Crime Stoppers, Canadian law enforcement absent from Idaho murder probe

Idaho’s three Crime Stoppers programs have stayed silent about the shocking murders of four University of Idaho students, which is “surprising,” one area program director told The Post.

As cops in Moscow, Idaho, apparently scramble to make progress in the high-profile case, Crime Stoppers groups in the region have instead made pleas on Facebook for information about luggage stolen from an airport, and an unrelated burglary case.

The shocking lack of attention to the headline-making killings is unusual because the state has historically boasted “strong” Crime Stoppers programs, said Larry Wieda, who has been the executive director of Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers for 41 years.

Crime Stoppers — a Virginia-based non-profit organization — typically offers cash for tips from the public for “anonymous information that leads to the felony arrest of criminals and fugitives,” according to its website.

Not all the Crime Stoppers programs hand out money, but the Southwest Idaho branch does – up to $1,000 – “if their information helps solve a major crime.”

But in the roughly two weeks since the Nov. 13 Moscow murders, none of the programs have asked for the public’s help in the case or put up monetary rewards.

The three Idaho Crime Stoppers programs did not respond to The Post’s query about why they weren’t advertising the University of Idaho slayings.

The local precinct that’s spearheading the investigation also hasn’t announced a reward.

---

Here’s the latest coverage on the brutal killings of four college friends:

---

“At this time, no (cash) reward is being offered,” a spokesman from the Moscow Police Department, Aaron Snell, told The Post. 

The department has received more than 15,000 leads from the public in the case, Snell added.

It’s unclear whether Canadian law enforcement is involved in the investigation, despite the scene of the murders being less than a four-hour drive from the closest Canadian border crossing at Rykerts, British Columbia.

When asked whether Moscow PD was working with agencies in Canada, Snell refused to provide a “yes” or “no” answer. 

“We are unwilling to speculate on the location of a potential suspect – which we currently do not have. However, we will work with any outside agency that may be able to support our investigation,” Snell said.