Police in Idaho believe that only one of the four students stabbed to death in an horrific incident at a rental home was a real ‘target’ for the killer.
Four University of Idaho students were murdered in an off-campus home that they had rented, with law enforcement making the discovery of their bodies on November 13 and calling the attack one of the 'worst they’ve ever seen'.
Since then, the police have said – without real explanation – that the attack was ‘targeted’.
However, the father of one of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, has now suggested that just one of those killed was the actual target.
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Taking issue with the amount that they are being told by the police, Steve Goncalves told CNN: “I’ve been told it’s one, but then again, there’s the bigness like it’s purposely big.
“I’m hoping, but it confuses everyone, yeah, because nobody knows what that really means other than maybe somebody had a different kind of attack footprint; so you know that’s... I feel like we just want some more.
“We all want to play a part in helping, and we can’t move if we don’t have any real substantial information.”
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Goncalves was killed alongside Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
It is not clear which one of them was the alleged target, and so far there has been no motive established.
Claims that Goncalves had a stalker are being pursued by the police and they have so far refused to rule that claim in or out.
Goncalves’ father added: “I mean, yesterday I asked about the stalker question and they couldn’t confirm anything, and then today I hear that they’re reaching out to the community saying that there’s a stalker involved, so I don’t know.
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“They’re just so vague with everything that they say and then they, like, slowly peel it back later until you like find the real story.
“It all started with a sharp-edged weapon.
“What was the use in telling the community that a sharp edge weapon was used?”
As the investigation nears the end of a second week, police are also considering a potential link between these murders and an unsolved stabbing murder in Oregon in 2021.
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The mother of that victim has expressed her ‘hope’ that the families of all five victims will see justice done and get closure after their loved ones were taken from them.
Myra Juetten told The Independent that finding the killer of her son – Travis Juetten – as well as getting justice for those killed in Idaho would be the ‘best Christmas present ever’.
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Juetten said: “I want answers for all five of them,
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“If law enforcement can work together and solve both cases that would be the best Christmas present ever.”
The coroner who examined the bodies in Latah County revealed some grim details about the nature of the attack, suggesting that the killer must have been ‘pretty angry’ and stating that the murders likely took place whilst the victims slept.
“It was late at night or early in the morning so it seems likely that maybe they were sleeping,” Cathy Mabbutt said.
“There were multiple stab wounds on them and most of them had just one that was the lethal stab wound. The fatal ones were to the chest area, the upper body area.
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“It was a pretty large knife so it’s really hard to call them puncture wounds.
“They were definitely stabbings and it has to be somebody that’s pretty angry in order to stab four people to death.”
Tom Wood