Idaho Murders Update: Police Urge People To Walk in Groups for Safety

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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The Moscow police are urging people in the community to stick to lighted paths and walk in groups, as the killer or killers who fatally stabbed four University of Idaho students are still at large.

In a six-minute video update published on Monday, Moscow police captain Roger Lanier addressed the issue of current risks to public safety as the case remains unsolved, offering general safety tips.

"We should always be vigilant. Certainly we should be vigilant now, but we should make that a way of life for us. We should always be walking with our head up, sticking to lighted paths and walking in groups if we can," Lanier said.

"In addition, letting people know when you've arrived home, if you have not made prior arrangements."

Idaho Police
In this combination image, Moscow Police Department forensics and an image of Moscow Police Chief James Fry. Moscow police have urged people in the community to walk in groups and stick to lighted paths, as... moscow police department

The Moscow police captain added that these recommendations were not the "indication of a specific elevated risk" but something "we should be vigilant about in our daily life."

This is not the first time police have addressed the issues of personal safety and risks to the public since the beginning of the investigation into the quadruple murder that has shaken the peaceful city of Moscow.

Five days after the bodies of the four college students—Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen—were found in a rental home in Moscow on Sunday November 13, Moscow police stepped up surveillance on the University of Idaho campus to address the students' fears and concerns.

"We are not accustomed to this kind of violence in our town or at our university and are grateful to the Idaho State Police for increasing their visibility on our campus and in our community. This will continue for the foreseeable future," the university said in an online statement.

The University of Idaho has committed to remain flexible through the end of the semester in order to accommodate students who might be afraid of staying on campus, asking professors to prepare for both in-person teaching and remote learning classes.

The investigation into the murders of the four students has now entered its fourth week without Moscow police having named a possible suspect. No weapon has been found either.

The lack of clues has caused fears among the Moscow community and has lead to the explosion of speculation and rumors around the murders, with internet sleuths trying to crack the case.

While condemning the spread of misinformation around the case, Moscow police have asked the public for any information they might have about the murders, and have received hundreds of tips. They have also been working with Idaho state police and the FBI to process information.

However, there was a recent (albeit small) breakthrough in the investigation when Moscow police said they were looking to talk to the occupant of a 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra without a license plate that was spotted in the immediate area of the King Street residence in the early hours of November 13.

Police said investigators will continue to not release detailed information in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

Writers Page

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more