ID - 4 University of Idaho Students Died in Apparent Homicide, Moscow, 13 Nov 2022

[Vandalalum]

In reading the description of the home, there are two bedrooms and a bath on each floor. In my mind, I'm imagining not much being on that first floor other than two bedrooms, the bath, and a stairwell going up to the middle floor, where there are two other bedrooms, a bath, and likely the kitchen and living room. And then two more bedrooms and a bath on the 3rd level.
It's entirely plausible that the two unharmed roommates are in the first level bedrooms near the front door. The majority, if not all, of my bedroom doors in my college apartments had locks on them, just to maintain privacy when you don't always know who your roommate might be bringing home, etc. So maybe that's the case here and maybe that's why they are alive. It's also very plausible that they, too, were intoxicated. Maybe they didn't hear a dang thing and, if that's true, it's probably why they are alive. Maybe they heard something but dismissed it due to their intoxicated states, which possibly provides the estimated time of death. Or maybe they even saw something or someone come in but dismissed it due to their intoxicated state. Then maybe they remembered something in the morning and either found the scene themselves OR called someone to be with them when they came out of their room because they realized, when they were sober, that something was amiss the night before. That would explain the "a friend called 911" comment made by Ethan's mom. Regardless, I don't fault the police for keeping their identities or the circumstances of the 911 call private right now.

 

[Sunny Day]

My gut feeling is that the killer did not know there were others in the house. If he/she did, the other 2 would also be dead. Just my opinion, but I think the other 2 were maybe sound asleep on another floor. All of this makes me wonder if the killer was specially trained in making a quick, silent kill. My opinion only.

 

[cvaldez1975]

The home has six bedrooms, a Zillow link was posted earlier in the thread. Do we know if there is a basement where 2 bedrooms might have been located? That would explain why they might not have heard the commotion.

Perhaps one of them woke up around noon (not unusual) and walked upstairs and was Eric laying there covered in blood. I could understand the mass confusion and hysteria. I'm sure it was traumatizing.

MOO

yes its in the pix. you can tell because the slider or window looks out onto a concrete patio that is under the balcony outside of the living area. but then again there was possible blood leaking down the side of the foundation. maybe that was from the front of the house on the 2nd level though

 

[diggndeeperstill]

Updated TIMELINE with new presser info



MOOs:
I was very surprised to hear that the roommates were home but uninjured and not part of a hostage situation. It was EC's mother who stated that the 911 call was placed by a friend who did not live at the home (LINK). It was also stated that the crime scene was particularly gruesome on the "upper levels" of the residence (LINK). If there were two bedrooms on each floor (LINK) and we know that EC was found on the second level (LINK), were the unharmed roommates on the ground floor and just assumed that the roommates were sleeping in after a late night? Maybe this other "friend" was supposed to meet someone, came over to their house when they didn't answer their phones, and happened to be the first person up the stairs. Could the culprit have entered and/or left via the second-floor balcony, leaving the first-floor roommates none the wiser?

Thank YOU! That quote by Ethan's mom is different than the one I linked. So a friend who did not live there is the caller. The roommates didn't call. Which would mean we are to assume they had not discovered their deceased friends by noon on Sunday.

I am going to go edit my post so it doesn't confuse others. FYI.

 

[Sundog]

I’m finding it interesting that the Idaho State Police said “people” twice rather than finding the person responsible for this.

I notice that, too. The first time he said "person or people" and the second time he just said "people." But the police chief always said "person," i.e. singular.

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1593030142712246273

https://twitter.com/x/status/1593031854369943552

https://twitter.com/x/status/1593032272537866240

 

[formerlyme]

Sorry to be gory but I have heard large amounts of blood would have a distinctive disturbing odor....roommates would have smelled?

 

[cvaldez1975]

This was a weekend night and they are college students. It’s not difficult for me to imagine that the two roommates were still asleep from the night before, and didn’t wake up until authorities arrived after the 911 call. That seems reasonable. Poor kids

agree just like its reasonable to believe they may have imbibed some.

 

[clearskies1]

The press conference is interesting. The crime occurred in the early morning hours, BUT the PD chief stated the 911 call didn't come in till noon. Given that there were TWO other roommates in the house certainly makes that interesting. No word as to whether they were there at the time or arrived later or where they were in the house. I wonder if they didn't come in till after the killer left and for some reason didn't see the victims. PD will not say who made the 911 call - one of the other roommates or someone else. Rumors about LE looking for a particular type of knife is interesting since the PD Chief stated they have not recovered the knife, completed the autopsies or have a suspect in mind. The college president also stated he and his staff are in communication with WA State U. I do know from relatives in that area that the relationship between the UofI and WSU is close given the short distance between the schools.

No, the Chief said at the press conference that the inforrmaton that LE has is that other 2 roommates were there in the house at the time of the attack. He also said that LE did not know why the 911 call did not happen earlier. See 32:30 here:

 

[InternetGhost91]

Or didn't know they were there.
Or 2 were targeted and when the other two came home they were collateral damage.

To me it seems way more likely that the killer didn’t know they were there. jmo

 

[isabella88]

In reading the description of the home, there are two bedrooms and a bath on each floor. In my mind, I'm imagining not much being on that first floor other than two bedrooms, the bath, and a stairwell going up to the middle floor, where there are two other bedrooms, a bath, and likely the kitchen and living room. And then two more bedrooms and a bath on the 3rd level.
It's entirely plausible that the two unharmed roommates are in the first level bedrooms near the front door. The majority, if not all, of my bedroom doors in my college apartments had locks on them, just to maintain privacy when you don't always know who your roommate might be bringing home, etc. So maybe that's the case here and maybe that's why they are alive. It's also very plausible that they, too, were intoxicated. Maybe they didn't hear a dang thing and, if that's true, it's probably why they are alive. Maybe they heard something but dismissed it due to their intoxicated states, which possibly provides the estimated time of death. Or maybe they even saw something or someone come in but dismissed it due to their intoxicated state. Then maybe they remembered something in the morning and either found the scene themselves OR called someone to be with them when they came out of their room because they realized, when they were sober, that something was amiss the night before. That would explain the "a friend called 911" comment made by Ethan's mom. Regardless, I don't fault the police for keeping their identities or the circumstances of the 911 call private right now.

Any decks on that house?

 

[MsMarple]

The home has six bedrooms, a Zillow link was posted earlier in the thread. Do we know if there is a basement where 2 bedrooms might have been located? That would explain why they might not have heard the commotion.

Perhaps one of them woke up around noon (not unusual) and walked upstairs and was Eric laying there covered in blood. I could understand the mass confusion and hysteria. I'm sure it was traumatizing.

MOO

According to Zillow: Ideal set up for roommates with 2 beds / 1 bath on each level. So IMO it's possible that 2 people could have been in the lowest level or else on the third floor and the killer either didn't know or wasn't able to go through the entire house for some reason.

I can also see them sleeping through the murders or even coming home later and going directly to their rooms without noticing anything amiss. MOO of course and my personal speculation.

I don't agree with Chief Frye's assessment that they believe it was a targeted attack only based on two people surviving unharmed. IMO there are many reasons that could have happened. Again, JMO.

 

[isabella88]

yes its in the pix. you can tell because the slider or window looks out onto a concrete patio that is under the balcony outside of the living area. but then again there was possible blood leaking down the side of the foundation. maybe that was from the front of the house on the 2nd level though

Wonder how high that balcony is.

 

[Seattle1]

What we know about the 4 University of Idaho students killed

KREM 2 spoke with the victims' family members who shared insight into who they were and how they impacted those around them.

www.krem.com

Updated: 4:14 PM PST November 16, 2022

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, members of Moscow Police, Idaho State Police and University of Idaho President C. Scott Green held a press conference at the school.

According to Moscow Police Chief James Fry, Ethan and Xana were on their way back home from a campus party during the early morning hours of Nov. 13. Meanwhile, Madison and Kaylee were at a downtown bar.

The group arrived home sometime around 1:45 a.m. After receiving a 911 call around noon, police arrived to find the lifeless bodies of Ethan and Xana. Police say no weapon has been located at this time and investigators are asking anyone with a tip to call the departments tip line at (208) 883-7180.

Police said there is still no sign of a suspect and that the individual responsible is "still out there."

 

[Madeleine74]

That is major, what he just said about other people at the home, but not a hostage situation. They know far more than what is being said here. They are also protecting survivors, essentially.

Exactly!

It's not that LE doesn't know anything...as some assume. They are only answering a few questions and not disclosing many other pieces of info about the case they've amassed in the last few days.

LE always keeps things as close to the vest as possible...always. This happens in every case I've ever followed. LE will do whatever they need to in order to make sure they preserve the case for later prosecution. What they won't do is assuage the public's unending thirst to know every aspect of the crimes. They won't release any information that could tip off a suspect.

That may be of no comfort to case followers, but their job is to investigate thoroughly, follow all the leads, process all the forensics, and ultimately catch and arrest the person or persons responsible.

 

[cvaldez1975]

The top floor was said to be the most gruesome, if I'm remembering right.

maybe, but i was thinking about the blood streaming down the foundation. but then again, that could have been from the second level, toward the front of the house.

 

[Vandalalum]

Any decks on that house?

Yes, at least one deck and one cement patio.

 

[upz12]

Wonder how high that balcony is.

Easily claimable.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Or a third party there with the other two roomates.

Didn't they say only 2 other people were in teh home?

 

[isabella88]

I'm really curious why the identity of the 911 caller is being kept from the public.
That seems odd to me.
Unless they're a possible suspect?

Or a witness who needs protection.