Idaho murders: Police ‘want more than an arrest’ in month-old quadruple murder mystery

Idaho police say they want “more than an arrest” in the nearly month-long-old, unsolved quadruple murder of four students near the University of Idaho campus on Nov. 13.

Moscow authorities are still working to determine who killed the four college students – Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Madison Mogen, 21 – while they were sleeping in their off-campus home between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, a Sunday. 

The Moscow Police Department (MPD) is “keeping investigation details safe” and not releasing certain information to the public so as not to tip off the killer,” Robbie Johnson, the public information officer currently representing MPD, told Fox News Digital.

“It is what we must do to preserve the integrity of the investigation,” Johnson added. “We want more than an arrest. We want justice. It takes time to do it right.”

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: WHAT WE KNOW

MPD Cpt. Roger Lanier similarly said in a Monday video that police “want more than just an arrest.”

“We want a conviction,” he esaid.

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In a Monday press release, MPD said investigators continue to seek information about a white, 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was spotted in the immediate area of the King Road residence during the early morning hours of November 13th.” The FBI is prioritizing and vetting tips related to the vehicle, MPD said. Police believe the occupant(s) of the vehicle on that morning may have information that is pertinent to MPD’s investigation.

Lanier said analysts “have spent hours sorting through and trying to come up with the most relevant tips. First for the investigators to follow up on.”

“They have re-interviewed some of the folks we’ve interviewed earlier in this investigation to clarify information. Sometimes when new information comes forward, the people that we’ve spoken to beforehand may have new insight on that,” the police captain said. “So, it does often seem like we’re backtracking, but we’re really just trying to get the most important details and the best timeline that we can come up with.”

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MPD has “literally an army of analysts who have been sorting through videos that have been submitted through the [fbi.gov/moscowidaho] upload site,” Lanier said.

The four victims were stabbed multiple times, and some had defensive wounds.

Students who left campus for Thanksgiving break were given the option to stay home and learn remotely. An estimated 25% to 40% of the school’s 11,500-person population did not return to campus after the holiday.

IDAHO POLICE HIT WITH DELUGE OF TIPS ABOUT HYUNDAI ELANTRA, NOW FORWARDING CALLS TO FBI CALL CENTER

MPD has six detectives and five support staff assigned to the case with help from 46 FBI investigators in Moscow and throughout the United States, two Behavior Analysis Unit investigators, 13 Idaho State Police investigators and 15 uniformed troopers. 

Police also have yet to announce any kind of motive in the quadruple murder.

Tipsters can submit information related to the crime or the vehicle to the Tip Line at 208-883-7180 or the MPD tip email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us.