Idaho student murders: Police reach key stage in investigation as heartbroken families wait for answers
Rachel Schilke
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Moscow police are beginning the process of returning belongings from four murdered University of Idaho students to their families as the investigation into their deaths continues.
Police Chief James Fry said he will be personally joining the department in boxing up items that are not relevant to the investigation and moving them into a secure storage location where families can review and retrieve them.
IDAHO MURDERS: MOSCOW POLICE HITS OUT AT ‘SPECULATION AND UNVETTED INFORMATION’
“It’s time for us to get those things back that really mean something to those families and hopefully to help with some of their healing,” Fry said.
Fry said there are a lot of investigators working on this case, and while he’s not personally interviewing people or working directly with evidence, it’s important as a department to take care of families.
“I’m a dad, I understand the meaning behind some of those things,” he said. “It may be something that we gave one of our children or something, and we’re just trying to bring some of that healing.”
This comes almost four weeks after Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed in bed and stabbed in the chest and upper body with a large knife.
Police have not been able to identify or arrest a suspect in the Nov. 13 homicides.
Fry said they are still “doing everything we need to do” in terms of gathering evidence and tips. The house where the homicides took place remains an active crime scene regardless of the items removed.
Families, particularly the parents of Goncalves, are speaking out in frustration at the lack of information provided by police. Authorities continue to state that they will only release limited information to families and the public so as not to damage the investigation.
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Moscow police have also acknowledged the large amount of speculation about the case, including the cause of death, victim injuries, and investigative techniques, among others.
“We recognize the frustration this causes and that speculation proliferates in the absence of facts,” police stated. “However, we firmly believe speculation and unvetted information is a disservice to the victims, their families, and our community.”