What we know about the 4 deaths at the University of Idaho as police investigate
By Sally Krutzig and
Shaun Goodwin
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University of Idaho homicides
Four U of I students were found dead in a house off campus on Nov. 13. Follow our coverage here.
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UPDATE: The Idaho Statesman published new information about the homicide case on Monday night. Click here for the story. The Moscow Police Department also released new details surrounding the homicide investigation Tuesday morning, which you can read by clicking here.
Shortly before noon Pacific time Sunday, Moscow police officers responded to a call about an unconscious person near the University of Idaho campus. They walked into a house to find four dead bodies.
Authorities have released little information about the event. Here’s what we know so far.
What happened?
Police received a phone call saying an individual was unconscious at a house in the 1100 block of King Road in Moscow.
At 11:58 a.m. Pacific, officers arrived on the scene. They found four people dead inside. Moscow mayor Art Bettge told the Statesman in a phone interview that the crime happened between 3 and 4 a.m. Sunday, Pacific time.
Police originally said the students were found in a Moscow house that had been converted into apartments. Property management company Team Idaho Real Estate & Property Management told the Idaho Statesman that was not the case. The company said the entire home was being rented under a 12-month lease that began June 5.
Police and the university identified the deceased as Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington. (Note: Some of the identifying details were not consistent between the police and university news releases. This story uses the university’s spellings and hometowns.)
Chapin was a freshman and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity majoring in recreation, sport and tourism management. Kernodle, a junior majoring in marketing, was also part of the university’s Greek life as a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Mogen and Goncalves were both seniors, majoring in marketing and general studies, respectively.
Goncalves, second from left, posted a photo to Instagram on Saturday with Mogen, second from right, and Kernodle, on right end. The third photo in the slideshow also includes Chapin.
GoFundMe accounts have been set up for Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves. The latter two have a combined fundraiser with a goal of $40,000 that says all donations will go to the families of the two victims. Kernodle has a separate fundraiser with a goal of $15,000 that will go toward funeral and memorial costs.
How did they die?
Moscow police said they were investigating the four deaths as a homicide. The University of Idaho referred to all the deceased as “victims.”
Although the Moscow Police Department had yet to determine a cause of death, the department said in a news release Tuesday that investigators believe an “edged weapon such as a knife” was used despite police not locating a weapon at the scene. Investigators also believe, based on preliminary information, that the event was an “isolated, targeted attack.”
Ethan Chapin’s mother, Stacey Chapin, told the Statesman that the four students were stabbed. She rebutted speculation about the case, including a New York Times report that quoted a Moscow official calling it a “crime of passion.”
Moscow police Capt. Anthony Dahlinger reaffirmed on Monday that all four people are considered victims and none of them was believed responsible for the deaths.
“This tragedy serves as a sobering reminder that senseless acts of violence can occur anywhere, at any time, and we are not immune from such events here in our own community,” Bettge said in a statement. “Today, we grieve for those who were lost and those they leave behind. Let us come together in support of each other, and be there for each other, as we mourn as a community.”
While police are investigating the incident as a homicide, that does not necessarily mean a murder was committed. A homicide is considered as when “one human being causes the death of another,” according to Cornell Law.
While homicide could mean murder — when one individual unlawfully kills another individual — it could also refer to manslaughter, which includes intentionally or unintentionally killing another person. Homicide can also be justified by affirmative defense, such as pleading self-defense or insanity.
What do we know about the shelter-in-place order?
U of I told people to “stay away from the area and shelter in place” at 2:07 p.m. PT as the police department investigated a homicide. Nearly 90 minutes later, at 2:46 p.m. PT, the university tweeted that the shelter in place order was lifted, but called for Moscow residents to “remain vigilant.”
According to the U of I website, a shelter-in-place order can be issued by the University Office of Public Safety and Security in response to a hazardous spill, hostile intruder or weather emergency. An order is sent out using the Vandal Alert system. It requires students, faculty and visitors to take refuge in an interior room with no or few windows.
Officers investigate a homicide at an apartment complex south of the University of Idaho campus on Sunday. Zach Wilkinson Courtesy of Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Where is Moscow, Idaho?
Moscow is situated along the Idaho-Washington border in the Idaho Panhandle, about 30 miles north of Lewiston and 85 miles south of Coeur d’Alene. Moscow has a population of about 25,850, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the University of Idaho reports an enrollment of 11,507 students.
The city is also a nine-mile drive from Pullman, Washington, which is home to the larger Washington State University.
What don’t we know?
Law enforcement and school officials have remained tight-lipped on many aspects of the case. There was still much the public did not know early Tuesday, including:
The cause and manner of death.
The identity of the caller.
Whether police have identified any suspects.
The reason police believed there was no active threat.
Officers investigate a homicide at an apartment complex south of the University of Idaho campus on Sunday. Zach Wilkinson Daily News
Who can you reach out to?
Idaho State Police and state and federal law enforcement agencies are assisting the Moscow Police Department with the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 208-883-7054.
Counseling services are also available to U of I students through the university’s mental health center and the school’s student union from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reporter Sally Krutzig covers local government, growth and breaking news for the Idaho Statesman. She previously covered the Idaho State Legislature for the Post Register.Support my work with a digital subscription
