Idaho murders – update: Moscow police chief gives frustrating response to question about killer’s whereabouts

Nearly six weeks since the murder of four University of Idaho students, police are still refusing to say how much they know about the whereabouts of the killer.

In a frustrating interview with NewsNation on Tuesday night, city of Moscow police chief James Fry declined to answer a question about whether the culprit was still in the area.

"Like I said, we're not disclosing any of that, but there's some of that we just don't know at this point," Mr Fry said. "We're still trying to put everything together.

"We've said all along that we need people to be vigilant, we need people to pay attention. We're not sure exactly where the individual is."

It comes after Steve Goncalves, the devastated father of murder victim Kaylee Goncalves, told CNN that he “has to” believe that his daughter’s killer will be caught.

The Goncalves’ family has repeatedly voiced frustration with the investigation, while Mr Fry has insisted that the case is not going cold and denied that the victims’ families are being “left in the dark”.

Sunday will mark the six-week anniversary of the day when Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death in their beds in Moscow on 13 November.

Key points

• Police chief pushes back on criticism of officers’ experience

• Bodycam shows Moscow police responding to unrelated noise complaint at victims’ home

• Police rule out car found abandoned in Oregon

• Kaylee Goncalves’ father says he ‘has to believe’ killer will be caught

Moscow police chief gives frustrating response to questions about killer’s whereabouts

12:06 , Io Dodds

Nearly six weeks since the murder of four University of Idaho students, police are still refusing to say how much they know about the whereabouts of the killer.

In a frustrating interview with NewsNation on Tuesday night, Moscow police chief James Fry declined to answer a question about whether the culprit was still in the area.

"Like I said, we're not disclosing any of that, but there's some of that we just don't know at this point," Mr Fry said. "We're still trying to put everything together.

"We've said all along that we need people to be vigilant, we need people to pay attention. We're not sure exactly where the individual is."

It’s not clear exactly what Mr Fry means there. Do the police know roughly where the individual is? Do they know whether or not the killer is still in the area?

The force may well have good reasons for saying so little – such as not wanting to tip the killer off as to how close they are to being captured. Still, it will not be a reassuring answer to the families and locals who have criticised investigators for keeping them in the dark.

Bodycam shows Moscow police responding to unrelated noise complaint at murder home

12:00 , Andrea Blanco

Bodycam footage has now emerged of Moscow police officers responding to a noise complaint on 1 September at their residence. In the bodycam, obtained by NewsNation, officers repeatedly ask to talk to people who lived in the house, while several young adults are seen leaving the home.

Loud music and partying can be heard as officers then proceed to dump cans of beer left behind in the parking lot.

Two men who answered the door told officers that they believed the residents were females but did not know them personally. Eventually, authorities got Mogen on the phone and warned her to tell people partying inside the home to turn down the volume.

In a statement to The Independent, Idaho State Police said they do not believe the incident is related to the murders.

University of Idaho to bolster security in the spring

11:00 , Andrea Blanco

The University of Idaho will increase its security next semester after four of its students were killed in a nearby off-campus home.

Nearly six weeks after the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow on 13 November, the killer remains at large. Police in the town of just 25,000 are still receiving tips about a Hyundai Elantra seen near the scene of the crime around the time of the slayings.

Here are some of the safety programs and resources the college plans to offer in the spring:

• Distribution of Birdie personal safety alarms.

• Self-defence workshops.

• Vigilance education workshops.

• Spring safety and light walk assessment.

• Campus and Community Town Hall focusing on home safety.

• Green Dot Bystander Intervention Training.

• Stalking awareness education.

Police chief defends department’s handling of the investigation

10:00 , Andrea Blanco

Six weeks on from the brutal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November, the killer remains at large.

Amid growing tension between the victims’ loved ones about the lack of information being released and doubts raised on whether the local department has the resources and experience to handle the probe, the chief of police said he will keep lead oversight of the investigation.

“There have been numerous questions about leadership in this investigation. Let me be clear, this is the Moscow Police Department’s investigation, and I am the Chief of Police,” Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry said in a video statement on Tuesday.

He continued: “The decisions are mine and mine alone. I have an excellent Command Staff, with over 94 years of combined experience, overseeing the investigation’s daily operation, and I select who runs the investigative teams.”

Oregon sedan not connected to students' deaths

09:00 , Andrea Blanco

Idaho police say they’ve determined that a white sedan found in Oregon is not connected to the Nov. 13 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.

Investigators are still looking for any information about a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was seen near the rental home around the time the students were killed.

So far, the law enforcement agency has identified over 22,000 vehicles matching that make and model.

Information can be submitted:

• Telephone: 208-883-7180

• Email: tipline@ci.moscow.id.us

• Digital Media: fbi.gov/moscowidaho

These 12 questions could hold the key to solving the Idaho murders

08:00 , Andrea Blanco

Details about the murders that shook the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, remain scant, the murder weapon is nowhere to be found and there are huge gaps in the timeline of the last known movements of two of the victims.

Investigators have admitted that they are stumped by the killings in the small, notoriously safe college town and still have no suspects or persons of interest on their radar. For the past few weeks, officials have given little in the way of updates on the case – this silence and absence of information only serving to trigger an avalanche of online rumours and conspiracy theories among internet sleuths.

While police won’t say what they do know, they have resorted to debunking some of these online theories that they know to be incorrect.

But, with each piece of information revealed or each theory debunked, dozens more questions emerge about the case.

Here, The Independent takes a deep dive into the mountain of unsolved questions – and the scant details we do know.

These 12 questions could hold the key to solving the Idaho murders

Families are not being excluded, chief of police says

07:00 , Andrea Blanco

On Wednesday, Moscow Police Chief James Fry told NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt that families of the four slain University of Idaho students were not excluded from the investigation.

The chief has repeatedly stated that certain information is not being released to maintain the integrity of the probe.

“Every family wants a little bit different information, and we have a liaison with each of the families, that we talked to them daily,” Mr Fry said.

“We pass on as much information as we can to them. As I stated, there’s information that we’ve held back, and we know that frustrates them ... But we asked them to be patient. We asked them to trust us and that we’re going to continue to move through this until we have a completion in the case.”

Nearly six weeks after the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in Moscow on 13 November, the killer remains at large.

Police in the town of just 25,000 are still receiving tips about a Hyundai Elantra seen near the scene of the crime around the time of the slayings.

ICYMI: Everything we know about the 911 call

06:00 , Andrea Blanco

The 911 call was made at 11.58am on 13 November and originated from the phone of one of the two roommates who survived the attack.

A dispatcher was told there was “an unconscious individual.”

Authorities have since revealed that other “friends” were present in the house when the 911 call was made after they were “summoned by the roommates”.

“The surviving roommates summoned friends to the residence because they believed one of the second-floor victims had passed out and was not waking up,” a statement by Moscow PD read.

“Multiple people talked with the 911 dispatcher before a Moscow Police officer arrived at the location. Officers entered the residence and found the four victims on the second and third floors.”

Police have refused to reveal who made the 911 call and will not release the audio.

When pressed by The Independent on why the call could not be released, the department said: “The contents are exempt from public disclosure because the records are active investigatory records which, if released, would interfere with enforcement proceedings...”

It is unclear what the roommates and “other friends” discussed in the call and what led them to describe a victim as merely “unconscious”.

It is also unclear what the roommates and friends saw inside the home before placing the 911 call.

Ethan Chapin’s family say there is an ‘ongoing open line of communication' with police

05:00 , Andrea Blanco

Ethan Chapin’s family members have said they are “beyond grateful” for the communications they are receiving from law enforcement – showing a marked difference in opinion to the family of Kaylee Goncalves.

A spokesperson for the Chapin family told NBC in a statement on Wednesday that “there is an ongoing and open line of communication so we remain knowledgeable about any new happening before the public”.

Each family has been assigned a police liaison and the local prosecutor’s office also has a liaison who is in regular contact with victims’ families, Moscow Police told the outlet.

Goncalves’ parents have been critical about the apparent lack of communication from law enforcement working on the case, with the murdered student’s mother claiming that they only learned about the search for the white Hyundai at the same time as the rest of the country.

Moscow Police Chief James Fry has denied that the victims’ families are being “left in the dark”, saying that officers are in communication with the four families “daily” and that the different families want different levels of information.

More than 15,000 tips have been submitted in quadruple murder probe

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

Police investigating the murders of four University of Idaho students continue processing tips.

According to Moscow Police, the department, the FBI and Idaho State police were sorting through more than 7,650 emailed tips, 4,313 phone tips, 4,583 digital media submissions as of Tuesday.

More than 250 interviews have also been conducted.

“Investigators believe someone has information that adds context to what occurred on the night of the murders and continue requesting additional pictures, video, and social media content,” Moscow PD said in a statement.

“Our focus remains on the investigation, not an individual’s activities displayed in the tip. Whether you believe it is significant or not, your information might be one of the puzzle pieces that help solve these murders.”

Retracing the victims’ final hours

03:00 , Andrea Blanco

Despite more details becoming available in the two weeks since the murders took place, key pieces of what happened in the early morning hours of 13 November remain missing.

Police have revealed the victims’ last steps, yet the timeline becomes blurry as the second part of the night of the murders progresses.

On the night of 12 November, Goncalves and Mogen spent around three hours at Corner Club at the northern edge of Main Street.

The pair walked straight down Main Street to a red brick building that used to host the now-defunct Garden Lounge; a favourite food truck, Grub Wandering Kitchen - fondly called Grub Truck by its many local fans – often parks outside on Main Street.

Goncalves and Mogen ordered, laughed and chatted with friends as they got their pasta carbonara; according to police, they got a lift home from a “private party” and returned to King Road around 1.56am.

Kernodle and Chapin returned to King Road at around 1.45am. The young couple had gone to a party across the road at Sigma Chi.

The other two roommates at King Road – who have still not been named by authorities – had gotten home first, around 1am, and fallen asleep, according to police.

Mogen and Goncalves both made multiple calls to the same number around an hour after they got home.

Goncalves’ sister said the unanswered calls were placed to her ex-boyfriend, who’d dated her sister for years before they amicably split, still sharing a dog named Murphy. He has been ruled out as a suspect.

Authorities believe a killer or killers fatally stabbed Chapin, Kernodle, Goncalves and Mogen between 3am and 4am.

Their bodies weren’t found until nearly nine hours later, around noon on 13 November.

Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves’ father denies calling Moscow police ‘cowards’

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Kaylee Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves, one of the most vocal family voices in the media, told Fox News on Saturday that he understands that investigators “have their hands full” with the case.

It marked a change of tune for the father, who has repeatedly criticised police in the five weeks since Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found brutally stabbed to death in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on 13 November.

“I want kids to understand that this is such a big case that these guys have their hands full,” he said.

“I wanted to go out there and tell everyone that the Goncalves’ family supports the local police officers so much so that we want them to be able to work on this case.”

How the white car fell on police radar

01:03 , Rachel Sharp

Last week, police announced that they were looking for a mystery white car in connection to the murders.

Moscow Police said that a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown licence plate was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings.

“Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case,” police said in a statement.

Investigators urged the public to come forward with any information, revealing that it might just be the missing “piece of the puzzle”.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car and tips have been pouring in from the public ever since – so much so that the calls are now being directed to a national FBI tip line.

A local landlord has now indicated that police may have been focusing on the mystery vehicle long before releasing the details to the public and that the lead may have come from footage he handed over one day after the killings.

Kane Francetich told Fox News that investigators had reached out asking for surveillance footage from a camera on his six-unit rental building on Linda Lane in Moscow. The property is 0.3 miles from the King Road address where the killings took place.

Mr Francetich said he handed over footage from 2am to noon on 13 November.

The video captured a “white” or “light coloured” car driving past at around the time of the murders, he said.

The vehicle was travelling west on Taylor Road sometime between 2.45am and 3.15am, he said. Taylor Road is the main street which connects the home on King Road to Highway 95.

Moscow Police have not revealed whether or not this is the same vehicle they are now searching for.

Kaylee Goncalves’ father says he ‘has to’ believe Idaho college murders case will be solved

01:00 , Rachel Sharp

The grieving father of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves has said that he “has to” believe that his daughter’s killer will be caught.

Steve Goncalves spoke to CNN about his determination to keep faith in the investigation as more than five weeks have passed since the 13 November murders with no arrests made and no suspects identified.

When asked if he believes that police will find his daughter’s killer, he responded: “Yes, I have to, I have to. I couldn’t sleep if I thought…”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Idaho victim’s father says he ‘has to believe’ murders will be solved

These 12 questions could hold the key to solving the Idaho murders

00:30 , Rachel Sharp

The investigation into the brutal murders of University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin is now in its sixth week, with the killer or killers still at large.

Every individual connected to the case so far – from two surviving roommates to a victim’s former boyfriend – has been publicly ruled out by police, leaving an echo chamber with no names to fill it.

Details about the murders that shook the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, remain scant, the murder weapon is nowhere to be found and there are huge gaps in the timeline of the last known movements of two of the victims.

Investigators have admitted that they are stumped by the killings in the small, notoriously safe college town and still have no suspects or persons of interest on their radar. For the past few weeks, officials have given little in the way of updates on the case – this silence and absence of information only serving to trigger an avalanche of online rumours and conspiracy theories among internet sleuths.

While police won’t say what they do know, they have resorted to debunking some of these online theories that they know to be incorrect.

But, with each piece of information revealed or each theory debunked, dozens more questions emerge about the case.

Here, The Independent takes a deep dive into the mountain of unsolved questions – and the scant details we do know:

These 12 questions could hold the key to solving the Idaho murders

Attorney for victim’s family says community will solve case

00:00 , Rachel Sharp

An attorney representing the family of slain student Kaylee Goncalves has said that he thinks the community will solve the murder case.

Shanon Gray told CNN that the Goncalves’ family believes that the more information law enforcement share with the public the greater the chances that the killer will be caught.

“I think Steve and I and the family think the community is going to solve the crime,” he said.

“And I think the more they ask the community to help and reach out to them, then the better the investigation will move forward.”

He added: “That’s why some of our questions in the past have been about not reaching out soon enough.

“So moving forward they’ll be able to get the resources they need and move forward and solve this crime.”

Investigators working to track down the killer of the four students have kept several details about the case under wraps – including why the murders were thought to be targeted.

This decision has pitted law enforcement against the Goncalves’ family who have spoken out about several details to the media.

Police comb through 22,000 vehicles matching mystery car

Thursday 22 December 2022 23:30 , Rachel Sharp

Police investigating the quadruple homicide case are combing through around 22,000 vehicles that match the mystery car spotted near the crime scene at the time of the brutal slayings.

For the last two weeks, police have been looking for a mystery white car in connection to the murders.

Moscow Police said that a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown licence plate was seen near the crime scene around the time of the stabbings.

“Investigators believe the occupant(s) of this vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case,” police said in a statement.

Investigators urged the public to come forward with any information, revealing that it might just be the missing “piece of the puzzle”.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car.

Tips have been pouring in from the public ever since and Moscow Police said investigators have a list of 22,000 registered 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantras that they are now sorting through in their search for the occupant or occupants near the home at the time of the killings.

A vehicle matching the description was found in Oregon last week – but has since been ruled out as the car in question.

Victim’s father doesn’t think mystery vehicle is still in Moscow

Thursday 22 December 2022 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

The father of slain student Kaylee Goncalves has said that he doesn’t believe the mystery vehicle spotted near the student home at the time of the murders is still in Moscow.

For the last two weeks, the investigation has zeroed in on the search for the occupant or occupants of a white Hyundai Elantra seen near the scene of the murders in the early hours of 13 November.

Investigators believe that the individual or individuals in the car – which is a model from 2011 to 2013 and has an unknown licence plate – may have “critical information to share regarding this case” and are asking for the public’s help in tracking them down.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car and tips have been pouring in from the public.

So far, police have identified around 22,000 vehicles that fit the description of the vehicle and are combing through the information for clues.

Steve Goncalves told CNN on Wednesday that he is glad police are appealing to the public to help track down the mystery car.

“I’m glad that they’re reaching out and they’re asking for the community to look for this car,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s in this town anymore so they can only work in that county.

“So sometimes you’ve got to reach out.”

Why are police searching 24 miles away?

Thursday 22 December 2022 22:30 , Rachel Sharp

Investigators have gathered surveillance footage from as far as 24 miles away from the rental home where four University of Idaho students were murdered, according to a report.

Fox News reported that authorities have obtained security footage from the Food City store in Kendrick – about 24 miles east of Moscow.

A manager at the store said that Idaho State Police had reached out on 30 November asking for footage from 12 November to 14 November. The manager said that they were able to hand over video covering those timeframes.

In the town of Troy – around 12 miles east of Moscow – a gas station employee revealed that law enforcement officials had also come knocking for footage but that the business was unable to help as it does not have outside cameras.

It is not clear whether investigators are honing in on those Idaho towns for any particular reason but the revelation comes amid an ongoing search for the occupant or occupants of a white Hyundai Elentra which was spotted “in the immediate area” around the King Road home at the time of the murders.

Ethan Chapin’s family are ‘beyond grateful’ for communication from police

Thursday 22 December 2022 22:00 , Rachel Sharp

Ethan Chapin’s family members have said they are “beyond grateful” for the communications they are receiving from law enforcement – showing a marked difference in opinion to the family of Kaylee Goncalves.

A spokesperson for the Chapin family told NBC in a statement on Wednesday that “there is an ongoing and open line of communication so we remain knowledgeable about any new happening before the public”.

Each family has been assigned a police liaison and the local prosecutor’s office also has a liaison who is in regular contact with victims’ families, Moscow Police told the outlet.

Goncalves’ parents have been critical about the apparent lack of communication from law enforcement working on the case, with the murdered student’s mother claiming that they only learned about the search for the white Hyundai at the same time as the rest of the country.

Moscow Police Chief James Fry has denied that the victims’ families are being “left in the dark”, saying that officers are in communication with the four families “daily” and that the different families want different levels of information.

Police deny that victims’ familes are being ‘left in the dark’

Thursday 22 December 2022 21:30 , Rachel Sharp

Police investigating the unsolved murders of the four University of Idaho students have denied that the victims’ families are being “left in the dark” about the case.

Moscow Police Chief James Fry told NBC that officers are in communication with the four families “daily” as he defended law enforcement’s handling of the investigation.

“Every family wants a little bit different information, and we have a liaison with each of the families, that we talked to them daily,” he said.

“We pass on as much information as we can to them. As I stated, there’s information that we’ve held back, and we know that frustrates them.

“But we asked them to be patient. We asked them to trust us and that we’re going to continue to move through this until we have a completion in the case.”

His comments come after Kaylee Goncalves’ family voiced frustration with a lack of communication from police and raised questions about the experience of officers on the case.

Xana Kernodle’s family launch scholarship fund in her honour

Thursday 22 December 2022 21:00 , Rachel Sharp

The grieving family of slain student Xana Kernodle has launched a scholarship fund in her memory.

In a statement to The Independent on Friday, Kernodle’s family members said that they had decided to start a memorial endowment in partnership with the University of Idaho to keep her legacy alive.

“We are asking anyone who is willing and able to donate any amount they are comfortable with. Please know that no donation is too small,” the family said.

“We sincerely thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts.

“At the very least, we hope to create some good out of such a terrible and heartbreaking situation.”

The Kernodle family will match dollar-for-dollar donations up to $10,000.

What we know about the murder weapon

Thursday 22 December 2022 20:30 , Rachel Sharp

What we know: Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt revealed that each victim was stabbed multiple times with a “large knife”, describing their wounds as “pretty extensive” and revealing that they bled out inside their student home.

“I’ve been a coroner for 16 years... we have had multiple [victim] murders in the past, but nothing, nothing like this,” she said.

Police have said the murder weapon was a fixed-blade knife and confirmed that they had visited local stores to inquire about any recent purchases.

A local store owner previously said that officials had been especially interested in sales of a military-style Ka-Bar or “Rambo” knife.

What we don’t know: No murder weapon has been found.

Victim’s family questions why ‘rookie’ officer is leading case

Thursday 22 December 2022 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

The family of slain student Kaylee Goncalves has questioned why a “rookie” officer is leading the investigation to finding her killer.

Shanon Gray, an attorney representing the Goncalves’ family, told NewsNation that the lead investigator on the case from the Moscow Police Department only has two years of experience as an officer.

Mr Gray said that the family met last week with law enforcement officers who are working on the case, including the two lead investigators.

One, he said, has only worked for Moscow PD for two years.

The attorney said he had followed up with an email to the department asking for the investigator’s credentials and questioning “why they put him as a lead investigator on a quadruple homicide” case.

“I sent an email over to the police department asking for them to send some credentials over, and their response was that it’s personal records,” he said.

Retracing the Idaho victims’ final hours

Thursday 22 December 2022 19:30 , 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 retraces the victims’ last known movements from on the ground in Moscow:

Campus to club to crime scene: Final hours of Idaho college murder victims

Student’s family members harassed by the public, attorney says

Thursday 22 December 2022 19:00 , Rachel Sharp

The family of one of the four Idaho students butchered in their beds are now being harassed by members of the public, according to the family’s lawyer.

Kaylee Goncalves’ family has been the most vocal throughout the five-week investigation into the brutal murders and her father has spoken often to some news outlets.

At points, he has aired his frustration with the investigation and with law enforcement’s handling of it.

The family’s attorney Shanon Gray told NewsNation that some of the family members have now fallen victim to harassment by the public – something he slammed as “completely inappropriate”.

Rumours and conspiracy theories ruled out by investigators

Thursday 22 December 2022 18:30 , Rachel Sharp

Over five weeks have passed since four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in the small college town of Moscow – with no suspects identified, no arrests made and the murder weapon nowhere to be found.

Despite multiple law enforcement agencies being drafted in to work on the case, police appear to be no closer to catching the killer, leaving students and residents of the notoriously safe town racked by fear and social media awash with speculation.

While officials are remaining tightlipped about key parts of the investigation including why they believe the murders were targeted, they have debunked several online rumours and ruled out potential ties to the killings.

This is what police have ruled out so far:

Idaho college murders: The rumours and conspiracy theories ruled out

Investigators gather footage from towns 24 miles away from crime scene

Thursday 22 December 2022 18:00 , Rachel Sharp

Investigators have gathered surveillance footage from as far as 24 miles away from the student rental home where four University of Idaho students were murdered as the hunt for the killer continues.

Security footage has been collected from the Food City store in Kendrick, Fox News reported.

A manager at the store – which is about 24 miles east of Moscow – said that Idaho State Police had reached out on 30 November asking for footage from 12 November to 14 November.

The manager said they were able to provide video covering those timeframes.

In the town of Troy – around 12 miles east of Moscow – a gas station employee revealed that law enforcement officials had also come knocking for footage but that the business was unable to help as it does not have cameras outside.

It is not clear whether investigators are honing in on those Idaho towns for any particular reason but the revelation comes amid a search for the occupant or occupants of a white Hyundai Elentra which was spotted “in the immediate area” around King Road at the time of the murders.

Kaylee Goncalves’ father says he ‘has to’ believe Idaho college murders case will be solved

Thursday 22 December 2022 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

The grieving father of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves has said that he “has to” believe that his daughter’s killer will be caught.

Steve Goncalves spoke to CNN about his determination to keep faith in the investigation as more than five weeks have passed since the 13 November murders with no arrests made and no suspects identified.

When asked if he believes that police will find his daughter’s killer, he responded: “Yes, I have to, I have to. I couldn’t sleep if I thought…”

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

Idaho victim’s father says he ‘has to believe’ murders will be solved

Police insist murder investigation will not slow down over the holidays

Thursday 22 December 2022 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

Moscow Police Chief James Fry has insisted that the investigation into the brutal murders of the four University of Idaho students will not slow down over the holidays.

In a video interview, published on the Moscow PD Facebook page, the police chief vowed to “keep up with the pace” over the winter break.

“We will continue to keep up with the pace,” he said.

“We’re giving individuals time off when they need it. We’re augmenting other people into those spots… We’re not going to stop investigating the case.”

His comments come as law enforcement officials are coming under increasing pressure to track down the killer as – more than a month on from the murders – no suspect has been identified.

FBI adds more agents to case

Thursday 22 December 2022 16:30 , Rachel Sharp

The FBI has assigned more agents to the case investigating the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, as the killer remains at large more than five weeks on.

In a press release on Monday, Moscow Police said that 60 FBI agents and two members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) are now working on the case.

This marks an additional 14 agents from the 46 who were assigned to the case back on 15 December, when police last issued a press release.

Now, more than 10,000 tips have been sent in by the public and “progress” has been made in the search to find the mystery vehicle seen at the crime scene at the time of the murders, police said.

Will the Idaho college murders become America’s next cold case?

Thursday 22 December 2022 16:00 , Rachel Sharp

Almost six weeks have now passed since four University of Idaho students were found brutally murdered in their beds, and police in the small university town of Moscow appear no closer to solving the case.

Not a single arrest has been made. No suspects have been identified. And the murder weapon is nowhere to be found.

Despite confidence waning in the abilities of law enforcement, Moscow Police Chief James Fry has insisted that his department still has a handle on the case.

But the reality is, in America, it’s almost as common for murders to go unsolved as it is for the killer to be caught.

Here, Rachel Sharp and Josh Marcus explore a troubling trend in America’s homicide clearance rates - and what happens to the families and communities left without answers:

Will the Idaho college murders become America’s next cold case?

Who has been ruled out as a suspect?

Thursday 22 December 2022 15:40 , Rachel Sharp

More than a month on from the killings, no suspects have been identified.

However, investigators have ruled out several people as suspects in the murders.

They are:

• The two surviving housemates who were left unharmed and appear to have slept through the murders

• Other friends who were in the home when the 911 call was made alerting police to the murders

• Kaylee Goncalves’ former long-term boyfriend

• A man dubbed “hoodie guy” who was caught on footage with Madison Mogen and Goncalves at a food truck on the night of 12 November

• The person who gave them a ride from the food truck back to the home on King Road

• A sixth person listed on the lease of the student home

Search continues for mystery white Hyundai

Thursday 22 December 2022 15:20 , Rachel Sharp

The search is continuing for a mystery car seen at the crime scene at around the time of the murders.

For two weeks, police have been searching for a white Hyundai Elantra, which was spotted in the “immediate area” of the student home on King Road in the early hours of 13 November.

Investigators believe that the individual or individuals in the car – which is a model from 2011 to 2013 and has an unknown licence plate – may have “critical information to share regarding this case” and are asking for the public’s help in tracking them down.

Border agents along the US’s border with Canada have been notified to be on the lookout for the car and tips have been pouring in from the public.

Hopes that the vehicle was finally tracked down were dashed on Tuesday when investigators ruled out a damaged car found abandoned in Oregon.

On Tuesday, police confirmed that a vehicle matching the description of the mystery car had been reported to police in Eugene, Oregon, on 17 December.

Police in Moscow said they were looking into the lead before announcing hours later that the vehicle was not connected to the unsolved killings.

The search continues.

Slayings come a decade after Idaho University professor murdered student

Thursday 22 December 2022 15:00 , Rachel Sharp

The unsolved murders of four University of Idaho students close to the campus in Moscow has rekindled traumatic memories for the college town of the murder of another student at the hands of a professor.

Around one decade ago, in August 2011, University of Idaho professor Ernesto Bustamante shot and killed psychology student Katy Benoit before turning the gun on himself in a shocking murder suicide.

Bustamante and Benoit had been in a romantic relationship which had recently come to an end.

Months later, Benoit was shot and killed outside her off-campus apartment in Moscow.

The day after her murder, police found the body of the professor in a hotel room.

He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Benoit is honoured every year in the college town and her murder prompted the college to launch Campus Safety Week and the Katy Benoit Safety Forum.

Bodycam shows Moscow police responding to noise complaint at victims’ home

Thursday 22 December 2022 14:40 , Rachel Sharp

Police investigating the murders of four University of Idaho students are not immediately ruling out a connection between the crime and a preceding police visit at the crime scene regarding a noise complaint.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were stabbed to death in the early morning hours of 13 November inside the young women’s off-campus rental home at 1122 King Road. More than six weeks after the murders, the killer remains at large.

Bodycam footage has now emerged of Moscow police officers responding to a noise complaint on 1 September at their residence.

In the bodycam, officers repeatedly ask to talk to people who lived in the house, while several young adults are seen leaving the home.

Read the story here:

Moscow police responded to noise complaint at victims’ home months before murders

Police chief pushes back on criticism of officers’ experience

Thursday 22 December 2022 14:20 , Rachel Sharp

On Tuesday, Moscow Police Chief James Fry released a statement hitting back at criticism over the experience of some of his team.

“There have been numerous questions about leadership in this investigation. Let me be clear, this is the Moscow Police Department’s investigation, and I am the Chief of Police,” he said in a video statement.

“The decisions are mine and mine alone. I have an excellent Command Staff, with over 94 years of combined experience, overseeing the investigation’s daily operation, and I select who runs the investigative teams.”

His comments came after Shannon Gray, an attorney retained by Kaylee Goncalves family, said the family was concerned that one of the lead investigators was a “rookie” officer with just two years’ experience on the force.

The police chief defended his team and said they are supported by “highly trained and experienced personnel from the Idaho State Police and the FBI”.

Dozens of law enforcement officials from multiple agencies have been assigned to the case but are yet to track down the assailant who stabbed the four victims to death in their beds.

‘Trust is earned,’ Goncalves’ family attorney says of police

Thursday 22 December 2022 14:00 , Rachel Sharp

An attorney representing the family of slain student Kaylee Goncalves has said that “trust” in law enforcement “is earned” as the killer remains at large more than five weeks on from the murders.

The Goncalves’ family has been critical about law enforcement’s handling of the case and about an apparent lack of communication about the case.

Shanon Gray, the family’s attorney, has also questioned the abilities of police to solve the case.

Mr Gray told NBC said that “time will tell” if the decision to withhold key details about the murders from the public will pay off.

“Trust is earned and they need to remember that because the way they have handled things so far haven’t garnered much trust,” he said.

Murders that have rocked the safe college town

Thursday 22 December 2022 13:40 , Rachel Sharp

Before the murders on 13 November, Moscow had a reputation for being a safe college town where many left their doors unlocked and there hadn’t been a murder in seven years.

But there have been other high-profile killings in the town of 25,000 people.

The last murder took place in 2015 when local man John Lee shot and killed his adoptive mother, his landlord and a local restaurateur. Lee, who also goes by the name Kane Grzebielski, also shot another man who survived. He pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery and was sentenced to life in prison.

Before this, in August 2011, a University of Idaho professor shot and killed a student before turning the gun on himself in a shocking murder suicide

Professor Ernesto Bustamante and psychology student Katy Benoit had been in a romantic relationship which had recently come to an end.

Months later, Benoit was shot and killed outside her off-campus apartment in Moscow.

The day after her murder, police found the professor’s body in a hotel room. Police said Bustamante shot and killed Benoit and then shot himself in the head.

Four years earlier in 2007, local man James Leonard fatally shot another man in a driveway in Genesee. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

On Wednesday, Leonard was arrested just a mile from the home on King Road where Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were butchered in their beds.

The 39-year-old convicted killer is not connected to the brutal stabbing murders of the four University of Idaho students, police said.