My thoughts center on current danger from the killer. I am fine with LE withholding any information they want for the sake of the investigation and the trial- in general, we don't have a right to know. But K's dad said, in his first interview (IMO, don't have a link) that he didn't want any other family to go through this - I believe this plays a big part in his ongoing frustration. I concur. I am going to be really angry if LE knows this is a random person not tied to the victims previously who is likely to do this again, and soon. I feel in that case we do have the right to know this information.
It seems to me that, while finding who did this is extremely important, making sure it doesn't happen again is even more important. I don't mean to sound like I am bashing LE. They have a terrifically hard job and have to make a lot of judgment calls. I wouldn't want to be in their place.
I understand your point of view and agree to a point. People want to feel safe, they want to be able to send their children to school, their young adults back to campus, go about their daily lives, and celebrate the holidays in safety rather than fear.
What I’m unsure about is how PD can make people feel safe.
How can LE warn the public in any effective way other than they already have. People should be careful, take care of each other, be aware of your surroundings, lock your doors, be ready to protect yourself. What else could they say that would not cause more problems?
Releasing a criminal profile would seem like a good idea, then they would know what type of person to watch out for and stay away from? I think that is a bad idea.
Profiling isn’t that exact of a science, the public would have reactions
-Against certain types of people, that could get out of hand
-Away from certain types not mentioned that could be dangerous
Some would act upon their own fears, delusions, anger, sense of justice, zealot mindset.
There is a more terrible idea- to these two things at the same time;
1) a profile on the killer
2) a monetary reward for information
Idaho is a gun toting state, like Texas. Someone would interpret that as a bounty. Vigilantes would bring someone, or someone’s head in a box to the Moscow PD.
Disgusting, yes. Fiction? No.
JMO