Two weeks have passed since authorities began investigating the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, Idaho, and no suspects or persons of interest have been identified.
Police have yet to provide key details about the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, but they are doing so on purpose, according to Aaron Snell of the Idaho State Police.
During an interview on Fox News’ “Lawrence Jones Cross Country,” Snell told host Lawrence Jones that investigators “do not currently have a suspect” but that keeping certain information “out of sight is going to be critical in trying to develop it.”
Victims of the November 13 massacre at the University of Idaho.
(Instagram @xanakernodle / @maddiemogen / @kayleegoncalves)
“Obviously you have someone on the loose at the moment. There is a lot of fear in the public based on what you guys have been able to gather. And they have profilers on the team, the BAU unit is here, why not go ahead and release that profile?” Jones asked.
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The Idaho police communications director responded: “It will potentially create more fear, more suspicion in a wide variety of people compared to if we use that to really refine where we are in our investigation. I think it will be more relevant.”
He added: “So if we just provide information to the public, I don’t think it’s a good choice.”
Jones also spoke with former NYPD Inspector Paul Mauro, who similarly confirmed that information from criminal profilers and evidence collected at the scene was being withheld.
Mauro said late Saturday that in addition to protecting the integrity of the investigation, the paucity of key details that have been made public could lead investigators to quickly find a suspect.
“‘If they find a suspect and they can question him, then the police can ask them questions and see if they know details that have not been made public,” Mauro said.
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Neither has a murder weapon been found.
The four students were found dead in a house just yards from the U of I campus, hours after police said someone attacked them while they slept.
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Snell said authorities also believe the attack “was a targeted incident” toward one or more of the three women who lived there. Chapin, the only male victim, was not living in the house and was visiting his girlfriend, Kernodle.
As for who the target was, that information is not publicly known.
When Snell was asked “who was targeted or were there multiple people who were targeted doing that, that incident,” he said the information was “pertinent to the investigation” but would “eventually come out.”
Snell also assured community members that investigators are using the best technology available to image the series of events on November 13.
Another concern Snell addressed is possible contamination of the crime scene, as two roommates are believed to have been in the house at the time of the murders. They are cooperative and have been ruled out as suspects.
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Other people were invited to the house between the time the bodies were initially found and the arrival of police, but Snell said the investigation was not compromised.
“I am sure that there was no compromise in the integrity of the investigation. We know that the Moscow Police Department arrived on the scene,” Snell said. “They essentially saw what had happened.”
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He added: “They blocked it and then additional resources came in. We have a lot of the best of the best, the best technology, the latest and greatest when it comes to training. So I actually believe in the integrity of this investigation “.
All the people who were in the house when the police arrived have been cleared.
