Moscow, Idaho, Police Chief Reveals If He Believes Murder Suspect Acted Alone or Not: 'We Truly Believe...'
Although there are gaps in what police know about the day four University of Idaho students were murdered in November, they are confident of one major detail.
“We truly believe we have the individual that committed these crimes,” Moscow Police Department Chief James Fry said Friday, according to Fox News, after he was asked Friday whether there were any possible accomplices to the crime.
Fry also said members of the Moscow, Idaho community should remain “vigilant.”
“We always need to be aware of our surroundings and make sure that we’re aware of what’s going on,” he said, according to Newsweek.
On Friday, Bryan Kohberger, 28, was arrested at his family’s home in Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary in the Nov. 13, deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho, Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls, Idaho; and Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington, according to CNN,
What’s unclear even after the arrest is how Kohberger, a Ph. D. student at Washington State University in Pullman Washington, which is about nine miles from Moscow, knew the victims.
Fry said Friday that information about that connection will emerge “later,” per Newsweek.
“You know, that’s part of that investigation that we’re still putting pieces together. We’re still gathering information,” Fry said, according to Fox News.
“That’s why we’ve still asked people, you know, send us tips on the individual, send us any information you have because that’s all going to be part of that picture. Still, it’s going to give us even more information,” he added.
According to a report from ABC, parent Steve Goncalves, whose daughter, Kaylee was one of the victims, said the suspect is not known to the family, but said there are possible connections he did not wish to speak about.
“Now that there’s a person and a name that someone can specifically look for and see if there’s any connections in any way. So they’re just trying to figure it out,” Shanon Grey, an attorney for the Goncalves family, said.
Goncalves told ABC he will be at the hearing that takes place in Idaho after the suspect is extradited.
“This guy’s gonna have to look me in my eyes multiples times, and I’m going to be looking for the truth. That’s really what I’m going to be looking for,” he said.
A few more of him pic.twitter.com/UbJcwHUjen
— Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) December 30, 2022
Although Fry said police found a white Hyundai Elantra for which they had been searching at the home of Kohberger’s parents, he said police are still seeking the murder weapon, which they believe was a fixed-blade knife, according to Fox News.
Fry said more than 400 calls were made to the tip line set up for the case after Kohberger’s arrest was announced.
Fry said as the case moves toward an eventual prosecution, there is more work to do.
Newsweek notes that he said, “This was a very complex and extensive case. The work is not done, it’s just started.”
He noted that police will only issue details to the extent they will not impact prosecuting the suspect.
“Providing any details in this criminal investigation might have tainted the upcoming criminal prosecution or alerted the suspect of our progress. We will continue to provide as much information as we can as the process moves forward,” he said.
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