University of Idaho murders: All eyes on toxicology report to find out if victims were drugged
MOSCOW, IDAHO: As the investigation into the University of Idaho murders continue, a forensic pathologist pointed out that the toxicology reports of the four victims, who were stabbed to death on Sunday, November 13, can help officials determine if they were under the influence of any drugs or were slipped something at the party that incapacitated them.
Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Baden reportedly said that the toxicology report held vital clues and could help investigators determine if the victims were knocked out by date-rape-type drugs. “If they were drugged that would be found in the toxicology,” Baden told Radar Online. “If they had recreational levels of marijuana and stuff that would support what they were doing that evening while partying – if there was some drug at a lethal level or something that would make them unconscious – that would certainly be important for the police to consider.”
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Backing Baden’s claim, another expert stated that the report would reveal the condition of the students before the murders took place. “The toxicology will determine if there is any type of chemical in their system used for nefarious purposes -- something that will render them helpless like (date rape drug) GHB or a finding that there was nothing in their system,” Jason Jensen told the outlet.
However, Latah County (Idaho) Coroner Cathy Mabbutt revealed that the toxicology report “usually takes three to six weeks” to complete. Mabbutt, in a separate interview, stopped short of revealing if the victims were intoxicated before the fatal stabbing. “It was late at night or early in the morning, so it seems likely maybe they were sleeping,” Mabbutt told NewsNation.
She also stated that multiple stab wounds were found on the bodies of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. “There were multiple stab wounds on them and most of them had just one that was the lethal stab wound. The fatal ones were to the chest area, the upper body area,” she said, adding, “It was a pretty large knife so it’s really hard to call them puncture wounds.
Investigators also found multiple defense wounds on the hands of at least one victim. The autopsy revealed that they were killed between 3 am and 4 am on Sunday. The officials also learned that the two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were apparently asleep throughout the incident and later had a friend call 911 to report one person at the residence was "unconscious." So far, the officials have received more than 700 tips and have conducted 90 interviews yet have failed to recover any concrete evidence leading to the suspect(s).