No suspect has been named so far.
Classes at the University of Idaho were canceled on Monday, November 14 as police began looking into the deaths of four students who, it’s since been revealed, were stabbed to death. Their bodies were discovered in a house near the University of Idaho campus on Sunday.
The homicide investigation has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit campus community, where very little about the students’ deaths has been revealed so far. Here’s what we do know.
A wave of leads
The investigation has been overwhelmed with tips after police asked for leads relating to a white sedan spotted near the crime scene. Due to the volume of leads, calls are being redirected to an FBI center.
“The global call center has the resources to take those calls, categorize them, and send them on to investigators so they can utilize those tips in the investigation,” the Moscow Police Department said on December 8.
Dozens of investigators are yet to discover a murder weapon or name a suspect, but Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell told CNN that they’re “continually making progress.”
“This is a criminal investigation, and as we make progress, we can’t always provide that information,” he added.
Students head back to class
Students at the University of Idaho were set to return to class on November 28, despite no arrests having been made in the stabbing deaths of four of their peers. University President Scott Green acknowledged that some students may be reluctant to go back to campus before a suspect is in custody, saying that he’d asked staff to prepare “remote learning options.”
“Faculty have been asked to prepare in-person teaching and remote learning options so that each student can choose their method of engagement for the final two weeks of the semester,” he wrote in a statement.
Dozens of local, state and federal investigators are still working to discover who is responsible for the horrific violence that rocked the school a fortnight ago. A vigil has been scheduled for November 30 to commemorate the victims.
The victims’ identities
The four victims have been identified as Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old from Conway, Washington who was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity majoring in recreation, sport and tourism management in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences; Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho who was majoring in marketing in the College of Business and Economics; Xana Kernodle, 20, from Avondale, Arizona who majoring in marketing in the College of Business and Economics and a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, from Rathdrum, Idaho, who was majoring in general studies in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences.
“No ongoing threat”
University officials initially tweeted that there was no “ongoing threat,” based on assurances from the police. “All I can say is the deaths are ruled a homicide at this point, and homicide and murder are synonymous,” Moscow Police Captain Anthony Dahlinger told the Idaho Statesman over the phone shortly after the bodies were discovered, adding. “We certainly have a crime here, so we are looking for a suspect.”
On November 16, police took back their initial assertion that there was no threat to the community.
“We know you have questions, and so do we,” Moscow Police Chief James Fry said per NBC.
“We do not have a suspect at this time, and that individual is still out there,” he added. “We cannot say there is no threat to the community.”
More than 25 investigators are currently working on the case. So far, they’ve ascertained that the four victims had attended separate events, with Chapin and Kernodle at a campus party, and Mogen and Goncalves at a bar. There was no sign of forced entry into the house where they died. Two other housemates are believed to have been home when the violence took place, but police haven’t yet indicated whether they believe those students may be suspects.
“We are looking at everyone,” Idaho State Police Col. Kedrick Willis told reporters per NBC. “Every tip we get, every we lead we get — there is no one we’re not going to talk to. There is no one we’re not going to interview.”
The official response
Per NPR, Moscow Police Capt. Anthony Dahlinger told the Idaho Statesman on Monday night that none of the dead students are believed to be responsible for the tragic deaths.
“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,” University of Idaho President Scott Green said in a statement on Monday.
According to the university’s official website, additional counseling is being provided on-site for students and employees. Additional security is on campus to assist with Safe Walks, a free service to all students and employees.
