Police in Moscow, Idaho, have hired a private security company to protect the crime scene where four University of Idaho students were murdered in mid-November.
In a press release on Saturday, the Moscow Police Department said that it had contracted the private security company “to provide scene security to free up patrol resources,” adding that the “scene remains under police control.”
The police department also dispelled additional speculation that arose during the investigation, including the existence of a sixth person on the lease of the home where the four students were murdered. That person was confirmed to have moved out before the school year started and wasn’t in the home when the murders occurred. Police also stated they do not believe this individual was involved in the crime.
Police further dismissed an incident that occurred in the town the same night as the murders, saying this was an alcohol offense and not related to the killings.
It’s been more than two weeks since Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21, were murdered in their off-campus residence – and police still have not named any suspects or found the murder weapon.
Authorities have also said they do not believe that the two surviving roommates – who apparently did not hear the murders take place – are involved in the crimes. They also do not believe a man observed in surveillance video outside a food truck visited by Goncalves and Mogen the night of the murders was involved, nor was a driver who drove the women home.
One week after the slayings, law enforcement provided more information and asked the public for “context to the events and people involved in these murders.”
“Anyone who observed notable behavior, has video surveillance, or can provide relevant information is asked to call the Tip Line,” the police said in a press release.
Police are looking for any outside surveillance video taken between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. on November 13 – the morning of the murders – from local businesses and residences in the area. They’ve requested all videos, even if there doesn’t appear to be any motion in them. Police are also asking for any tips or surveillance video about “any observed suspicious behavior” on the night of the murders, particularly in the areas where the students had been.
Police still contend that the attack was “targeted” but do not know whether “the target was the residence or if it was the occupants.”