Idaho murders: Killer was likely 'rejected' by victim and held 'passionate grudge'


Over six weeks on since the gruesome murders, police are yet to name a suspect in the mysterious case. A criminal expert believes the murderer likely knew the four young friends and could be someone who felt rejected or humiliated by one of the victims.

Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were killed at around 3am on November 13, after returning to their off-campus home from a night out.

Two other housemates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, were also home but survived the attack and even slept through it. They have been ruled out as suspects.

Police are yet to name a suspect or motive in the mysterious crime that rocked America, and left residents and students gripped with fear in the small university town of Moscow.

Leonard Adam Sipes Jr, a criminology professor and former specialist for the US Department of Justice’s clearinghouse, said he believes the offender is a man who likely knew the victims and knew where they lived.

He told Express.co.uk: “The offender could be someone who knew the victims from afar; someone who was aware of where they lived and their level of protection.

“But to kill four suggests that the offender had a passionate grudge.

“Most offenders at the time of their crimes are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. An offender with a grudge, however minor, could be responsible.

“The grudge could be minor to us but important to the offender”.

Statistically speaking, he said, male offenders usually have prior knowledge of their female victims, and highlighted that 76 percent of female murders are committed by someone they knew.

“It’s very possible that the victims knew him. It’s more than possible that he was rebuffed or humiliated by one of the victims.

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“It takes a lot of passion to kill four people with a knife”, the former information director for the National Crime Prevention Council said.

However, he said extreme violent crimes of this nature are often committed by “substance-fueled” offenders who may be struggling with mental illness.

Mr Sipes said the killer could have been holding a “real or imaginary grudge”, giving an example that one of the slain female students could have “looked like a girl who rejected him”.

As Moscow Police Department, state police and the FBI continue their investigation, the crime expert pinpointed clues about how the offender would behave.

He said some offenders return to the scene and keep “bits of clothing or something personal as a memento”, but if it’s someone known to the victims, he would likely avoid the crime scene.

“He would have all the souvenirs he wanted just by the immense amount of media coverage”, he said.

On Thursday, a crime scene clean-up crew was deployed to the late student’s 1122 King Street house to sanitize and disinfect it.

Once police investigations are completed, the home will then be returned to the property management company, police said.



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