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

[tokyorose]

Stabbing is more personal or didn't own a gun? Grabbed the knife at the house? A crime of passion/rage and grabbed it from the kitchen?
Not premediated murder, in advance for days, weeks or months?

This was no kitchen knife. Ka Bar 7 inch blade combat knife.

 

[Arkay]

I've been thinking about that too, whoever did this has got to be having at least SOME issues dealing with it. Unless they are a total loner, family or friends would would sense something. If this is their first time murdering anyone I doubt they could compartmentalize anything this horrendous. Unless they were extremely drunk and/or high on drugs during the crime. Probably continuing to drink and drug afterward. I wonder if he's from Moscow, if so, i have a hard time believing he'd stay in the area after this. Of course since so many students have left town that makes things more complicated for LE.

This is entirely possible, but IMO so is an opposing scenario.

Perhaps the killer had been fantasizing, plotting, building up to this for a long, long time.

Now it's done, he may feel giddy. Maybe happier than he's seemed for quite awhile. Relieved. Basking in fulfillment.

I agree that whether or not it was intentionally planned for shortly before Thanksgiving break, it becomes exponentially more challenging for LE to interview everyone necessary.

Just my speculation.

 

[annpats]

If it's a car, there's 3 ways out driving north, east, south through the neighborhood. Unless that car is tied to the surrounding neighborhood, you'd think there would be some camera footage from a school building (north)or a business located on the main drag (hwy 95). Going south is the longest way out with several turns needed to escape. There's plenty of homes. You'd think there would be at least one surveillance camera along the route. If a car was involved, I don't think it left via the southern route. So it's most likely north or east.

I'm of the opinion that a car WAS NOT used. It's just too risky. You have to hope to not get on camera. You have to worry about blood and other evidence getting into your car. It's a Saturday night on a college campus so it's safe to say cops are out on high alert for drunk drivers so there's more risk of getting pulled over.

walking or riding a bicycle is to me the method in which the killer traveled to this house. You wear dark clothing maybe with a backpack. You have a jacket with the hoodie on with maybe a maske or winter hat. You take the jacket off when you get to the house, commit the crimes and put the jacket back on when you leave in order to cover the blood. Maybe you bring an extra set of pants and shoes to replace the ones that are now covered in blood.

Although our transport theories are different, I love that were both trying to think like the killer would with regards to access and egress of the house and roads.

 

[EncyclopediaBrownJr]

Something I haven't seen anyone suggest yet, is the possibility that the killer didn't enter just before the murder, but perhaps entered much earlier, (maybe not even through the sliding doors) and hid in Kaylee's or MM's closet (or under the bed, or whatever) for a while and waited for his victim(s) to come home and go to bed before attacking.

It's been 40 years since I was in college, but I remember back then, in any similar situation, with 6 students living in one house, there would be a constant stream of visitors in and out...especially on a weekend...it might be hard to keep track of all of them.

The thing I don't like about that is the killer has to know for sure that it's them and only them coming back. Who knows, maybe they bring back some guy friends and other female friends and before you know it your stuck in a packed house. You don't know if these people are going to party hardy well into the morning hours.

I doubt it. I think the killer came after they arrived back home.

 

[MassGuy]

If the two surviving roommates had been men, do you think that people would be speculating that they may be the perpetrators?

There's been speculation in some parts that the girls could have been perpetrators, so if they were males, then absolutely.

A crime like this is almost always committed by a male anyway.

 

[tokyorose]

I would be extremely surprised if some random Uber driver was found to be responsible.

But they didn't take an Uber and we don't know who it was that drove them home.

 

[x_files]

This was no kitchen knife. Ka Bar 7 inch blade combat knife.

gotcha...ok this changes the scenario of just grabbing a kitchen knife in a fit of rage. I'm a few days behind.

 

[EncyclopediaBrownJr]

Although our transport theories are different, I love that were both trying to think like the killer would with regards to access and egress of the house and roads.

Yeah but one thing we shouldn't forget is that maybe the killer is not too bright and didn't consider any of this. We are assuming the killer is somewhat intelligent.

 

[JohnBull]

IMO:

The Killer is a societal outcast. He doesn’t date and doesn’t get invited to parties. The “Party House” has been a source of aggregation and rage for a long time. It is less than 150’ feet away. He would move … but for his one year lease.

The loud party laughter goes into the wee hours and cuts him three ways.
1.) It deprives him of sleep. (2.). It is a constant reminder that he is an outcast… no friends … no fun. (3.) Occasionally he catches a glimpse of the girls. He fantasizes about them. It is a love/hate thing.

The killer has a variety of knives including two Rambo knives, a bow with arrows and several guns. In his mind, he has killed the girls many times. His killing fantasy involves a knife because it is PERSONAL!

That night is louder than most. Finally, he falls asleep. Then, at 1:45am they come home and he is again wide awake. That’s it! He waits for their lights to go out, puts on his black ninja outfit, rubber gloves and slips outside. He is going to make them quiet … once and for all.

This is the most sensible analysis I've seen on this topic so far. In fact, if you want an analogy, consider Ted Kaczynski, years before he took on his persona as the Unabomber. He was a doctoral student at the University of Michigan, and wrote about hearing the sexual activities of the rowdy hocky team members who roomed adjacent to him in a rooming house and wrote of his resentment at the noise they made. In the same year he made his first vow to kill, and it had nothing to do with technological society and its ills. The perp in this case might be somebody equally disaffected, seeking revenge against a class of persons who represented the things that piqued his ire.

On the other hand, however, there are elements of this crime that are strikingly similar to Ted Bundy's attack at the Chi Omega sorority house in Florida. Bundy was a sexual sadist; a "recreational" killer who murdered because he found it exciting and stimulating. Kaczynski and his ilk are more "mass murder" types, like the sort who go into a public place and start shooting people randomly. The difference is that Kaczynski wasn't suicidal, so he planned his killings in such a way as to avoid getting caught.

 

[annpats]

This is when my mind goes to the surviving roommates. It just seems like such a messy and monumental task to pull this off and go on your merry way. imo.

....and sadly, many serial killers do!

I think a large knife was used instead of a gun for the silence factor. The neighbourhood has a lot of houses close together, and gunshots would wake many people and lessen his chances of getting a clean getaway.

 

[ObsessedNightOwl]

yes, at least I would. Everyone is suspect until the murders are solved. But no I won't investigate them but LE is investigating everyone or should be!

Yes.

 

[mickey2942]

We don't have any information about the knife wounds. Was it some sort of special hunting knife, meaning premeditated, as opposed to a regular kitchen knife from a drawer, meaning more spontaneous. The knife is important. Size, type, one knife or more than one knife. Is it possible multiple perpetrators?

Have they released any information about sexual assault? That is interesting. We have not heard about that. Or if the bodies were staged in any way.

 

[Blue_Painting]

....and sadly, many serial killers do!

I think a large knife was used instead of a gun for the silence factor. The neighbourhood has a lot of houses close together, and gunshots would wake many people and lessen his chances of getting a clean getaway.

It makes me think of The Rhoden case. Hope this doesn't take as long to solve / arrest.

 

[MrsWatson]

Has there been confirmation by LE that this was specifically a Ka Bar brand knife or only that is was a Ka Bar type knife?

 

[MassGuy]

We don't have any information about the knife wounds. Was it some sort of special hunting knife, meaning premeditated, as opposed to a regular kitchen knife from a drawer, meaning more spontaneous. The knife is important. Size, type, one knife or more than one knife. Is it possible multiple perpetrators?

Have they released any information about sexual assault? That is interesting. We have not heard about that. Or if the bodies were staged in any way.

They are apparently looking for a combat knife, so it's clear this person came ready to kill.

The coroner said there was no sign of sexual assault, and drawing an inference from where they were found (bed), no evidence of staging.

 

[annpats]

Yeah but one thing we shouldn't forget is that maybe the killer is not too bright and didn't consider any of this. We are assuming the killer is somewhat intelligent.

Well, he must be, as he's gotten away with it so far!

It's been nearly a week now and the police and FBI are still looking for the suspect, the weapon and the motive.

 

[uburoi1]

This was no kitchen knife. Ka Bar 7 inch blade combat knife.

Statesman wasn't quite as specific yesterday:

Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell told the Statesman on Thursday that detectives visited several local hardware stores that may carry “fixed-blade type knives,” but that they weren’t solely asking about Ka-Bar knives

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article268833397.html

 

[mickey2942]

They are apparently looking for a specific brand of combat knife, so it's clear this person came ready to kill.

The coroner said there was no sign of sexual assault, and drawing an inference from where they were found (bed), no evidence of staging.

Has more than one perpetrator been identified?

 

[MassGuy]

Statesman wasn't quite as specific yesterday:

Idaho State Police spokesperson Aaron Snell told the Statesman on Thursday that detectives visited several local hardware stores that may carry “fixed-blade type knives,” but that they weren’t solely asking about Ka-Bar knives

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article268833397.html

Thanks, that's super important, as if they were searching for a specific brand, that would mean the killer likely left a sheath behind.

It now appears that's not the case, as they are looking for something more general.

 

[KPO]

That's very specific, especially considering there are numerous manufacturers of "combat style" knives.

If it's true they were in fact searching for that brand, then the sheath being found makes the most sense to me.

That would have been a massive mistake on the killer's part, as in addition to purchase records potentially helping the investigation, it would probably be a great source of touch DNA.

Manager at a local store said police came by more than once asking if they sell Ka-bar brand. Not combat knives like Ka-bar but specifically that brand. Police seek 'Rambo'-style knife in University of Idaho murders probe: report