent has the story:
Criminal experts reveal three key missteps in Idaho murders investigation
Moscow Police thanks community for support amid investigation
Thursday 24 November 2022 16:30 , Andrea Blanco
In light of Thanksgiving Day, the department posted a message on Facebook thanking locals for the outpouring of support as they continue to investigate the most high-profile murder in the college town’s history.
“We have received beautiful notes and letters of appreciation. Donations of amazing food, baked goods, and so much more. To our Moscow residents, we are humbled by the outpouring of support,” the post read.
Featured in the post were cards and letters from residents to the officers.
Victims often ‘hosted parties’ in their off-campus rental home
Thursday 24 November 2022 15:28 , Andrea Blanco
Jeremy Reagan, a third-year law student who lives near the scene of the murders, told Fox News that the victims would often host self-contained gatherings and added that people went in and out of the house “pretty frequently.”
“There were parties that were kind of loud,” Mr Reagan said.
“As I would take my dog in and out to go to the bathroom [and] I would see people in the windows almost every night, probably four or five nights a week ... it was kind of a party house but then again this whole neighbourhood is a party neighbourhood.”
Moscow police have reiterated that there were no signs of forced entry into the six-bedroom home.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the story:
Slain Idaho students often ‘hosted parties’ in their rental home, neighbours say
From campus to club to crime scene: What happened in the Idaho murder victims’ final hours
Thursday 24 November 2022 14:50 , Rachel Sharp
It could have been anyone, in any US college town, on any Saturday night. That’s how typical the murdered students’ behaviour was in Moscow, Idaho, just hours before they were brutally stabbed to death.
The University of Idaho campus had been busy that day, a sea of gold and silver as the Vandals prepared for a home game against the UC Davis Aggies in the 16,000-seat Kibbie Dome. It was 28 degrees at kickoff – the weather was listed as a daunting “ice fog” – but happy, loyal fans turned out; the Vandals’ 44-26 loss was disappointing but did not deter the students from preparing to hit the town.
Among them were five girls living in a three-bedroom rental home on King Road, just over a mile from the stadium and only two blocks from the edge of campus. Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen, both 21 and childhood best friends, were heading together to the bars downtown. Xana Kernodle, 20, was planning to hang out with her boyfriend, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin. The girls’ two other female roommates would spend the night out, also.
The Independent’s Sheila Flynn reports from on the ground in Moscow about the victims’ final hours:
Campus to club to crime scene: What happened in Idaho murder victims’ final hours
Idaho student murders may be linked to stabbing a year earlier and 400 miles away, police reveal
Thursday 24 November 2022 14:30 , Rachel Sharp
Investigators in Moscow are exploring the possibility that the quadruple murders of four University of Idaho students may be connected to a 2021 unsolved stabbing murder 400 miles away in Oregon.
Back on 13 August 2021, a couple was attacked in their home in Salem, Oregon, by a masked assailant who broke in armed with a knife, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.
Travis Juetten, 26, and Jamilyn Juetten, 24, were woken at around 3am in the morning when the mystery attacker entered their bedroom and stabbed them both multiple times.
Mr Juetten tried to fight off the attacker but was stabbed to death. Ms Juetten was stabbed 19 times in the attack but miraculously survived.
The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:
Idaho student murders may be linked to 2021 Oregon stabbing, police reveal
Police defend their handling of case
Thursday 24 November 2022 14:10 , Rachel Sharp
Police in Moscow tried to defend their handling of the case in a press conference on Wednesday – despite having no arrests and no suspects 10 days in to the investigation.
Idaho State police colonel Kedrick Willis said he understands the frustration over the lack of information in the case but insisted that work is going on “behind the scenes” and that they need to protect the investigation.
“We understand you want answers. We want answers too. But these take time,” he said.
“We believe we owe this to the surviving families to get this right. We’re not willing to sacrifice speed for quality. We collected 103 pieces of evidence, we took approximately 4,000 photographs, we’ve conducted 3D scans of the residence, we’ve processed over 1,000 total tips and conducted 150 interviews.”
He added: “I hope that gives a perception of just how complex this investigation is. We ask you to please remain patient as this investigation unfolds.”
Terror grips Idaho college town after quadruple murder
Thursday 24 November 2022 13:50 , Rachel Sharp
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
Frustration mounts as police remain stumped by case
Thursday 24 November 2022 13:30 , Rachel Sharp
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.
Who have police ruled out as suspects?
Thursday 24 November 2022 13:10 , Rachel Sharp
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.
Idaho police unable to confirm reports that victim had a stalker
Thursday 24 November 2022 12:50 , Rachel Sharp
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:
Idaho police unable to confirm reports that victim had a stalker
Surviving housemate gets tattoo in tribute of slain friends
Thursday 24 November 2022 12:30 , Rachel Sharp
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.
Questions mount about potential link to a 2021 unsolved stabbing murder
Thursday 24 November 2022 12:10 , Rachel Sharp
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.
Police retrace victims’ final steps before murders
Thursday 24 November 2022 11:55 , Rachel Sharp
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:
Timeline: What we know so far about the murder of four University of Idaho students
Police reiterate roommates and male seen on video with victims have been ruled out as suspects
Thursday 24 November 2022 11:35 , Rachel Sharp
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.
Guns, deadbolts and a mass student exodus
Thursday 24 November 2022 11:00 , Andrea Blanco
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
Moscow Police urge the public to continue submitting tips
Thursday 24 November 2022 10:00 , Andrea Blanco
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.”
Moscow authorities said they won’t reveal certain details in order to preserve investigation
Thursday 24 November 2022 09:00 , Andrea Blanco
Idaho police said that they believe the quadruple murder was targeted, but won’t disclose who was targeted or why they believe so.
Local police said that the priority is to preserve the evidence and prevent potentially jeopardizing it.
“You’re going to have to trust on that at this point because we are not going to release why we think that,” Moscow Police Department captain Roger Lanier said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The Independent’s Josh Marcus has the story:
Moscow police refuse to say why they think murdered students were targeted
No suspects in investigations ten days after the brutal murders
Thursday 24 November 2022 08:00 , Andrea Blanco
Ten days after the four victims were stabbed to death in their rooms, police said Wednesday they still have not identified a suspect or found a murder weapon.
They’ve continued asking for tips and surveillance video.
Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier told a news conference his department is putting all of its resources into solving the case and that investigators are prepared to work through the Thanksgiving holiday.
Authorities gave no indication that they’re any closer to making an arrest, but they did stress that they continue processing forensic evidence gathered from the home where the students were killed.
Students won’t be asked to return to campus until 2023
Thursday 24 November 2022 07:00 , Andrea Blanco
As the community of Moscow reels from the brutal slayings, fellow students continue to grapple with safety concerns as the killer remains at large.
University of Idaho senior student Dylan Bartels told The Independent that he estimated half of the students had left Moscow and gone home before the Thanksgiving break. Others, like Mr Bartels, don’t have that option and have stayed on campus.
University president Scott Greene said that the college plans to “be flexible through the end of the semester,” and that faculty were asked to prepare in-person and remote learning options for the final two weeks of the semester.
The Independent has the story:
University of Idaho students won’t have to return to campus until 2023 after murders
Missteps on the 10-day investigation, according to experts
Thursday 24 November 2022 06:00 , Andrea Blanco
Experts have pointed out a series of missteps in the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students.
While the public and grieving families have grown frustrated over the lack of information being released and the conspiracy theories fueled by internet sleuths, respectively, a retired NYPD sergeant told Fox that Moscow Police have revealed plenty.
“Investigators have given out too much information,” Joseph Giacalone, a 20-year police veteran and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice told the network.
Officials have also backtracked from information initially reported.
Another source of controversy in the handling of the investigation has been Moscow Police Chief Jame Fry’s initial assessment reassuring the community in the small college town that there was no ongoing threat three days after the violent murders.
He later backtracked from those remarks, asking residents to remain vigilant and cautious of their surroundings.
The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has the story:
Criminal experts reveal three key missteps in Idaho murders investigation
