Investigators in Idaho have received the first lab results from the crime scene of a quadruple murder that has rocked the college town of Moscow.
Idaho State Police Communications Director Aaron Snell told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that investigators were starting to receive the results from forensic testing more than two weeks after Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death at an off-campus house on 13 November.
“I do know that each type of testing… some take longer than others. And I also do know that there have been results that have been returned and those go directly to the investigators, so that way they can help, again, paint that picture as we keep talking about,” he said.
Mr Snell refused to confirm or deny if DNA that did not belong to the four victims or the two surviving roommates had been found at the crime scene as it is hoped that the forensics could finally provide some clues to lead police to the killer.
He told The Independent that no information on whether DNA found at the scene matched anyone in CODIS had been released to the press as of Thursday.
More than two weeks on from the murders, investigators still have no suspects on their radar.
But, despite the lack of concrete leads in the case, police are wrapping up the investigation at the three-storey home on King Road where the brutal murder took place.
Several people have been ruled out as suspects: the two surviving housemates, the man who was caught on camera with Mogen and Goncalves at a food truck in the downtown area before they headed home on the night of the slayings, the person who gave Mogen and Goncalves a ride home from the food truck, Goncalves’ former long-term boyfriend and the friends who were in the home when the 911 call was made have all been ruled out as suspects.
Meanwhile, investigators appeared to walk back their claim that one or more of the victims was “targeted” in the brutal attack and accused the local prosecutor of “miscommunication”.
On Wednesday, Moscow Police Department released a statement saying that they actually “do not currently know” if the killer specifically targeted the victims or the off-campus home on King Road that became the site of the bloodbath.
“Detectives do not currently know if the residence or any occupants were specifically targeted but continue to investigate,” the statement said.
It came after Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson gave conflicting statements about the nature of the crime this week.
On Tuesday, he appeared to walk back the longstanding belief that the killings were targeted, saying that it was “perhaps not the best word to use”.
“It seems like the word targeted has different understandings for different people who are listening and perhaps isn’t the best word to use,” he told NewsNation on Tuesday.
“The bottom line is whoever is responsible for this is still at large – that can’t be changed. My understanding is that investigators believe that whoever is responsible was specifically looking at this particular residence but that’s all that they can offer at this point.”
Mr Thompson added that investigators were unable to confirm “at this point” if one or more of the students was the intended target.
