'It affects us': Moscow police chief James Fry breaks down in tears while discussing Idaho murders
This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently
MOSCOW, IDAHO: The Moscow police department chief became emotional as he spoke about his personal connection to the investigation into the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, who were found dead at their off-campus residence on November 13.
The four victims, identified as Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 were stabbed multiple times between 3 and 4 am. Their bodies were recovered from the second and third floor of their King Road house near the college campus. Authorities have reportedly combed through thousands of pieces of evidence and various leads but aren't any closer to a breakthrough.
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Affirming his dedication to finding the killer in the quadruple homicide, Police chief James Fry said he will continue to insist that "no stone will go unturned". "This case is not going cold. We have tips coming in, we have investigators out every day interviewing people. We’re still reviewing evidence, we’re still looking at all aspects of this," Fry told Fox News in an interview that aired on 'The Story'. "I said early on that no stone will go unturned, and I mean that. We are going to continue. This case is not going cold."
When asked about his personal connection to the case, the police chief broke down in tears, offering a glimpse of the emotional toll the ugly crime has taken on his branch and community. "I’m a dad with daughters, and it’s tough," he said with tears in his eyes. "We're human. We don’t go to these and just turn it off. It affects us. But we have a job to do, and we’re going to continue to do that job, going to continue to push forward."
The police chief's comments came just days after the family members of the victims publicly complained about the limited information released by the department. Kaylee Goncalves' father, Steve Goncalves previously complained about the laggardly pace of the investigation and said the family has lost confidence in the search, blaming poor police communication and contradictory messages delivered from the officials’ side. His wife, Kristi Goncalves, also backed the claims and said some individuals were cleared by police "very fast that maybe should not have been."
Fry clarified that they were releasing little information in order to maintain the integrity of the case. He also noted that the department and FBI have been using every piece of information to arrest the killer. "We always have the option of re-interviewing," he said. "We've actually re-interviewed people two or three times because we'll get tips, or we'll get information that we need to verify again, and sometimes we need to ask the questions just a little bit different to ensure that we're getting the proper information to continue on with this investigation. So, that happens regularly in all investigations."