‘It was more personal’: Ex-detective Ted Williams dismisses ‘peeping Tom’ theory in Idaho murders
MOSCOW, IDAHO: Former Washington DC investigator and current Fox News contributor Ted Williams thinks the deaths of four University of Idaho students on November 13 were "more personal" than a potential "peeping Tom" scenario. Although they have not yet named any suspects, Idaho police are looking into every scenario that could explain why the four young victims, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, were fatally stabbed.
The veteran detective says it is "highly unlikely" that authorities are "looking for a peeping Tom" because the suspect or suspects "took a knife" and attacked four victims. "There is a great deal of speculation out here. There's been some information put out about a peeping Tom. … All of those … are things that I think law enforcement dismissed," Williams told Fox News. "This is more personal." Over the weekend, when they temporarily increased the parameters of the crime scene, officers were seen combing a steep hill behind the house for possible evidence. Because the building was constructed on the hill at the back, the second floor of the home has a door that touches the ground. At the top of the hill, there is a road and an apartment complex which has led some locals and grave sleuths to theorize that a foreigner might be hiding inside the house.
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Authorities are looking into the potential of a peeping Tom, a law enforcement source, told Fox News on November 20. Director of Communications for the Idaho State Police Aaron Snell would only state that every theory is being investigated. According to Williams, police are meticulously sorting through the evidence and testing blood for DNA that might not belong to one of the four victims. "This is still a very active crime scene. If you'll notice, some of the vehicles are still parked here. The scene is somewhat frozen in time. What law enforcement is doing is: they're doing a deep scrub of that house," he said. "The medical examiner…has made it known that there was a great deal of blood in that house, and they're process[ing] that blood and they're trying to determine if they can find a DNA match."
Testing that evidence and compiling toxicological findings might take weeks or months. Authorities are also gathering information that could be utilized in a future trial, should a suspect be arrested and charged. "They know the community's hurting. They know the community wants someone captured yesterday, but law enforcement have to take their time methodically and go over everything in order not only to effectuate and make an arrest but also to prosecute the person who committed these crimes," Williams said. However, as more time passes, the former detective warns that it might become harder to find the murderer. Following a 911 call placed at 11.58 am on November 13 to report an unconscious person, the Moscow Police Department arrived on the site for the first time. Later, according to authorities, the 911 caller believed one of the victims had fainted and wouldn't wake up. The crime was referred to by authorities as "an isolated, targeted attack," although they have not stated why the murders were isolated.