Chapter 1 -"An Isolated, Targeted Attack"
"An Isolated, Targeted Attack" - a deeper look & analysis of the the Idaho 4 murders that occurred in Moscow, ID on 11/13/2022.
“An Isolated, Targeted Attack” – Intro Chapter
Kaylee Goncalves was a senior at the University of Idaho, only weeks away from graduation in December 2022, when she returned to the Moscow Idaho campus of the University of Idaho on November 11th, 2022, to visit her former roommates. Kaylee was excited to proudly show off her newly purchased Range Rover to her former roommates, including her lifelong best friend, Madison Mogen. Kaylee was prepared to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho, and had already established plans to move to Austin, Texas for an internship.
By all appearances Kaylee, as well as her roommates, had a bright future ahead of themselves – replete with a high probability of prospects and achievements. However, tragedy took its toll on these bright, young University of Idaho college students on the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, when Kaylee & her former roommates Madison and Xana Kernodle, as well as Xana’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin were brutally murdered in their slightly-off campus rental home – according to law enforcement authorities, “likely as they slept” (as per Moscow PD Captain Roger Lanier on November 22nd 2022).
The murders of these four University of Idaho students, in their own home, “likely as they slept”, immediately grabbed the attention of the public, from Maine to Malaysia, these murders were the “news”. This international attention is not the norm for murder cases in America, yet the headlines in Malaysian news read “Criminal justice postgrad charged with murder of 4 Idaho students”.
This author attributes the public interest in the case of these heinous murders is a confluence of the tragic nature of the murders, coupled with the ambivalent actions of law enforcement authorities. Perhaps the most ambivalent action on the part of Idaho law enforcement authorities occurred on November 16th, 2022, at their first press conference following the murders, when Moscow PD Chief James Fry declared the murders to be an “isolated, targeted attack”, but could offer zero facts or evidence to substantiate such claims.
In fact, Idaho law enforcement authorities would proceed with a “cold case” style approach to this quadruple homicide investigation from November 13th, 2022, until the arrest of suspect Bryan Kohberger on December 30th, 2022. The ambivalent nature of Idaho authorities actions are exhibited by the juxtaposition of immediately declaring the quadruple homicide as “an isolated, targeted attack", prior to proceeding with their investigation into these malevolent murders as if the investigation were a “cold case”.
Thus, the brutal nature of these senseless murders, coupled with the anomalous actions & public statements by local law enforcement in the immediate aftermath of the murders has spurred international public intrigue. In addition to the perpetually deepening mystery surrounding the entire case, and the ambivalent actions by Idaho law enforcement authorities relative to their investigation in this case. Cumulatively, these factors cause this author to inquire whether or not this is simply the effect of a relatively “small town” police force, who is inexperienced in homicide investigations, generally, and more specifically four homicides of this heinous and mysterious nature?
Moscow, Idaho
Upon first glance the town of Moscow, Idaho is nothing more than a sleepy college town located in the rural, and picturesque Palouse plateau of Western Idaho. However, if one were so inclined to look deeper below the surface of the town (side note: this is the author’s intent, a deeper look), it is apparent the hometown of the University of Idaho has a darker atmosphere that lies just beneath the surface of its Hallmark Christmas card appearance.
Or in the alternative, there are far more nefarious actions at play here in law enforcement investigation?
This darker or HIGH-weirdness element that seems inherent to the University of Idaho and the town of Moscow, ID - generally, has an almost “Twin Peaks”-like atmosphere; the Chief of Police is married to the Latah County Clerk of Courts (Moscow is the County Seat), the “private driver” that dropped two of the victims off at their home immediately prior to their murders - appears to be an employee of the University of Idaho & his wife appears to be employed by Moscow Police Department. It is a town that everyone knows everyone else, and the primary players in local politics & law enforcement involved in this investigation are all alumni of the hometown school, the University of Idaho.
Further, one of the more unsettling actions of law enforcement in this “Twin Peaks” like environment, occurred at the initial onset of the investigation in this case, when Idaho law enforcement authorities essentially began taunting the interwebs “true crime” community.
Idaho law enforcement authorities’ actions taunting the interwebs “true crime” community covered the spectrum of blaming interwebs “true crime” community for attempting to conduct an investigation into this case (author’s note: an investigation that Idaho law enforcement authorities were clearly not conducting), all the way to holding a press conference asserting to the public that they would be investigating abandoned White Hyundai Elantra hundreds of miles away & also asserting an intent to investigate possible connections to other unsolved stabbing homicides in the Pacific Northwest.
These actions all occurred whilst Idaho law enforcement authorities had zero facts or suspects in the quadruple homicides that Idaho authorities were supposed to be investigating.
Lastly, in a far more anomalous and seemingly an action without reasonable explanation, on December 7th, 2022, Idaho law enforcement authorities subjected their own tip line to a high volume of clearly erroneous tips regarding a 2011 – 2013 White Hyundai Elantra. On December 7th, 2022, Idaho law enforcement authorities asked the public, which includes the “true crime” community, for tips on the identity of the occupant or occupants of this 2011 – 2013 White Hyundai Elantra. However, it is evident as per authorities’ own affidavits filed with the court that Idaho law enforcement authorities identified suspect Bryan Kohberger via his 2015 White Hyundai Elantra – 8 days prior to December 7th, 2022 - on November 29th, 2022.
Thus, for what legitimate purpose would Idaho law enforcement authorities identify suspect Bryan Kohberger via his 2015 White Hyundai Elantra on November 29th, 2022, then wait 9 days only to ask the public for assistance & tips for a 2011 – 2013 White Hyundai Elantra?
In summary, what is “true crime”? I am not certain that Idaho law enforcement authorities understand the definition of “true”, but I suspect they have a solid understanding of “crime”. So, if you’re here looking for Idaho law enforcement authorities to share with you some “true” crime, your search will likely remain unfulfilled. By following this series, the reader may likely garner a greater understanding of the “true” facts of this case. “True” crime facts that exhibit the only reasonable conclusion, suspect Bryan Kohberger did NOT do it!