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Idaho murders: Did Ethan Chapin save the girls from being sexually assaulted? Web sleuths float new theory

According to another Redditor unproven theory, the killer almost had his way with the girls but Ethan Chapin's appearance ruined his plans

This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.

MOSCOW, IDAHO: Web sleuths have been on overdrive for the past few days as they churn out one random theory after another about the Idaho murders that took place more than two weeks ago on November 13. Four University of Idaho students were brutally killed likely while they were asleep on early Sunday morning between 3am and 4 am in an off campus home close to the university. Police have still not been able to find the potential perpetrator(s) in the murder case and the motive is still a question that the authorities have failed to answer. 

The four victims are Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. According to primary investigation reports, no money or expensive valuables were found stolen and none of the victims were sexually assaulted, which has further prompted law enforcement to conclude that it was a "crime of passion." Now, a Redditor is peddling a theory as to why none of the girls were sexually assaulted prior to their deaths. 

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A Reddit user named Smash_007 posted, "Do you think E was why they weren’t sexually assaulted? Maybe he got interrupted," to which another user replied that they assumed that the killer most likely went after one particular girl with the intention of sexually assaulting her at knifepoint but ultimately four students ended up losing their lives as the killer was surprised by the another girl in the room/bed with the target. 

"You could be right! My totally unsubstantiated guess is that the original target was very likely planned to be a sexual assault at knifepoint, but that plan was upended when the killer was surprised by the other girl in the room/bed with the target," a user who goes by the name coffeeadaydoctoraway replied. They added, "I’m inclined to think the entire situation unfolded very quickly. If the room was dark, perhaps the killer hopped into the bed expecting only his target to be there, but he was surprised by the shocked reaction of the friend there too (and both girls possibly started screaming). Then he freaks out and just goes into kill mode immediately to stop the screams." 

The web "sleuth" also believed that it was probably due to Chapin, the killer might have not got the chance to sexually assault the girls present in the house at the time. The killer(s) most likely had encountered the 20-year-old while he tried to flee the house and ended up killing him. "Now he’s gotta get out of the house fast. He starts to book it downstairs and comes upon E in the hall or at the door of the bedroom, so he rushes and attacks him", the user continued. He finally concluded that Kernodle was the last one to die in the killer's hands as she saw the entire macabre scene in front of her eyes.

"Well now, X sees this unfolding and starts screaming. So now the killer rushes and attacks her in her bed. Once she’s no longer screaming, the killer heads for the back door, hopping over E who may still be alive but is incapacitated on the floor. This is the angle I’ve been considering more seriously: that it could have been an intended aggravated rape that turned into a quadruple homicide when the situation got unexpectedly out of hand," he said. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.