University of Idaho killings eerily similar to Gainesville Ripper murders that inspired 'Scream': Expert
MOSCOW, IDAHO: As police desperately search for a suspect in the University of Idaho killings, a crime expert has compared the murders to those committed by the infamous Gainesville Ripper. On Sunday, November 13, four Idaho students were brutally stabbed to death in a shared home. Former medical examiner Joseph Scott Morgan stated that the incident has caused widespread fear throughout the neighborhood akin to the crimes committed by Danny Rolling, the murderer who served as an inspiration for the 'Scream' movies.
In 1990, Danny Rolling went on a killing spree and murdered 5 University of Florida students. However, Rolling was never actually arrested for the killings despite extensive media attention on the case. It was only when he was arrested for an unrelated burglary that he confessed to some of the most horrifying killings in Florida's history, which led to his identification as the 'Gainesville Ripper'. The Gainesville killings eventually received national attention after they served as an inspiration for the classic horror movie 'Scream'.
READ MORE
On 25th October 2006, Daniel Rolling was executed for the rape, murder and mutilation of 5 students in a 1990 3-day weekend. The Gainsville Ripper also committed a triple murder the year before. His actions inspired the move “Scream”.#crime #truecrime #truecrimecommunity #t… pic.twitter.com/r82PqTgbKt
— True Crime Diary (@truecrime_diary) October 25, 2020
"I remember back then the parents were terrified at the University of Florida because of this," Morgan exclusively told The Sun about the 1990 slayings. "And you see that kind of playing out here too." Based on his experience in crime scenes, Morgan said the home was likely a "horrifically bloody scene." An image obtained by Fox News Digital showed blood dripping outside the home - a sight that Morgan says is "striking." "I don't know that I have sufficient verbiage for that," he said. "And I gotta be honest with you, I don't know in all of my years of working multiple death scenes where I ever have seen blood that is seeping outside of a residence."
Morgan also speculated that the victims may have been familiar with the killer because the police chief stated that there were no indications of a forced entry into the residence. "You begin to think, was the perpetrator known so that the victim would let their guard down and open the door for them?" he said. "Or was someone waiting for them back at the apartment and then essentially attacked them when they walked in?"
Police called the killings an "isolated, targeted incident," but have backtracked on the claim. According to Morgan, a "targeted" attack could mean any number of things, and it doesn't necessarily guarantee the community's safety. "If you've got somebody that has an interest in killing women, for instance, that's targeted," he said. On the other hand, the crime may have been targeted based on the location, according to Morgan.
"Everybody needs to be on the same sheet of music," Morgan said. "They have got to reassure the community that everybody is OK. And if they're not, they need to continue to tell them to be on the lookout. Be aware of your surroundings. Cause this is a very dangerous person," he concluded.