ID - 4 University of Idaho Students Murdered - Moscow # 24

[Emerald1328]

I wasn't insinuating the perp did. I was answering the question posed, could they have been killed prior to 3am. Meaning we knew calls were made by K and M just before 3am, so for them to have been killed prior the perp would have had to have made those calls.

Gotcha. I see…yeah, if they were killed prior to 3 it would have had to be the perp that made the calls! It wasn’t, but I know what you mean haha

 

[rahod1]

JMO He may have had a backpack.

Let's just cut to the chase and apply *THE RAZOR* (aka Occam's) >>> OK.. they had a chance encounter and invited a a killer home who had a back pack and hid a deadly knife in it. Likely? VS>>> A killer proactively sought them out and was well prepared. MOO

 

[Breakout]

Would need to know that entry through the sliding door was possible, IMO. So, knew from prior recon, was a former occupant or guest. Or, someone who did some work there? I think the perp entered through the sliding door before they arrived home and was lying in wait.

I considered that possibility as well but the dog presents a challenge with laying in wait inside the home. It would be much easier to watch the home until all lights are out, enter through the slider, and at the same time let the dog outside or quietly close it off in a vacant room. If the former then the perp does his thing and then on his way out, puts the dog back inside in a vacant room. Explains non-contamination. Could also explain potentially making a little noise and rousing Ethan to check on things. However I don’t think the killer cared about non-contamination as that would help muddle the scene. He was hoping for a quiet exit and for the scene going undetected for some time.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

I'm still wondering why that specific car would be important for the case. Even if there was someone in it, the car is a fair distance away from the house itself and not likely that the person there would know or have heard anything about what was happening. Maybe the police has something else that makes them convinced that this car is either the killer's or someone that was seen with that car passing around the house? Or maybe they're looking for information about the other car that was coming with its headlights on from the house's direction? But wouldn't 3:00-20 AM be a little bit too early for the killer to be exiting the house?

It may or may not be important, but I imagine the police want everyone, walking, driving, biking, in and around the area at that specific time of night to come forward. It’s suspicious when they don’t identify themselves, even though in many instances they’re innocent of wrong doing, weak excuses for not getting involved, ugh. JMO

 

[otto]

To clarify - an Apple Watch has to be equipped with cell functionality to ping. That is optional on watches and more expensive so many people don’t.

I have a fitbit. It is synced with my macpro. Live updates. I don't have to download anything, but I do have to plug-in the fitbit when the battery is low. I get an email reminder when the battery is low.

If any of the victims wore a fitbit to watch calories, sleep patterns, steps, that may be how police know that the murders occurred before 4 AM. Heart rate data would have been recorded live.

Mollie Tibbetts wore a fitbit. Police could identify when she was abducted based on fitbit data. They also knew time of death. They knew that she was deceased within an hour of abduction. The fitbit could not provide a location.

Perhaps police could estimate time of death based on sudden increased heart rate between 3-4 AM.

 

[Vegasgrl]

I considered that possibility as well but the dog presents a challenge with laying in wait inside the home. It would be much easier to watch the home until all lights are out, enter through the slider, and at the same time let the dog outside or quietly close it off in a vacant room. If the former then the perp does his thing and then on his way out, puts the dog back inside in a vacant room. Explains non-contamination. Could also explain potentially making a little noise and rousing Ethan to check on things. However I don’t think the killer cared about non-contamination as that would help muddle the scene. He was hoping for a quiet exit and for the scene going undetected for some time.

Or, maybe knew the dog was regularly crated (maybe in a laundry room or somewhere else) away from sleepers?

 

[ExpectingUnicorns]

Regarding the car, did police identify the vehicle via CCTV or ring-camera driving into the area prior to the murders, and leaving the area after the murders? If the vehicle was used to commit pre-meditated murder, maybe the licence plates were removed or obscured with snow?

On Nov 5th Moscow Idaho had almost 2" of snowfall, the next snowfall was on the 7th of Nov - then none until the 23rd. The high temperatures from the 5th through the 12th ranged from 52 degrees to 39 degrees which leaves us little hope that the plates were obscured with snow.
Although I did notice snow residue and obvious footprints on the first published photos of the balcony/deck, the snow had melted from the greater portion of the area so I doubt (moo) those footprints were of any value. (Probably made by LE.)

Pullman, WA Weather History | Weather Underground

 

[isabella88]

Can you share a link please?

Try this: NewsNation Live

 

[NuttMegg]

If the vehicle come from interstate, FBI will query the national licence database for stolen vehicles. Stolen plates might trigger the police media release.
The occupants maybe foreign national and the vehicle from South America say

I'm sorry, foreign nationals bringing up that vehicle from SA makes no sense. The vehicle would be far less expensive to buy in the USA, and vehicles sold in SA have different requirements than do USA sold vehicles. Ie less stringent safety requirements. Ie you might bring your vehicle up to the usa on some ship, ($$$$$$$$$) and then not be able to drive it in America. Imo

 

[otto]

I can narrow it down even more. I posted yesterday morning that the house was blurred in Google Maps.

From the day of the murders until today, I couldn't get a google street view camera to go to the house. I was stuck at the end of the block. When I tried to go down King Street, camera view shifted to a different map.

It was impossible to get screenshots of the house, except from a distance, until today.

 

[debirlfan]

Let's just cut to the chase and apply *THE RAZOR* (aka Occam's) >>> OK.. they had a chance encounter and invited a a killer home who had a back pack and hid a deadly knife in it. Likely? VS>>> A killer proactively sought them out and was well prepared. MOO

Or, the killer planned ahead, prepared, then intentionally got himself invited back to the house.

 

[Snoop Sister]

I worked for many years for a large university (US) and students were assessed a health insurance fee along with other tuition and fees. They could request a refund of the health insurance fee if they presented proof that they had outside health insurance.

I had to have university health care even if I was already covered. But, speaking about a Canadian university.

 

[Breakout]

However, if perp was inside and let the dog out to roam earlier in the evening or while victims were still alive, could explain repeated calls to Jack, about the dog being missing, if that was the case when K and M got home.

 

[ExpectingUnicorns]

On news tonight...LE asking for help identifying occupants/driver/riders of a 2011 to 2013 white Hyundai Elantra. Vehicle apparently seen in the area at time in question. Yep "s" plural per the news announcer.
Report was on ABC News #World News Tonight.

RBBM. I find it odd that they're not asking for who owned the automobile. Is it possible that they already know that fact?
Because that (owner) would be my first question.

 

[dannlarusso]

Generally speaking a dog would not yelp at someone he knows. Was Murphy the kind of dog that would bark down the house if a stranger entered Or a quiet dog?

I'm not the first nor the last person to say this, given the fact we're 24 threads deep and the same questions pop up constantly but not all dogs bark at strangers. It's entirely possible that the dog is used to numerous people coming and going and being around commotion at all hours of the night due to the house being a known party house.

I have a 2 year old Boxer who is quite large for his breed (and he's not fixed, so he can be quite excitable), yet rarely ever barks even when a stranger is at the door. He's actually a horrible guard dog that it makes me laugh often.

Given Murphy's breed, the circumstances of where the dog has lived for most of it's life, it's young age, it's own unique personality, I dont think anyone could say whether it's weird if the dog barks or not. Hell.. it COULD have barked, yelped or growled yet it roused no suspicion because for all we know that was the norm for Murphy?

 

[Sundog]

I dont know how many out of state students the University attracts with the exception of academic and athletic scholarship types.

Out of state tuition is steep. And as neighbors have told me, a good number of states verify actual residency of students pretty closely (to say the least) now.

U of Idaho has about 1,698 out of state students according to their website.
Although out of state students have to pay 300% above in state tuition, U of Idaho has a compact with many states in that part of the country that allows students from compact states to study at UI and pay only 150% tuition, compared to in-state students.

 

[North_Idaho_Nony]

Ok, well, that was the university you worked for... It is not federally required nor even standard practice for universities to get involved with students health insurance...

It is at UI, actually all public universities in Idaho:
Student Health Insurance Requirement | University of Idaho

 

[nightowl2728]

My screenshot of this where you could still see the cars was from 12-5-22. So basically this blurring occurred between 12-5-22 and 12-7-22. I agree the license plates are often though not always blurred but I agree, mostly - I base this on looking through various houses in my neighborhood and nearby neighborhoods. BUT this photo was not blurred when I took the screen shot on 12-5-22. It might all be completely innocent where the company that owns the house asked for this...but in light of the ask for witnesses or the driver of the Hyandia Elantra, it might not be. What a coincidence in timing if it is innocent.

Not sure if I'm totally following the screenshots thread, but is it possible LE asked for it to be blurred? So the perp wouldn't know that LE has their license plate number? Maybe the announcement was, like someone suggested, to rattle the perp and get them to slip up or get rid of the car, etc.

Also thought it was interesting the announcement said if anyone knew of anyone driving this car on the day of the murder AND the days before (notice "after" not in there). So the perp, if the driver of this car, left town afterwards likely

Overall though this announcement seems hopeful to me that they have more leads than they are letting on!
MOO

 

[otto]

If the tip/tips are on from video surveillance from around the time of the murders, would they be able to tell on video that the vehicle was white vs. tan or silver, since it would have been dark? I’m wondering if there had to be at least one eyewitness that could confirm that it was white vs. another light color.

Good point. Car color has been off when relying on CCTV at night. I doubt there was an eye witness. Apparently the car looks white.

We don't know that police are relying on CCTV to ask about the car. Police know the vehicle but not the license plate - so not a traffic camera. Since there was a party at the nearby frat house, it would be easy for a vehicle to disappear in the many party cars ... until it was still in the area after the murders at 4 AM.

 

[Breakout]

Ok, well, that was the university you worked for... It is not federally required nor even standard practice for universities to get involved with students health insurance...

Agreed. Hard waivers for health insurance (auto enrollment and billing) present recruitment and enrollment challenges, and sometimes political challenges, especially for state colleges in red states. Insurance is not always required, especially for undergraduates.

 

[wary]

I'm not the first nor the last person to say this, given the fact we're 24 threads deep and the same questions pop up constantly but not all dogs bark at strangers. It's entirely possible that the dog is used to numerous people coming and going and being around commotion at all hours of the night due to the house being a known party house.

I have a 2 year old Boxer who is quite large for his breed (and he's not fixed, so he can be quite excitable), yet rarely ever barks even when a stranger is at the door. He's actually a horrible guard dog that it makes me laugh often.

Given Murphy's breed, the circumstances of where the dog has lived for most of it's life, it's young age, it's own unique personality, I dont think anyone could say whether it's weird if the dog barks or not. Hell.. it COULD have barked, yelped or growled yet it roused no suspicion because for all we know that was the norm for Murphy?

Right. Murphy is a 7 month old puppy, and especially considering that he was living in a ‘no pets allowed’ place, I think it’s even possible that he was taught not to bark.

MOO