Amid criticism for not finding a suspect in the brutal slaying of four University of Idaho students more than six weeks after the murders, the Moscow Police Department said Tuesday they believe someone is withholding information.
The department said in an update that detectives believe that person may have a crucial detail “that adds context to what occurred on the night of the murders.”
“Our focus remains on the investigation, not an individual’s activities displayed in the tip,” police said.
“Whether you believe it is significant or not, your information might be one of the puzzle pieces that help solve these murders.”
Cops added that digital submission of tips and leads will not be made public “due to our ongoing commitment to keep information private and details may be pertinent to the ongoing criminal investigation.”
Police also confirmed Tuesday that an associate history professor at the college, who was mentioned in a viral video, is not considered a suspect in the case.
The professor, Rebecca Scofield, filed a lawsuit against TikTok personality and cyber-sleuth Ashley Guillard for defamation after the wannabe detective accused her of involvement in the campus slayings last month. The lawsuit, filed last week, points to numerous videos posted to the platform that attempted to tie the teacher to the killings.
Police also said they’re continuing their search for the white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that cops said was believed to be in the area of the home when the murders occurred. A white Hyundai Elantra spotted in Oregon was confirmed to be not connected to the murders.
Police said they still believe the occupant or occupants could have “critical information” that could help in the case. They’re sorting through over 22,000 vehicles that match the description.
Additional updates will be provided to the public when information becomes available for release, cops said.
Madison Mogen, 21, her best friend Kaylee Goncalves, also 21, their housemate Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were brutally stabbed to death in their home in the early hours of Nov. 13.
Two other roommates, who were on the ground floor, apparently slept through the bloodbath on the second and third floors, police have said. Both roommates have been ruled out as suspects by police.
Police have received almost 12,000 tips and over 4,500 digital media submissions.
No suspects have been named and the murder weapon, believed to be a large knife, has not been found.
Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, told the Spokesman-Review last week that he remains optimistic that the combined efforts of the Moscow Police Department, FBI and state troopers will solve the crime.
“From the very beginning, I’ve known people don’t get away with these things these days,” the grieving dad said of the stabbings.
“There’s too many things that you can get caught up on, like DNA and videos everywhere,” he said, even though so far such a clue does not appear to have been found.
“This isn’t something that people get away with, that goes unsolved,” he told the Idaho newspaper.
