Goncalves Family Hires Attorney

The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of four University of Idaho students who was stabbed to death in a rented house near campus last month, said they have hired an attorney.

Goncalves' father told Fox News Digital the family hired Gray Law Criminal Defense attorney Shanon Gray, to assist with the flow of information as the investigation into the murders continues.

Goncalves' father has spoken out over the last few weeks, expressing rising frustration with the investigation into the murders, which has thus far not resulted in the identification of any suspects or the murder weapon. He told Fox News Digital that he doesn't speak with police very often at this point in the investigation, which hit the one-month mark today.

The family is reportedly hoping that bringing on Gray to represent them will help the family receive more information about the case as the investigation moves forward.

Gray told KXLY-TV that the Goncalves family is supportive of law enforcement, but wants more information, adding they've been receiving updates through press releases rather than from police directly.

"The reason they're giving statements is to keep the investigation alive," Gray reportedly told the station. "They're fearful, so they get desperate."

Who Have Police Ruled Out?

As the University of Idaho community arks one month since four students were stabbed to death in a rented home near campus, tthe Moscow Police Department shared a list of people currently ruled out as being involved with the murders.

The list was included as part of a Tuesday update on the investigation. The update said authorities "do not believe" at the current stage of their investigation that the individuals on the list were involved.

None of the individuals are mentioned by name, but their identities are alluded to through the context authorities provided. First on the list were the two surviving roommates who shared the rented home with the victims. Another individual who was listed on the rented home's lease did not live there at the time the murders occurred and was not believed to be involved, police said.

Also included on the list was a man seen near two of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, at a fast-food truck hours before the murders. The person who drove Goncalves and Mogen home that night has also been ruled out at this stage of the investigation, police said.

After arriving home in the early hours of November 13, police have said Goncalves and Mogen made several phone calls to a man who has not been publicly identified. That man is also not believed to be involved, police said.

Any individual or individuals who were at the house at the time the November 13 911 call was placed were also not believed to be involved with the murders, police said.

Victim's Father Says Killer is a 'Sadistic Male'

The father of one of the University of Idaho murder victims is critical of how police are handling the investigation into his daughter's death.

Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, told Fox News Digital that he is "outraged" that investigators haven't said whether the killer was a man or a woman.

"They should know by the amount of strength it took to deliver the injuries," he said. "They're just being cowards. There are girls walking around the street right now that deserve to know. They should be looking out for a sadistic male."

Goncalves also said he spoke with Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt about the wounds his daughter sustained.

"She said these were big open gouges. She said it was quick. These weren't something where you were going to be able to call 911. They were not going to slowly bleed out," he said.

Goncalves added that his daughter's wounds "definitely did not match" the wounds sustained by Madison Mogen, with whom she was sharing a bed at the time of the killings.

"They may have individually died from the exact same thing, being stabbed, but there are more details... they're not even close to matching," he said.

Neighbor Heard a Scream From House

A neighbor living next to the house where four University of Idaho students were killed heard a scream on the night of the murders.

Inan Harsh lives in an apartment building next to the off-campus house and told the Idaho Statesman that he returned home from work at around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 13.

As he fell asleep around 4 a.m., he heard what he assumed was a noise from a party coming from the house on King Street.

"I didn't think anything of it," Harsh said. "After what happened, I've definitely had second thoughts. Maybe it was not a party sound."

During his initial conversation with police, Harsh said he did not mention the detail. But he said it later occurred to him that someone may have been screaming in distress.

"I'm not sure what good it does for them now," he said.

Harsh also said he saw an unfamiliar black SUV parked a few spaces from the front of the home at around 1:30 a.m. He told the police about the car a few days after the initial conversation.

This report from Harsh corresponds with when police believe an intruder entered the home and stabbed the four students.

Glove, Ladder Spotted Near Crime Scene

A glove and a ladder have both been spotted outside the home where four University of Idaho students were murdered last month, but it is not clear if the items were present at the time the murders took place or if either item is relevant to the investigation.

Chris McDonough, a retired homicide detective and host of The Interview Room podcast, told his YouTube followers that he reported finding a glove to police while he was in the area last month. McDonough said he found the glove in some snow that had gathered outside the house and said authorities had not seemed to know it was there. The glove was photographed before it was picked up by authorities, McDonough said.

Police did not mention the glove in their Tuesday update on the investigation. It was not clear on Tuesday how long the glove was outside the home at the time McDonough found it, or whether the item is relevant to the case.

There has also been speculation online about a ladder that was seen leaning against the side of the home in which the students were murdered. News Nation reporter Brian Entin, who recently visited the area outside the house, shared a video on Twitter Monday in which he said the ladder has "been there since the beginning, which is kind of interesting."

The ladder was also not mentioned in Tuesday's update from Moscow police. It was not clear on Tuesday how long the ladder has been at the house or if it is relevant to the ongoing investigation.

Police Share Update One Month After Murders

The Moscow Police Department on Tuesday released an update on their investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students.

One month has now passed since the students' bodies were discovered at a rented home near campus on November 13.

In a Tuesday news release, Moscow police said authorities "continue to piece together what happened in the hours leading up to the crime in order to determine who is responsible." Police said they have not identified any suspect or suspects in the case, nor have they found the murder weapon. Moscow police said 113 items of physical evidence were collected and about 4,000 crime scene photos were taken.

Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier said in a Tuesday video update that police are receiving "viable" tips "every day," but the news release said internet speculation about the case has also resulted in people sending in "tips based on rumors."

The online speculation has been "by far the most frustrating part of this," Lanier said.

So far, authorities have received thousands of tips, the department said. Some of those tips have helped clear individuals about whom there was speculation, Lanier said, and others have helped further theories authorities are pursuing.

The department urged members of the public to "stay focused on the official facts" shared by authorities and urged people who believe they may have relevant information to contact the FBI tip line associated with the case.

"This investigation is not cold," Lanier said.

County Prosecutor Obtains Over 50 Search Warrants

Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson said his office has obtained more than 50 search warrants related to the investigation into the University of Idaho murders.

Thompson told the Moscow-Pullman Daily News that the Latah County Prosecutor's Office is currently providing legal advice to law enforcement investigating the quadruple murder and working with investigators "as a team."

"We don't sit back and just wait for law enforcement to do an investigation and then send it up," he said. "I don't think that's responsible. Doing this for 30 years, that compromises the integrity of the investigation. We really work as a team."

He did not share any further details about the nature of the more than 50 search warrants, stressing the importance of compromise between providing information to the public and not negatively impacting the case.

Thompson added that his office has concerns about finding an impartial jury once a suspect or suspects are brought to trial, as Moscow is a small community.

"There's always a concern, particularly in smaller communities like ours, that we need to be responsible with what information is made available to the public so we don't risk tainting the prospective jury pool," he told the newspaper.

"Assuming that we're able to file a case and it goes to trial, we want to be able to pick an unbiased jury from within the community."

Family Considers Hiring Private Investigator

The family of Kaylee Goncalves said they are considering hiring a private investigator as her murder and the murders of three other University of Idaho students remain unsolved four weeks after their deaths.

During an interview this week with Fox News Digital, Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee's mother, said the family is raising money "in hopes to offer a reward, and possibly hire a private investigator if that becomes necessary."

The money is being raised through GoFundMe and GiveSendGo campaigns, the Goncalves family told Fox News Digital. The donations will help pay for Kaylee's celebration of life later this month and will also "go directly to getting us answers," Kristi Goncalves said.

Police in Moscow, Idaho, said they have received thousands of tips as part of their investigation, which reached its one-month mark on Tuesday. No suspects have been publicly identified, nor has a murder weapon been located.

Family members of the four victims are expressing frustration as time goes on without the announcement of any possible motives or suspects. The mystery surrounding the case has contributed to the spread of theories online by internet sleuths, whose activities have in turn frustrated law enforcement officials.

Victims' Hands Bagged to Preserve Evidence, Coroner Says

The four University of Idaho students killed in an off-campus home last month had their hands bagged before their bodies were removed from the crime scene.

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt told Fox News that this was done to preserve any evidence or clues on the victims.

Joseph Giacalone, a John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor and retired NYPD sergeant, told Fox News that there is a good chance the victims scrapped the face or arms of the killer in defense during an up-close attack.

The victims may have skin or hair under their fingernails that could provide significant evidence about the assailant.

Forensice experts Joseph Scott Morgan told News Nation that investigators usually do a nail scrapping and nail trimming after the bags are removed from the hands.

"The bags are set aside and kept separately and then all of the items that are contained in there that fall off and transport are preserved, and that's very important," he added.

DNA can be found in any kind of cellular material, Idaho State Police Forensic Services Laboratory Systems Director Matthew Gamette told Fox News Digital.

He said investigators will try to determine whether someone's touched a surface or handled a surface or whether they've left blood, saliva – any kind of bodily fluids" and then "identify areas where there might be tissue or touch DNA."

This evidence from those surfaces is then used to develop DNA profiles.

"We might be working a room or a car or something of that nature to be able to develop latent prints or fingerprints from a person that are visible to the naked eye," Gamette said. "And then we would be looking to either compare those to known individuals, or we would be looking to put them in a database to see if we can identify someone."

University to Add Security for Spring Semester

The University of Idaho told students Monday the school will be boosting security ahead of the spring semester as the off-campus murders of four students remain unsolved.

In a memo obtained by Idaho Education News, university officials said they "hope" students will decide to return to campus for in-person classes after the winter break but that there will also be virtual classes available to students in some departments.

Not all classes will be offered virtually, but the university plans to add some online courses for the spring semester by Friday evening, according to the university student paper The Argonaut. The university is urging students who don't feel comfortable returning to campus before there is some sort of resolution on the murder case to explore the online courses that will be offered in the spring, the memo said.

In addition to adding some virtual courses, University of Idaho officials told students they will hire more security and collaborate with law enforcement officials "to maintain a heightened presence on campus" and enhance patrols in areas near campus, The Argonaut reported.

Students are taking their final exams this week and will then go on winter break. Spring semester classes are due to begin on January 11.

Figures Spotted Near Crime Scene in Bodycam Video

Online true crime junkies have brought attention to police bodycam footage taken near the crime scene around the time of the murders.

Moscow Police released bodycam footage from plainclothes officers the night of the murders.

The officers stopped three University of Idaho students for suspected underaged drinking at about 2:50 a.m. on Nov. 13 as they walked across a field between the Sigma Chi fraternity house and the home where the four students were killed.

Police initially reported that investigators did not find anything significant in the videos, but online sleuths spotted a group of figures walking near the intersection of King Road and Taylor Avenue, two houses down from the crime scene.

True crime vlogger Olivia Vitale told Fox News Digital that she believes someone walking in that group may have useful information for police.

"During the timeframe of the murders, there were people in the general vicinity, she said.

"Between the people with law enforcement and the people in the background of the body cam footage, that is about half a dozen people. The importance is they may have witnessed something unbeknownst to them."

Police Looking for Owner of Car Seen Near Murder Site

Moscow Police are looking for the owner(s) of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was spotted near the crime scene on the morning of Nov. 13.

In a press release issued last week, police said the occupant(s) of this car, with an unknown license plate, "may have critical information to share regarding this case."

They are urging anyone with information regarding the car's owner or occupant(s) around the time of the murders to call the tip line at (208) 883-7180 or at tipline@ci.moscow.id.

"Your information, whether you believe it is significant or not, might be the piece of the puzzle that helps investigators solve these murders," police said.

In a statement Monday, Moscow Police Department Captain Roger Lanier said the occupant or occupants of the car "may have seen something."

"They may not know they have seen something," he said Monday.

No Suspect Named One Month After Murders

One month after four University of Idaho students were murdered in their off-campus home, police have still not named a suspect or found the murder weapon.

In a video update Monday, Moscow Police Department Captain Roger Lanier said police are "still 100 percent committed to solving this crime."

He said police are not releasing specific details because they "do not want to compromise this investigation" and owe it to the victims' families to not just get an arrest, but a conviction.

There are law enforcement teams across the country, including in Moscow, Salt Lake City, Utah and Virginia, working on this case, Lanier said.

"We're prepared to do interviews and follow up on information at any point, anywhere," he said.

The investigation continues as University of Idaho students prepare to take finals before the semester ends and their winter break begins.

Lanier said investigators are still working through new and old tips pouring through phone lines and videos uploaded through the FBI tip line.

"Our analysts have spent hours sorting through and trying to come up with the most relevant tips first for the investigators to follow up on," he said. "They have reinterviewed some of the folks we've interviewed earlier in this investigation to clarify information."

Lanier added that people should avoid spreading rumors or false information about the case circulating online and stick to official statements and press releases from investigators.

"Tracking down rumors and quelling rumors about specific individuals or specific events that may or may not have happened is a huge distraction for investigators and oftentimes is the result of social media propagation," he said. "It is very, very frustrating to investigators and hard to stay on track."

Police are also asked the community to remain vigilant, as the killer(s) remains at large. Lanier urged the community to be aware of their surroundings, avoid walking in dark places and walk in groups when possible.

"This is not an indication of a specific elevated risk, but something that we should be vigilant with just in our daily lives," he said.