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Police in Moscow investigating the brutal stabbing murders of four University of Idaho students have pushed back against a rumor about one of the victim’s dogs as students have started returning to the college town after the Thanksgiving break. Kaylee Goncalves’ pet dog was found inside the home when the bodies of the 21-year-old, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were discovered at around noon on November 13. Idaho State Police’s Aaron Snell said that officials have not confirmed whether or not the dog was barking at the time of the killings – after internet sleuths speculated on the matter and used it as a benchmark for whether the pet may have known the killer. Officials have been debunking a barrage of online rumors as they seek to reassure the terrified community. On Monday, some students returned to the campus after the holidays. Yet it remains to be seen how many will come back as – with no arrests made and no suspects identified two weeks on from the murders – the small community remains on edge.
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‘Caller states her vehicle is blocked in by reporters’
Some of the recent 911 calls to Moscow Police testify to the impact of the murder investigation itself, as well as the national media storm that has accompanied it. “RP [reporting person] has concerns and questions about the media interfering with the RP’s life and daily activities,” says a public log of one call on Tuesday 22 November. A different log from the previous day says: “RP’s vehicle is blocked in by caution tape. RP stated she is unable to leave due to the caution tape and reporters blocking the exits.” Io Dodds29 November 2022 02:38 1669686230
911 caller reports ‘suspicious man’ removing tip line posters
A 911 caller in Moscow told police that they had seen a “suspicious” man walking around removing posters with information about a tip line last Tuesday. It’s not clear exactly what tip line that was, but there is a good chance it was the Moscow Police Department’s tip line at 208-883-7180, which has been advertised in connection with this month’s murders. Other citizens reported men or women screaming nearby, mysterious knocks on their doors and windows, alarming noises near their houses, and in one case, returning to their house to find a bedroom door locked when no one else should have been home. Io Dodds29 November 2022 01:43 1669683350
Idaho woman raises $19,000 to give students personal alarms
A University of Idaho alumna has raised thousands of dollars to buy personal alarms for women on campus. Kerry Uhlorn, a resident of Boise, Idaho who was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority during her student days, told KREM 2 that she was horrified by the murders and wanted to help. According to CNN, she has now raised at least $19,000 to buy alarm keychains from a company called She’s Birdie, which make a loud noise and flash a bright light when activated. Although she initially set out only to buy alarms for every member of the university’s fraternity and sorority system, she received enough money to equip at least 900 other women too. She said that she hoped the fundraiser would reassure students that “their community and alumni support them”, and give them a “little token [that will] hopefully bring comfort and safety.” Io Dodds29 November 2022 00:55 1669681310
‘It’s definitely a different vibe’
University of Idaho students returning from the Thanksgiving break have said the town is a different place since the murders. “It definitely feels a little bit different,” Hayden Rich told CNN. “It’s kind of a different vibe. It seems kind of a sad setting. It is kind of quiet.” Another student, Ava Forsyth, said her housemate was staying home at night because she does not feel safe, while she herself has been using the campus walking security service when going out at night. Io Dodds29 November 2022 00:21 1669678670
Witness claims ‘food truck man’ wanted to help victims get home
It’s worth examining just what happened at the Moscow food truck where Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves got food before their deaths, which has become a focus of online discussion. Once again, police have said that the man in a white hoodie seen interacting with the women at the food truck, dubbed “food truck man” on Reddit, is not a suspect. A man called Joe Vidot claims to have witnessed this interaction, telling DailyMail.com that he believed the man was “trying to help them get home safe”. Mr Vidot’s impression was that the man was “there to make sure that they got home safe” because they appeared “super drunk”. He admitted that he did not know the man personally, saying: “I thought he was a solid guy. Believe me when I tell you that his vibe was not bad.” After that, a car pulled up and a man called out to the women, leading them to “ditch” the man. “I said, ‘bro, they’re leaving’,” said Mr Vidot. “He said, ‘what the f?’ And I said, ‘sorry, brother’.” Mr. Vidot said that he was sober during this interaction. Io Dodds28 November 2022 23:37 1669677133
Reddit zooms in on audio clip from Moscow food truck
On the ‘Idaho Murders’ Reddit board that has sprung up since the killings, many users have focused on an audio clip that may feature one of the victims just hours before her death. In the clip, taken from an online live stream by a food truck that Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves visited on the night of their deaths, a woman’s voice can be heard saying “stop being weird!” or possibly “f*** you!” The voice lines up with a moment when one of the two women points dramatically at a man in a white hoodie standing a few feet away, suggesting it may be one of them speaking. But having listened to this clip carefully and repeatedly, with boosted volume, I’m still not entirely certain what is being said or who is saying it. There are a lot of people lingering and chatting around the food truck, and the audio is pretty muddy. Redditors were divided on whether the man was bothering the women with bad intentions or attempting to help them because they appeared drunk (as another witness has since claimed). “If he’s not involved,” said one Reddit user, “he’s the unluckiest mf’er ever.” Io Dodds28 November 2022 23:12 1669675352
‘Caller is scared about recent events’
Many of the 911 calls logged by Moscow Police describe “suspicious” men lingering around on the street or outside people’s houses. Various callers report (in the words of police or 911 staff), a “male standing near bike rack look[ing] like he was trying to hide”, a “male trespass[er]”, a “male acting strange and throwing things into a dumpster”, a “suspicious male”, and “a male wandering around” a certain area twice in one week. On Monday November 14, the day after the murders became public knowledge, someone reported a man outside their house taking photos of the upper floors. One person reported that someone had knocked on their door and then walked away, saying “they have a big dog, try a different house”. Another said a woman walked into their house, saying that she was a cleaner and had gotten the wrong address. Meanwhile, a caller around 5am on Tuesday 15 November apparently just wanted reassurance. “RP [reporting person] would like to speak with an officer,” says the log. “Scared about recent events and wants to keep his kids home from school again today.” Io Dodds28 November 2022 22:42 1669672473
911 calls report ‘suspicious males’ and ‘prowling vehicles’
Records of 911 calls in Moscow, Idaho reveal the deep fear and unease that residents are feeling following the murders on November 13. “Owner noticed a mark on the column inside that looks like blood today,” says the log of one call from a laundromat owner on Wednesday November 23. Although an officer responded, they did not file any report. Other calls that day include a “complaint of male at dog park asking strange questions” (no report filed) and a report of a “suspicious” man sitting inside a white sedan car (no report). One caller on Friday 18 November complained of a man at the dog park “asking strange questions”, while another reported a vehicle “prowling” near them. A University of Idaho security employee also reported a “suspicious male” that evening. Io Dodds28 November 2022 21:54 1669665845
‘Culprit may have killed before’, says former FBI agent
Another former FBI agent has speculated that the murderer is a young man who could pass unnoticed among the student community in the victims’ neighborhood. Jonathan Gilliam, who served in the US Navy SEALS before working as an undercover air marshal and FBI special agent, told Fox and Friends that the killing may have been an “escalation” from someone who had been violent before. “I’m pretty sure that this was a young male, somebody who can get into the house and get out in that neighborhood without being seen,” Mr Gilliam said. “I don’t think it was two people, because the more people you have going into that house, the more likely it is that they were gonna be seen. “So I think it’s one male, young enough to have been in that neighborhood.” He suggested that, since the ground floor of the house was undisturbed, the killer might have entered the house via the second floor, perhaps by climbing a tree in the wooded area behind it. He also claimed that it was unlikely to be the first time the killer had shown “strange or menacing behavior”, nor the last time they might do so. Mr Gilliam has previously claimed that the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia whose members are currently on trial for their role in the storming of the Capitol last year, is merely “a paper tiger of people who love this nation and who try to make their lives safer by coming together”. Io Dodds28 November 2022 20:04 1669663598
Former FBI agent says killer likely knew victims’ house
A former FBI investigator has said that the…
