Nearly four weeks after four University of Idaho students were murdered near campus, there are no suspects and many questions are still unanswered.
Funerals and vigils have been held for the victims as the national media keeps its spotlight on the small college town. The police investigation carries on with the help of the FBI and Idaho State Police. The community continues to mourn Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
As police try to piece together what happened, they have released a limited amount of information. Here is a timeline of what took place the weekend of the murders and in the days since.
Dating couple Chapin, 20, of Conway, Wash., and Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls, were seen at a Sigma Chi party from 8-9 p.m. Nov. 12 on Nez Perce Drive. It is believed they returned to a residence on King Road at approximately 1:45 a.m.
That same night, Goncalves and Mogen were seen at the Corner Club in downtown Moscow between 10 p.m. Nov. 12 and 1:30 a.m. Nov. 13. At approximately 1:40 a.m., Kaylee and Madison were seen on video at a local food vendor called the Grub Truck on Main Street and used a private party for a ride home to the King Road residence around 1:56 a.m.
The driver is not a suspect in the investigation, and neither is a male who was seen on video near Mogen and Goncalves at the Grub Truck.
After returning to the residence, Goncalves and Mogen made several calls to a male. Police have said the male they were calling isn’t a suspect.
Detectives believe the two surviving roommates at that King Road residence had also been out in the Moscow community Nov. 12 and returned home by 1 a.m. Nov. 13. The two did not wake up until later that morning.
The four victims were murdered in the early morning hours Nov. 13 at the King Road residence. For several hours, the scene of the crime remained undiscovered.
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. At 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made requesting aid for an unconscious person. The call was made from one of the surviving roommates’ cellphones inside the residence. Multiple people talked with the 911 dispatcher before Moscow Police arrived at the location. Officers entered the residence and found two victims on the second floor and an additional two victims on the third floor.
The surviving roommates and their friends have been ruled out as suspects. It was later reported that another individual on the lease for the King Road residence had moved out before the murders took place and was ruled out as a suspect.
At about 1 p.m. Nov. 13, a Vandal Alert was sent out about “a homicide on King Rd. near campus.” The alert advised people to shelter in place. About 90 minutes later, a second alert said the police didn’t believe there was an active threat and people didn’t have to shelter in place, but they were advised to remain vigilant.
On the morning of Nov. 14, the Moscow police released the identity of the students who were murdered. “The Moscow Police does not believe there is an ongoing community risk based on information gathered during the preliminary investigation,” the department said in a news release.
The Idaho State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began assisting the Moscow Police Department with the investigation.
On the morning of Nov. 15, the police announce “an edged weapon such as a knife” was used in the murders. They also said they believed this to be “an isolated, targeted attack and there is no imminent threat to the community at large.”
On the afternoon of Nov. 16, three days after the murders, the police held their first news conference. Police Chief James Fry said investigators still believe this to be “an isolated, targeted attack on our victims,” but did acknowledge that “we cannot say that there is no threat to the community,” since a suspect isn’t in custody.
Autopsy results confirming the victims were murdered by stabbing were released Nov. 17. “It would have had to been a large knife,” Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt said.
Two more news conferences were held Nov. 21 and Nov. 23. Not many new details about the crime were shared with the media and public. “We told the public very clearly from the beginning that we believe it was a targeted attack,” Moscow Capt. Roger Lanier said. “To be honest, you’re going to have to trust us on that at this point, because we’re not going to release why we think that.”
UI President Scott Green said Nov. 21 some students have chosen to complete the fall semester remotely until the suspect is in custody. The university asked instructors to prepare for both in-person teaching and remote learning options for students.
The UI held a candlelight vigil Nov. 30 in the Kibbie Dome to honor Chapin, Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves. That same evening, the police sent out a news release stating detectives “do not currently know if the residence or any occupants were specifically targeted but continue to investigate.”
The media interpreted this as the police reversing its earlier statements that these were targeted attacks. The police later clarified this message by saying these attacks were targeted, but it is unknown if the target was the residence or its occupants.
On Monday, the police announced it investigated two males who were at a local business at the same time as Goncalves in October. According to an MPD news release, police were following up on reports that Goncalves made references about a stalker, which led them to investigate this incident. The two males were ruled out as suspects.
On Wednesday, police began removing the victims’ personal belongings from the King Road residence to return them to their families. Police also asked the public to help them identify the occupant or occupants of a white 2011-13 Hyundai Elantra with an unknown license plate.
This car is believed to have been near the crime scene around the time of the murders Nov. 13.
On Friday, UI spokeswoman Jodi Walker told the Daily News an estimated 25-40% of students have not returned to campus. She stated the university will soon provide details regarding the possibility of remote learning for next semester.
As of Friday, 113 pieces of physical evidence have been collected and taken to the ISP crime lab. Thousands of email, phone and digital submission tips have been sent to law enforcement.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
