A quadruple murder in Moscow, Idaho, has taken the nation by storm and, as the days pass, seems to bring more questions than answers.
On the 13th of November, four university students at the University of Idaho were murdered in their rented home near the university campus between the hours of 3 and 4 am.
The victims included Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, and Madison Mogen, all aged between 20-21 years old.
The local community and students at the university have been on high alert since the murders, with anxieties growing each day that the police have made no arrest.
The victims had all been out that night but were not together for the entirety of it. Kaylee and Madison went to a local bar and were last seen on CCTV footage ordering from a food truck at around 1:41 am. Xana and Ethan, who were in a relationship, went to a party and returned shortly after 1:45 am.
Xana, Ethan, Kaylee, and Madison were not the only people who lived in the house but had two additional roommates. The two roommates, who had also been out that night and returned at around 1 am, slept in the basement level of the house and were left unharmed.
The attacks happened while the victims were asleep when they were unsuspectingly killed by being stabbed with a knife or sharp object. The two roommates sleeping in the basement slept through the attack and were unaware of what was happening until calling for help at around noon the following day.
The University of Idaho went into lockdown after the bodies were discovered, advising students to take extra caution and shelter somewhere safe. Since the attacks, students have left campus and gone home, with many not wishing to return until the crime is solved.
More Questions Than Answers
Members of the public have speculated online about why the student’s dog did not bark during the night, leading some to suspect that the dog was familiar with the intruder. The police have pushed back on this, stating that it is unconfirmed whether the dog was barking during this time or not.
The puzzling and extreme nature of the crime has encouraged a splurge of theories, most of which are based on unconfirmed details and speculations.
The nature of the 911 call has also raised eyebrows, with the police not confirming who exactly made the call. The pair had called over friends before contacting the police, believing that one of their roommates on the upper floor was just unconscious. It has not been confirmed whether the victim’s bodies were locked in their rooms or not. Both surviving roommates have been cleared of having any involvement in the crime.
The CCTV footage of Madison and Kaylee showed a tall male watching the girls, who some believed to have looked suspicious. The man has also been cleared of any involvement in the murders.
The murder weapon, while believed to be a knife, has still not been found. Police continue to investigate under the assumption that the assassin was someone the victims know, although they have not yet revealed what led them to this conclusion.
