ID - 4 University of Idaho Students Murdered - Moscow # 38

[SMK777]

If I’m not mistaken, this was said by the mayor, and there was later a request made by LE or council members for mayor to stop commenting on case due to misinformation.

Oh, ok, I see. Thank you!

 

[Trino]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I had postulated a bit more crime in the killer's background, but I count dealing in drugs (probably in a fairly minor way) to be at least on a continuum of breaking rules and laws.

My top scenario is indeed "former student," someone who is 3-5 years older than the undergrads, didn't finish, is still living on campus somewhere (this happens at most colleges, various ways to do it), and yes, has found a way of staying relevant to students by always having blunts to sell or something like that. I think he's mostly a loner and enjoys observing (and perhaps mocking) others, rather than building relationships.

Your description of what he got out of these killings is chilling. It very much resembles what others are sharing about some of the more random serial killer types (or one-off killer types).

Lots of food for thought.

Rockefeller Institute of Government 1966-2020: average age of mass murderer was 33.2. 95.7% were male. 74.6% used hand guns.

 

[renarde]

October FB post:

"People found a Facebook post from Goncalves in October where she was reportedly looking for a roommate in Austin."

“looking for A roommate to move in with me from February to June. I am coming from Idaho so I am not familiar with the area so open to living anywhere in the Austin area. I am a 21 year old girl with a really sweet 20 pound dog. If anyone is looking for a place from February to June in Austin let me know!,” the post reads.

How Austin is linked to Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves

More than 45 days have passed since the killing of four University of Idaho students, and the slaying remains unsolved.

www.kxan.com

 

[ChitBrick]

Seems like that would point a little too quickly to the killer, no? (Not in your case; in this case!)

yes, if they knew who was in the picture with her.

 

[WingsOverTX]

I fully agree that it should not be released. But I think the article spun what he was saying to make it sound like it's something new that he is thinking about releasing when really, someone probably asked if they would release it and he answered that they would when/if the prosecutor okayed it. Which is more or less the gist of what they have said about everything. I'm to the point that I'm ignoring all articles about this case - they all seem to be spinning non-info into clicks.

To the OP you responded to & to you: Why?

What is the specific potential harm in releasing at least a transcript of the call (even with redactions)?

I understand the prosecutor's innate desire to withhold it whether or not it would impact a potential prosecution.

Until the public has access to some form it, who can really judge its impact?

I want to hear it and/or read a transcript of it.

JMO

 

[darring21]

To the OP you responded to & to you: Why?

What is the specific potential harm in releasing at least a transcript of the call (even with redactions)?

I understand the prosecutor's innate desire to withhold it whether or not it would impact a potential prosecution.

Until the public has access to some form it, who can really judge its impact?

I want to hear it and/or read a transcript of it.

JMO

The question LE asks is not "why not" release it, they ask "why?" release it. How would releasing the call help them with the case?

 

[10ofRods]

Not quite that simple.

For serial killers like Ted Bundy, the Green River killer, Dennis Raider etc. maybe it was simply their urge to kill.

However, for those who murder but aren’t serial killers they have some motive that goes beyond their simple urge to kill. The motive could be jealousy, could be robbery, could be money like spouses killing spouse for life insurance money, vengeance etc etc.

To me "strong impulse" is nearly identical in meaning to "urge." Adding the word "irresistible" makes it a compulsion. People have to battle compulsions.

I don't see anything about "urges" that are simple. They are rooted in the brain/mind, we think we know a little about which parts of the brain are involved, but it's not simple. Most crime is committed by people with urges (irresistible or not). Most people who commit crimes have an inner life of the mind, just like everyone else. They find ways to think about, modify and enact their urges. They have different ways of finding the means to enact the urge. Some never enact it because it's an impossible urge or exceeds their risk assessment model (in their head). Other feelings come up and modify the urge in some people (making it a strong acting out or a weak acting out).

None of this is simple, but is crucial to investigations because before this case is over, local LE, ISP and FBI will have to put together a game plan for proper capture, interrogation and prosecution of this monster, a person who lost their battle against an "urge" - but there's a reason it happened when it did, and where it did. The reason can even be a lie that the perp told themselves. At some point, of course, we reach a dead end in understanding why some people enact their urges and others don't, but there are definitely patterns of how people act out.

 

[Which_pancake]

To the OP you responded to & to you: Why?

What is the specific potential harm in releasing at least a transcript of the call (even with redactions)?

I understand the prosecutor's innate desire to withhold it whether or not it would impact a potential prosecution.

Until the public has access to some form it, who can really judge its impact?

I want to hear it and/or read a transcript of it.

JMO

Personally I feel it would lead to people digging into the background of anyone involved and it would reopen the tragic situation for those people, all just to satisfy public curiosity.

 

[CIA Team Member]

<modsnip - quoted post and response to it were off topic AND no link, so removed>

Most all murders are committed by someone they know/have come in contact with.
IMO, LE should've locked down the autopsies, and held other information closer to the vest as they now must be overwhelmed. Bringing in FBI will help, should've been done from the get go, IMO.

 

[10ofRods]

I feel like "context" means the investigators are saying to the students, residents and perp(s), "We know what happened, we know who is plausibly capable and very likely guilty of this crime BUT we are still trying to understand WHY."

Motive is important when it comes to questioning, getting to a confession, or in a trial, getting to a conviction.

Just my opinion.

Exactly. And it's important when interviewing witnesses, too. I feel like "context" is code here for a certain incident or set of incidents that are associated with the individual POI that LE has in mind. Or a couple of POI's.

LE is sure to get a lot of video/stills that are not useful or which lead nowhere, but that's crucial to building the case.

Especially since Ethan’s triplet brother is in the same frat. It’s preposterous for people to think that Ethan’s brother would pick his frat brothers over his triplet brother. IMO.

Perhaps he hasn't. I've noticed that the C family has stayed away from cameras for the most part. If their surviving son knows anything at all, they must surely feel threatened and in danger.

We have no idea what that the surviving son has told LE, what he may have sensed, observed or remembered.

 

[Dotta]

Could even be posting or commenting here…on WS. Who knows?

It has happened before. Some killers have even been caught by posting on here. Some sharp eyed WSer saw them post something that was never released to the public and called it in to LE.

JMO

Tell us more, please!

 

[RAISINISBACK]

LE has said that there was something at the scene that led them to believe the killings were targeted. I am really struggeling to think of what that could be, but hasn't led them to the identity of the killer.

Lipstick message on the mirror, message in blood on the wall? Who knows? Could be anything. But if LE says there was something to lead them to believe the victims were targeted it has to be something out of the ordinary that stuck out to investigators. Something that ordinarily would not have been present in the crime scene.

No way to know until LE releases the information.

JMO

 

[maskedwoman]

Does anyone recall whether the Kings Rd house has been known as a party house for quite some time, or whether it was a recently earned label? I was just wondering if it's reasonable to assume that everyone moved in expecting lots of parties and noise or not. I doubt any of us know the answer to this second question, but I'm also curious about whether anyone who wanted to could come party, or whether the house was only open to certain people. I was just thinking that being excluded can cause a lot of resentment. The average person wouldn't commit mass murder over it, but that doesn't mean that no one would.

 

[Angie777]

So common motives for murder and how they would apply to this case.

Motive

Drugs-Sure they probably partake in typical college recreational drug use. Smoked a bit of weed most likely. That not likely to lead to this type of crime. Not like they were drug kingpins.

Sex- With attractive women you always have to consider as motive. No sign of rape or sexual assault though. Could be killer who gets sexual thrill out of the kill though.

Money-Broke college kids so not likely they have much cash. But people get killed for what would amount to chump change.

Jealous- Someone was jealous of there popularity and social status. Maybe some incel who was jealous they they had what he did not.

Revenge-They pissed off the wrong person.

Random Serial Thrill / Killer-Ted Bundy type killer. Like when he committed coed murders in Florida

Which motive do you think is more likely? Or another motive you like more?

I don't think this was done by a serial killer. The police probably have the killer's DNA by now, and they are not linking it to any other murders. A serial killer would have killed before. This appears to be a first-time killing, at least according to some of the profilers. I would guess the motive is rage/revenge. The police have said this was a "targeted killing," with an unusual degree of rage directed at KG, which suggests that the killer knew the victims. If he was comfortable entering the house and shutting the dog in a room, I would guess he had probably been to the house before. I have to wonder how many young men (the perp was probably male, given the strength required to commit the murders) knew the victims well enough to have some kind of beef with them AND drove a 2011-2013 white Hyundai Elantra? I would think the pool of possible suspects must be fairly small ...

 

[RoadRageKills]

Especially since Ethan’s triplet brother is in the same frat. It’s preposterous for people to think that Ethan’s brother would pick his frat brothers over his triplet brother. IMO.

Has it been verified, that Ethan's brother was in the same fraternity?

 

[AuntTricia]

Exactly. And it's important when interviewing witnesses, too. I feel like "context" is code here for a certain incident or set of incidents that are associated with the individual POI that LE has in mind. Or a couple of POI's.

LE is sure to get a lot of video/stills that are not useful or which lead nowhere, but that's crucial to building the case.



Perhaps he hasn't. I've noticed that the C family has stayed away from cameras for the most part. If their surviving son knows anything at all, they must surely feel threatened and in danger.

We have no idea what that the surviving son has told LE, what he may have sensed, observed or remembered.

I wonder if the Chapins will return to UI. And the surviving roommates?

 

[chipwhitley]

I wonder if the Chapins will return to UI. And the surviving roommates?

Hopefully they are all given the option to complete their degrees online. I can't imagine them wanting to go back there.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

Tell us more, please!

Tricia prides herself on keeping Websleuths a fact based forum that is law enforcement and victim friendly. That way we all have nothing but verified information from LE so if something is posted that has not been made public we all know it.

So do the moderators who work hard to keep it fact based, even though they have to spend countless hours removing posts.

Thank you to the mods!!!!!!!

JMO

 

[layer]

I also wonder what initially caused them to call it “a crime of passion”, and what made them decide later to retract that?

That's actually a good question!

It seems to me like circumstances led them to this early conclusion. Circumstances like two roommates left untouched, 10 unanswered phone calls to a jilted ex-bf in the hour before estimated deaths, same ex-bf reported to live nearby.

I really think they initially thought this was, in fact, a simple crime of passion; the victims were clearly targeted, and it would be fairly easy to solve. And it meant that there was no threat to the community at large.

But as time went on, facts were gathered, alibis checked out, suspects were cleared and I think they began to realize they really didn't know exactly what they were looking at.

JMHO

 

[PrairieWind]

<modsnip>most all murders are committed by someone they know/have come in contact with.
IMO, LE should've locked down the autopsies, and held other information closer to the vest as they now must be overwhelmed. Bringing in FBI will help, should've been done from the get go, IMO.

I think the FBI was asked to assist almost immediately.