Idaho murders: Cops looking for 'all outside surveillance' during three-hour window to solve puzzling crime
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised.
MOSCOW, IDAHO: Detectives are baffled by the four-hour gap in the timeline of the final hours of two of the victims, Xana Kernodle and her lover Ethan Chapin, in the University of Idaho murder case. Kernodle and Chapin were among the four students who were found brutally killed in their off-campus home on November 13.
With no suspect in the case, the Moscow Police are now curious as to where Kernodle and Chapin, both 20 years old, had been from around 9 pm on November 12 until 1.45 am on November 13. In a statement released on Tuesday, December 6, Moscow detectives stated, "Any interactions, contacts, direction and method of travel, or anything abnormal could add context to what occurred," reported The Sun. The allegations that Kaylee Goncalves had a stalker before she was murdered were also addressed by police on Tuesday, December 6. "Using tips and leads, investigators have identified an incident involving Kaylee at a local business, which may have been the stalker reference she made to friends and family," the police said.
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The statement by the police continued, "Detectives contacted both males and learned the two were attempting to meet women at the business, this was corroborated through additional investigation. Based on available information, detectives believe this was an isolated incident and not an ongoing pattern of stalking. No evidence suggests the two males were involved in the murders."
This update comes after police reported that Goncalves' injuries were "significantly more brutal" than those of the other victims. The stalker assertion seems to have rekindled concerns that the attack was targeted after police last week appeared to retract their earlier claims.
At the time of the incident, Chapin was a guest at the house and there were two other housemates present, but they have since been eliminated as suspects. On Wednesday, November 30, authorities claimed to have gathered "hundreds of pieces of information," which they stated included more than 113 pieces of concrete evidence.
About 4,000 photos were taken of the crime scene, and the house was 3-D scanned for multiple times. Police reported on November 23 that detectives had "conducted 150 interviews" in all. Police reported receiving 2,645 email reports, 2,770 phone tips, and 1,084 submissions of digital media as of December 6.
In a statement released on December 6, the Moscow police department stated, "We believe someone has information that will add context to the picture investigators are creating of what occurred that evening. Our focus is the investigation, not the activities."
The statement continued, "Your information, whether you believe it is significant or not, might be one of the puzzle pieces that help solve these murders," adding that they are still looking for "all outside surveillance" from various Moscow locations from 3.00 am to 6.00 am on Sunday, November 13.