Who is Ilana Rubel? Lawmaker warns of 'snowballing disaster' for University of Idaho unless murders are solved
This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.
MOSCOW, IDAHO: The investigation into the murders of the University of Idaho students is at a standstill as the police are yet to find a lead, suspect or murder weapon. The crime has reportedly left officials baffled as there are no potential clues even after going through more than 2,000 tips and numerous interviews. The murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Maddie Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, remain a mystery and now, a state lawmaker has warned the university about the damning consequences it could face if the case was not solved.
Ilana Rubel, Idaho House Minority Leader, has revealed that the state had already given $1M for the investigation only to receive no concrete information. The 50-year-old told KHQ, "It's going to be a snowballing disaster if they don't get to the bottom of it. My daughter's best friend is there. I know folks who do not want to go back. Nobody wants to send their kids to a community where they could face this kind of horror. It's every parent's worst nightmare, it's every student's worst nightmare. They have got to find the perpetrator." She feared that if the perpetrator behind the Idaho massacre was not found, it would badly affect the university's enrollment.
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Who is Ilana Rubel?
Rubel, a graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Law School, is currently serving as a Democratic member of the Idaho House of Representatives, representing the south Boise-based District 18 since January 2014. She is also the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. The 50-year-old politician ran for the position in December 2019 when Rep Mat Erpelding, resigned to take a position with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. A former partner at the law firm Fenwick & West, she was appointed to the position by Gov Butch Otter.
I just spoke with Idaho House Minority Leader @IlanaRubel- she says she stands with the governors commitment to fund the investigation into the murders at the University of Idaho. Saying if it does not get solved, soon, it could be detrimental for the University. #VandalStrong pic.twitter.com/UaD1eMjFLL
— Bradley Warren (@bradmwarren) December 6, 2022
Rubel reportedly explained that the $1M invested by the state into the investigation was more or less a "bargain" and supported investing more if that was the ultimate requirement. She said, "If that's what it takes. I fear the likelihood of the University of Idaho and the safety of everybody in that community is on the line. We have got to get to the bottom of that case."
On the other hand, the victims' families are growing restless. Goncalves' father Steven told the New York Post that the fact that several investigating officers at the crime scene were in their mid-20s was unsettling. He said, "They’re just inexperienced — and I don’t want anyone making mistakes in my child’s case."
The four students were found brutally stabbed in a house located on King Road on Sunday, November 13. So far, the Moscow police have received over 2,600 email tips, more than 2,700 phone calls, and 1,084 digital media submissions. To top this, 113 pieces of physical evidence have been taken into the custody and officials have taken 4,000 crime scene photographs with multiple three-dimensional scans of the residence to study possible entry points. There have been theories that Goncalves was the primary target of this heinous crime as she suffered more brutal injuries, according to her family.