No suspects, murder weapon or motive: Mystery of four University of Idaho students killed in their beds

Published

2 years ago

December 15, 2022

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The grey house with the Christmas wreath on the front door and twinkling fairy lights overhanging the back patio could be any other student home in the remote town of Moscow, Idaho.

A blanket of snow covers the ground, and a rubbish bag overflowing with beer and seltzer cans is propped up near an outdoor grill.

The young women who lived here until recently were popular members of sororities at the University of Idaho and regularly threw parties.

They documented their lives on social media, with choreographed videos of group dances and photographs dressing up for nights out.

But four weeks ago this apparent student idyll was shattered when three of the housemates – Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Xana’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin – were brutally murdered.

In the early hours of a Sunday morning, as they slept in bed, they were stabbed to death with a large knife, their rooms splattered with blood, while two other housemates slept through the attacks.

Four weeks on, no known witnesses have come forward, there is no named suspect, no murder weapon and no obvious motive.

Moscow’s small police force, which hadn’t had a murder for more than seven years, is at the centre of the race to find a killer, or killers.

“It’s hard to tell when or if this town will ever be the same,” Robbie Johnson, the force’s public information officer, says.

‘We can’t afford to make a mistake’

There are signs that the community and grief stricken parents of the victims are growing frustrated with what they perceive as a lack of progress by police, even as reinforcements from the FBI and Idaho state police have arrived.

The decision to withhold certain information or lines of investigation from the public is deliberate, Ms Johnson tells Sky News.

“We don’t just want an arrest, we want to take it to court,” she adds.

“We need to be sure we are going through all the evidence and it is vast. There are pictures, emails, phone calls coming in. We can’t afford a mistake or to put out information that might compromise the investigation.”

Police have consistently stated their belief that either the house, or its occupants, were targeted, but they haven’t revealed why they believe that.

The house where they were slaughtered

Internet sleuths have pored over the layout of the building. The ground floor, with its sliding patio doors, is where Xana and Ethan, a couple since the spring who were said to be perfect for each other, were slaughtered.

In one of the bedrooms upstairs, lifelong best friends, Kaylee and Maddie, were also sharing a bed when they were murdered.

In the early hours, they had been repeatedly texting Kaylee’s former boyfriend, with whom she was still close and police have discounted as a suspect.

One of the most puzzling aspects of the case is that two other female housemates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, who were in basement level bedrooms, survived.

They say they slept through the attacks and when they woke they summoned other friends to the house, believing one of the housemates to be unconscious.

Just before midday, one of the friends called police, who discovered the true horror of what had happened. Police have discounted Dylan, Bethany and the friends who arrived that morning as suspects.

“The big question is why,” says Troy Lambert, a crime writer whose stepson lives in an apartment less than 100 yards from the murder house.

“Why would they target young college kids who, in my mind would have no enemies,” he adds.

“My stepson and his housemate do gaming and stuff like that, so they didn’t hear anything.

“With the density of students in this area, it is kind of surprising that nobody heard anything. It’s what makes me think that it was somebody and something organised because they didn’t make noise. They knew not to make noise.”

The movements of Kaylee and Maddie

Investigators say they’re busy piecing together not just what happened inside the house, but where the victims had been in the hours leading up to the murders.

Kaylee and Maddie had spent the night at a bar called Corner Club with its neon yellow sign and affordable drinks, just off the main street in Moscow.

They left at 1am to walk to a nearby food truck, where Kaylee can be heard on a livestream, stumbling over her words as she orders a portion of pasta carbonara.

There then appears to be a dispute with a man in a hoodie. At one point, Maddie gestures towards him and seems to say “f*** you mister,” before they all disappear out of shot.

Police say they have also discounted him as a suspect.

It had previously been reported that Kaylee’s parents believed she may have been the primary target based on what they had been told about the extent of her injuries compared with the other victims.

But they now don’t think that is the case.

“I don’t think that the family believes that there was an individual target on their daughter,” their lawyer, Shanon Gray, tells Sky News.

“It just doesn’t make sense with the facts that have been presented and other information that we’ve gathered.

“The person might have targeted the home, because there were all girls that lived there and a lot of people came and went, it was a very social scene.”

Five-page-long list of questions

The Goncalves family recruited Mr Gray to push the police for answers. He took a five-page-long list of questions to a meeting with investigators this week, but they are remaining tight-lipped.

“We asked why they haven’t released more information to the public,” he added. “Down the road we may look at it and say, ‘great job not releasing that information’, or they may come to regret those decisions.

“I don’t know if anyone has ever experienced handling a murder investigation that involves four college students that had been stabbed, so I’m sure it’s new to them.

“But they still need to make sure that they’re doing the right things, and we’re here to hold them accountable for it.”

The missing five hours

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of the other two victims, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin on the night of the killings.

Between 8-9pm they were at a party at the imposing Sigma Chi fraternity house, with its basketball court in the garden and stars and stripes flag, now flying at half-mast.

It is less than a five-minute walk through an alley to the house where they were killed, but they didn’t reach home until just before 2am and police are trying to account for those missing five hours.

In a sea of uncertainty, a violent killer, or killers, on the loose continues to terrorise this town of 25,000 people, which includes 11,000 students.

Everything that happens in Moscow at the moment is coloured by loss and fear. At winter graduation, where Kaylee Goncalves was supposed to receive her degree, a swell of police patrol the arena.

‘It’s scary being here’

“I have pepper spray and different self-help things, but it’s scary being here, and it doesn’t feel like home anymore. It doesn’t feel safe,” says Emma Bartlett, a graduate, who went to junior school with Kaylee and Maddie and tutored Ethan at university.

“He was always smiling, so happy, so funny,” she says, “I’m just so glad I got to know him.”

It’s not just students who are living in fear. Treva Adkins visited Moscow to see her daughter Katie graduate over the weekend.

“When we checked into the Airbnb, I was scared to death,” she says. “I made my husband check under then bed, and I’m a 43-year-old woman.

“I noticed the windows weren’t locked, and it paralysed me, so I shut all the windows and I closed the curtains. It’s terrifying, constantly looking over your shoulder.”

The lighting of Moscow’s town Christmas tree took place last week and has become a focal point to remember the four slain students. Coloured ribbons are fastened around the guard rails and notes of reflection.

“Gone too soon, Ethan, Xana, Kaylee and Madison,” reads one. “Praying for your family, friends and for justice,” reads another.

In a community desperate for answers and accountability, the unknowns keep stacking up.

US

LA fires: Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal’s homes burn down as more celebrities evacuated

Published

46 mins ago

January 9, 2025

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LA fires: Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal's homes burn down as more celebrities evacuated

Hollywood celebrities are among thousands of people who have been evacuated in Los Angeles, some fleeing homes now burned to the ground.

Paris Hilton and actor Billy Crystal have both lost their houses as fires rip through parts of California, including exclusive suburbs home to film stars and billionaires.

Oscar-winning songwriter Diane Warren, talk show host Ricki Lake, actor Cary Elwes, and reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have also confirmed their homes have been destroyed.

US media is reporting that Eugene Levy, and Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, have lost their homes. The stars are yet to confirm this.

Sky News’ US correspondent Martha Kelner reported that Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck and Reese Witherspoon were among those evacuated.

Follow latest: At least five killed as flames spread

The blaze in Pacific Palisades, a hillside area between Santa Monica and Malibu dotted with celebrity homes, is one of at least five raging in California.

Thousands of firefighters are trying to contain the flames, with a new fire breaking out overnight in the Hollywood Hills, threatening a host of tourist sites including the Walk Of Fame.

‘The loss is overwhelming’

Hilton said she was “heartbroken beyond words” to see her Malibu home, where she has brought up her young children Phoenix and London, “burn to the ground on live TV”.

In a post on social media, she said: “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.

“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe.”

In a joint statement, US actor Crystal, known for films including When Harry Met Sally and Analyze This, and his wife Janice confirmed their home of 46 years was gone.

“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing,” the couple said.

They added: “We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away.”

The Hills stars Pratt and Montag documented the escalation of the fire at their home on Snapchat, with Pratt saying: “I’m watching our house burn down on the security cameras.”

His sister, Stephanie, who also starred in The Hills, as well as Made In Chelsea, told Sky News yesterday that she did not know if her own home was okay.

“I talked to my neighbour last night and she told me that [Palisades Charter High School] had burnt down, and that’s directly behind me, and so had Gelson’s Supermarket which is adjacent,” she said.

“I just can’t reach anyone to see if my house is okay. I just Googled it and it said that it’s destroyed and terrible… I don’t know if my house is there.”

Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed her home was safe but said “our beloved neighbourhood is gone” as she shared videos of the blaze on her Instagram.

Writer and actor Steve Guttenberg told Sky News he witnessed panic attacks and despair as he tried to help residents as the flames closed in.

The Police Academy star said: “There were mothers trying to find their kids.

“There were panic attacks. It was terrible. And that’s when the fires just lit up.”

Other celebrities who have fled their properties include the award-winning actor James Woods, who said he had been safely evacuated from his home in Pacific Palisades.

But he added in a post on X: “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing.”

Actor Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, also posted on social media on Wednesday saying he evacuated his home in Malibu and his family were “fleeing for our lives”.

This Is Us actress Mandy Moore was also forced to leave her home with her children and pets, saying on Instagram they had found temporary refuge with friends.

The actress said: “Trying to shield the kids from the immense sadness and worry I feel.

“Praying for everyone in our beautiful city. So gutted for the destruction and loss. Don’t know if our place made it.”

An awards ceremony planned for this weekend has been pushed back by two weeks, while the Oscar nominations next week have also been postponed.

According to Velvet Ropes, which maps celebrity properties, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Hilary Swank and Sally Field all have homes close to where fires are raging.

Dr Dre, Tyra Banks, Martin Short, Anna Faris, Milo Ventimiglia, Linda Cardellini, Mary McDonnell, Adam Sandler, Miles Teller, and Jennifer Love Hewitt are also said to have houses in affected areas.

In neighbouring Malibu, which was also affected by fires in December, stars including Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish are said to be among the celebrity residents.

The Palisades blaze has already burnt through nearly 16,000 acres of land, while the Eaton fire, covering over 10,000 acres, has caused the death of five people.

Three other fires, the Hurst fire, Lidia fire and Sunset fire, are all raging as emergency services battle to bring them under control.

US

All five living US presidents pictured together at funeral of Jimmy Carter

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2025

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All five living US presidents pictured together at funeral of Jimmy Carter

All five of the living US presidents have been pictured together at the funeral of Jimmy Carter.

The 39th US president died at the age of 100 on 29 December, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

President Joe Biden gave a eulogy to his fellow Democrat at the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral.

He appeared alongside president-elect Donald Trump and other former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton and their respective spouses.

Vice president Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 election to Mr Trump, was also seated with the group alongside her husband.

It’s the first time the Democrat nominee has been seen with the president-elect since the US election, and after she certified Mr Trump’s election win on Monday.

Before the service, Mr Trump was also seen shaking hands with former vice president Mike Pence – the first time the pair have been seen in public together since leaving the White House in 2021.

Prior to that, Mr Pence had refused to back Mr Trump’s claim he had won the 2020 election.

Mr Obama and Mr Trump were also seen talking before the service began.

During his eulogy, Mr Biden said Mr Carter taught him the importance of treating “everyone with dignity and respect.”

“To young people, to anyone in search of meaning and purpose, study the power of Jimmy Carter’s example,” the president said. “Character, faith, love – a true patriot.”

Joshua Carter, the former president’s grandson, also said at the service: “He built houses for people who needed homes.

“He eliminated diseases in forgotten places. He waged peace anywhere in the world, wherever he saw a chance. He loved people.”

From 4 January, Mr Carter’s body was carried by a motorcade through Plains, before heading to the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta.

The former president’s remains were then flown to Maryland and transferred in a ceremony to a hearse, which was carried in a motorcade to the US Navy Memorial in Washington to honour Mr Carter’s service as a lieutenant in the Navy.

He has since been lying in state at the Capitol Building, where the public could pay respects from Tuesday evening through to Thursday morning

Mr Carter’s body will now be returned to his hometown in Georgia for a second service and burial.

There, a private ceremony will be held at Maranatha Baptist Church before another procession through Plains, where supporters are being encouraged to line the streets for the motorcade.

Mr Carter will then be buried on his property next to his late wife, Rosalynn, who died in 2023.