The front door of the home where four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed was reportedly left wide open hours after the killings.
The victims – three women and a man – were found Sunday morning with no visible signs of a break-in at the student house shared by the three women.
However, a neighbor said the front door, which provides access to the floor where two of the victims’ roommates lived, was open at 8:30 the next morning, November 13.
Police have said they believe the killings happened between 3am and 4am this morning.
The three women are named Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20.
The man, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, was the boyfriend of one of the housemates, Kernodle.
The front door of the home where four University of Idaho students were brutally stabbed was reportedly left wide open hours after the killings
The November 13 stabbing killed (left to right) Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee’s shoulders), Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle
The victims – three women and a man – were found Sunday morning with no visible signs of a break-in at the student house shared by the three women
However, a neighbor said the front door, which provides access to the floor where two of the victims’ roommates lived, was open at 8:30 the next morning, November 13
A state spokesman told Fox News Thursday, “This type of information is part of the investigation and will not be released.”
The Moscow Police Department previously said it was investigating the movements of Chapin and Kernodle, who were visiting the fraternity house of which Ethan was a member, hours before the killings.
Police believe Ethan and Xana visited Sigma Chi’s home around 9 p.m. until about 1:45 a.m. on November 12, when they returned to Xana’s off-campus home, a short walk from where the murders took place.
Ofsthun confirmed that he had known Xana as a friend and that Ethan was a member of the fraternity. He said there were no cameras at Sigma Chi’s home to aid in the investigation.
Ethan and Xana, 20, who were dating, were stabbed to death along with Xana’s roommates Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, at the home they shared, likely while they were sleeping. The police still have no suspect and no murder weapon.
Previous appeals to the public had focused on Kaylee and Madison’s activities on the night of the murders, which included stops at a sports bar and a food truck.
The Moscow Police Department said Monday it was investigating the movements of victims Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle (together above), who visited Ethan’s frat house hours before the killings
Police believe Ethan and Xana were visiting Sigma Chi’s home (above) on November 12 from about 9 p.m. to about 1:45 a.m. when they returned to Xana’s home
“That actually seems to be one of the larger areas where we don’t have a lot of information,” Idaho State Police communications director Aaron Snell told Good Morning America on Nov. 12 of Ethan and Xana’s movements.
“Being able to find out what they did that night, maybe who they contacted, maybe any routes they took home, that would be important for the investigation,” he added.
Meanwhile, tensions continued to mount between investigators and the victims’ families, who have expressed frustration that a suspect could not be identified.
Kaylee’s father, Steven, previously told NewsNation’s Brian Entin that police told him her injuries were worse than those of the other victims, but he didn’t go into detail.
Moscow police contradicted that remark in their new statement, saying, “With the active criminal investigation, law enforcement has not released any additional facts to the family or the public.”
“There has been testimony and speculation about this case, the injuries suffered by the victims, the cause of death, the collection and processing of evidence, and the investigative techniques,” the statement added.
“However, we firmly believe that speculation and unverified information does a disservice to the victims, their families and our community,” it continued, repeating a waiver of previous statements as the small-town department leading the investigation has come under increasing criticism.
“The Moscow Police Department aims to provide information whenever possible, but not at the cost of compromising investigations and law enforcement,” the department said.
Ethan and Xana (above) were killed on the second floor, while the other victims were found dead on the third floor of the house
Idaho State Police Communications Director Aaron Snell confirmed that investigators are examining the movements of victims Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle before the murders
Kaylee’s family (above) previously said they were told her injuries were worse than those of the other victims. The family say they are tired of waiting for answers from Moscow cops
Kaylee and Madison were found on the top floor of the house in Moscow, Idaho. College lovers Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were found in a second-floor bedroom, while survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were sleeping on the first floor
Police also said they were investigating the theory that Kalyee had a stalker as they continue to search for answers three weeks after the Nov. 13 killing of four University of Idaho students at her off-campus home.
Police said that in mid-October, two men appeared to follow Kaylee into the local Moscow store and then followed her to her car, but made no contact.
After speaking to the two men, police determined it was an isolated case and said there was no evidence they were involved in the killings.
Monday’s update revealed two men were seen inside the unidentified store before parting ways, with one man following Goncalves inside the store. He was then seen following her out of the store as she walked to her car.
The man turned away from her and it appeared he had not made contact with her, police said. Police did not say in which store the incident happened.
Police contacted both men and learned that the two were attempting to meet women in the store, which was confirmed by additional investigation.
Police also announced Monday that there was no evidence of Goncalves’ dog Murphy, who was found at the scene. It has not yet been established which room the dog was in when the murders took place.
Idaho police now say there was an incident at a local business involving stalker Kaylee Goncalves, who was mentioned just a month before she was stabbed to death in her home. They also revealed that Murphy, their dog, was at the house but had no evidence of him
Kaylee’s dog, Murphy (pictured), who was at the home at the time of the murders and was found unharmed, is now living with her boyfriend, Jack DuCoeur
“During a search of the home, a dog was found in a room where the crimes had not been committed,” the press release said.
“Officers found no evidence on the dog and there was no indication that the animal entered the crime scene. The dog was taken to the animal service and handed over to a responsible person.”
Few answers have come out three weeks after the Grizzly murders, and authorities have yet to name a suspect or even someone interested in the case.
Kaylee and Madison slept on the third floor and Xana and Ethan on the second floor. Cops said the killer entered the home through a sliding glass door on the second floor, level with the backyard.
Two other housemates were inside but were unharmed and unaware the attack was taking place. They slept on the first floor.
According to the latest update, detectives reviewed more than 2,645 emailed tips, 2,770 phone tips and 1,084 digital media submissions.
“We believe someone has information that will add context to the picture investigators are creating of what happened that evening,” Moscow police said in a statement Monday.
“Our focus is on the investigation, not the activities. Your information, whether you consider it important or not, could be one of the pieces of the puzzle that will help solve these murders.’
Last week, Idaho State Police spokesman Aaron Snell told that it was possible all four victims could have been intended targets of the gruesome November 13 stabbing.
He confirmed that investigators have gathered enough evidence to suggest the killings were targeted, but admitted they are still no closer to identifying the killer.
Monday’s update said: “We have not changed our belief that the killings were a targeted attack. However, investigators have not concluded whether the target was the residence or its occupants.
Autopsies revealed the four students were stabbed, likely with a fixed-blade knife, and investigators checked local shops to see if military-style knives had been sold recently.