K's dad is upset about clearing "guy at food truck" a week into the investigation at a press conference, and then not telling him his alibi. Since the events are related to a major university, many believe LE was pressured by University and high powered people in the community to clear HG. I see no reason to publicly clear people and say they are not related.
On the Sunday after the crime, 11/20, during the press conference, LE stated both:
"We do not believe the following individuals are involved in this crime." And:
"The community "must be prepared for a lengthy investigation."
LE was getting out information as early on as possible. Information that they thought the public should and would want to know. It was a statement of fact -that they didn't
believe the following individuals were involved. It was their best estimate of the situation at the time, very, very early in the investigation of a complex, quadruple murder.
Why some took this to mean that those individuals had been "cleared", I don't know. LE didn't use that verbiage. I didn't take it to mean that "without a doubt", these individuals were not involved, but simply, at this stage in the investigation, that's what the police were thinking. After all, they certainly could have said
"These individuals are not involved in this crime." Or, "These individuals have been cleared." They did not.
I also would note that few people, seemingly, paid attention to the other statement that "The community " must be prepared for a lengthy investigation." Almost immediately media, commenters on social media, etc. began framing LE as behind the ball, the investigation as slow and inefficient, even bumbling, etc. I believe the reason BAU is on the case, as is the FBI, is that it is, indeed, a very complex investigation and one that will necessarily be "lengthy".
There are FOUR victims, of both sexes. The crime scene is a place that is likely literally covered from top to bottom in hundreds of people's DNA, from blood, vomit, and other, ahem, bodily fluids. It was a -six bedroom- rental in a college town. It was a party house. I can't even begin to imagine the DNA that must be plastered all over it from years of parties. Each of the victims, as college students, likely has had contact with an incredibly array of other people and has to be painstakingly vetted as to their social contacts, their activities in and around the time of the murders. Including social media. Just one of them alone has 70K followers on a social media platform. Then there is the transient nature of college life.
I'm am often highly critical of LE, but in this case, I just don't see anything that tells me that they're not doing a good job. So many here get upset at criticism of family members taking bits of information to the media and their constant criticism of LE, but don't let up on the criticism of LE. I'm in support of them in this situation. And I'm glad I'm not in their shoes. What a thankless job.