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Police investigating the murder of four University of Idaho students in the early hours of November 13 have said there does "not appear to be any evidence" linking the attack to a double stabbing in Salem, Oregon.
Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were stabbed to death by an unknown assailant earlier this month at a student house in Moscow, Idaho.
On Thursday Moscow Police Department Chief James Frye, who is investigating the Idaho killings, said he received a tip relating to the Oregon attacks on August 13 2021.
He said: "We're looking at every avenue and we have other agencies reaching out to us with other cases, stuff that we are going to follow up on."
However, on Friday Moscow Police published an update revealing they now do not think the two cases are linked.
It said: "There have been numerous media inquiries about a 1999 double stabbing in Pullman, Washington, and the 2021 double stabbing (with one death) in Salem, Oregon.
"While these cases share similarities with the King Street homicides, there does not appear to be any evidence to support the cases are related."
In Salem, Travis Juetten, 26, and his wife Jamilyn Juetten, 24, were attacked by a masked intruder at around 3 a.m. in the morning.
Travis died of his injuries whilst Jamilyn survived, despite suffering 19 stab wounds.
The case remains unsolved, with the family of Travis Juetten offering $50,000 for information that leads to his killer.
In May 1999 two women in Pullman, Washington state, were stabbed multiple times by a male intruder who broke into their apartment sometime before 2.51 a.m. Both women were injured but survived the attack.
The Moscow Police update said "no suspect has been identified," noting that "only vetted information that does not hinder the investigation will be released to the public."
It revealed 113 pieces of physical evidence have been dispatched to the Idaho State Police crime laboratory, where they will be subject to specialist analysis.
Up to $1 million in emergency funds has been made available to support the investigation by Brad Little, the Idaho state governor.
On Wednesday police said a man, who was called several times by Goncalves and Mogen early on November 13 before they were killed, is not a suspect.
Speaking to The New York Times Goncalves' sister identified the man as a former boyfriend of her close relative, adding the family "know he absolutely had nothing to do with this at all."
Goncalves and Mogen had been out at a club the night before they were killed, stopping at a fast-food truck afterwards before heading home.
Speaking to DailyMail.com Joe Vidot, who claimed to be an eyewitness, said the two students may have "ditched" a man who was "trying to help them get home safe" when they were picked up by the food track.
Police say neither this man, nor the driver, are suspected of involvement in the later killings.
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics ... Read more