MOSCOW, Idaho — Tuesday marks one month since four University of Idaho students were found murdered in an off-campus home on King Road in Moscow. Since then, police have not publicly identified any suspects but have received and followed up on countless tips.
20-year-old Ethan Chapin, from Conway, Wash.; 21-year-old Madison Mogen, from Coeur d'Alene; 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, from Post Falls and 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, from Rathdrum- were found dead in a home shared by the three girls on Nov. 13. The Latah County Coroner determined the four victims were stabbed.
One month later, police are continuing to track down leads and are following up on tips daily. Investigators are still working to build a timeline of what happened in the hours before the murder.
On Tuesday, Moscow police sent a release asking the public to "stay focused on the facts released by the Moscow Police Department."
"Rumors and speculation have also affected the families of the victims, friends, and fellow students. In some cases, this has led to harassing and threatening behavior toward potentially involved parties," MPD wrote in a statement. "Anyone engaging in threats or harassment whether in person, online or otherwise needs to understand that they could be subjecting themselves to criminal charges."
Here's what police know about the murders one month later.
What we know:
- On the evening of Nov. 12, Kaylee and Madison were at the Corner Club at 202 N. Main Street in downtown Moscow between 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 13. At approximately 1:40 a.m., Kaylee and Madison were seen on video at a local food vendor called the Grub Truck and used a private party for a ride home from downtown to arrive at the King Road house at approximately 1:56 a.m.
- On the morning of the murders, Madison and Kaylee made numerous phone calls to an unidentified man.
- Ethan and Xana were seen at the Sigma Chi house on the University of Idaho Campus at 735 Nez Perce Drive. At approximately 1:45 a.m., Ethan and Xana are believed to have returned to the King Road house.
- Ethan did not live at the house but was in a relationship with Xana and spent a lot of time there.
- Investigators believe the two surviving roommates were out in the Moscow community, separately, on the night of Nov. 12, but returned home by 1 a.m. on Nov. 13. The two did not wake up until later that morning.
- On the morning of Nov. 13, the surviving roommates asked some of their friends to come to the house because they believed one of the second-floor victims had passed out and was not waking up. At 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made from one of the surviving roommates' cellphones seeking help for an unconscious person. Multiple people talked with the 911 dispatcher before Moscow Police arrived at the location. Officers entered the house and found two victims on the second floor and two victims on the third floor.
- The Latah County coroner, Cathy Mabbutt, conducted autopsies on the victims on Nov. 17. She confirmed their cause and manner of death as homicide by stabbing. Mabbutt also stated the four victims were likely asleep when they were killed. Some of the victims had defensive wounds and each was stabbed multiple times. There was no sign of sexual assault.
- On Dec. 5, police revealed information about an encounter Kaylee had at a local business in mid-October. Police said this encounter may be related to references Kaylee made to friends and family about having a stalker. According to investigators, two men were seen inside a local business in mid-October. The two men parted ways and one man appeared to follow Kaylee inside the business and outside as she walked to her car. Police said the man turned away and did not appear to make any contact with her. Detectives contacted both men and learned they were "attempting to meet women at the business." Detectives believe this was an isolated incident and not an ongoing pattern of stalking.
- Moscow police revealed a sixth person is listed on the lease at the King Road home. However, this person moved out of the house prior to the school year and was not at the house during the time of the attack.
- Police do not believe the following people are involved in the murders:
- The two surviving roommates
- The man seen in the Grub Truck surveillance video
- The private party driver who took Madison and Kaylee home on Nov. 13.
- The man Kaylee and Madison called multiple times on the early morning of Nov. 13.
- Any of the people inside the residence when 911 was called
- The individual on the lease at the King Road house who moved out of the residence before the school year started and was not present at the time of the incident.
- In a Facebook post sent out by MPD, detectives said they are interested in speaking with the occupant(s) of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown license plate. Tips and leads have led detectives to look for additional information about a car being in the area of the King Street home where the murders took place. Detectives believe the occupant(s) of the car may have critical information related to the case.
What we don't know:
- Currently, no suspects are in custody, according to MPD. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.
- The murder weapon, which police believe is a fixed-blade knife, has not been located. Police have been in contact with local businesses to determine if a fixed-blade knife was purchased at any time before the murders.
- Police have said the initial 911 call was made from inside the King Road House on one of the surviving roommates' cell phones. However, police have not revealed who made the 911 call.
- Moscow police stated that the Latah County Prosecutor's identification of the case as a targeted attack was a miscommunication. Moscow police said detectives do not currently know if any of the occupants of the house on King Road were specifically targeted, but they are continuing to investigate.
- Police are still looking for the driver and occupants of the white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra. It is not known who the car belongs to or how many people were in the car at the time police are investigating.
Throughout the last month, police have received more than 2,770 calls to the MPD Tip Line, more than 2,645 emails to the email tip line, more than 1,084 digital media submissions to the FBI link and 113 pieces of physical evidence.
Information can be submitted through the following tip lines:
- Tip Line: 208-883-7180
- Email: tipline@ci.moscow.id.us
- Digital Media: fbi.gov/moscowidaho
Police said they will continue to release information that does not hinder the ongoing investigation into the murders.
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