The dog found unharmed inside the home where four University of Idaho students were butchered in their beds did not tamper with the crime scene and was not discovered in the same room as any of the victims, it has been revealed.
Moscow Police said in an update on Monday that Murphy, the pet dog that victim Kaylee Goncalves shared with her former long-term boyfriend, was found in a room where the crimes had not been committed.
“Officers did not find any evidence on the dog and there was no indication the animal had entered the crime scene,” the statement said.
It remains unclear where Murphy was physically located when the murders took place, police said.
Investigators previously revealed that the dog was found inside the home when officers arrived on the scene of the murders on 13 November.
Police officers had been called to a report of an “unconscious individual” at the three-storey rental home on King Road at around midday.
Inside, they found Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin brutally stabbed to death on the second and third floors. During a search of the home, they also found Murphy who had been left unharmed by the killer.
The dog was handed over to animal services and was later released to a “responsible person”.
It is not clear where the dog was specifically found in the home or if it was usual for him to be placed in a room for the night or if he typically stayed with Goncalves. It is also unclear if the dog encountered the killer at all.
Ever since investigators revealed that Murphy was inside the home when police made the grim discovery, he has been at the centre of much speculation online.
Last week, officials were forced to push back against one particular rumour about whether or not he was barking at the time of the murders – with internet sleuths using the detail as a benchmark for whether or not the animal may have been familiar with the killer.
Aaron Snell, director of communications for the Idaho State Police, said that officials had not confirmed whether or not the dog was barking.
New details were also released on Monday about claims that Goncalves had complained that she believed she had a stalker.
Moscow Police revealed information about an incident in mid-October – around one month before she was murdered – which “may have been the stalker reference she made to friends and family”.
The incident involving two men unfolded at a local business when one of the men appeared to follow Goncalves inside the building and as she left to walk to her car, police said.
Neither of the two men appeared to make any contact with the 21-year-old and both have since been identified and have spoken with detectives.
Police said that the two men were attempting to meet women at the business and that they believe the incident involving Goncalves was “isolated” and “not an ongoing pattern of stalking”.
There is no evidence to suggest either of the men were involved in the murders, police said.
Despite the revelation about the incident, officials are still seeking tips about the stalker claims and are still unable to confirm or deny the existence of a stalker.
The two men join a growing list of individuals officials have either ruled out as suspetcs or said that there is no evidence linking them to the crimes.
The two surviving housemates who were left unharmed and appear to have slept through the murders – as they slept on the first floor of the home – have been ruled out by police.
As has 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 with whom she shared Murphy and the friends who were in the home when the 911 call was made.
A sixth person listed on the lease is also not believed to be connected to the murders.
Now, 24 days into the investigation, police appear to be no closer to catching the killer.
No suspects have been identified, no arrests have been made and the murder weapon is yet to be found.
The stalker theory comes as questions continue to mount around who was the intended target of the killings.
Since the start of the investigation, police have described the attack as “targeted” but have refused to reveal why they have reached that conclusion.
Confusion grew last week when the local prosecutor said that one or more individuals was believed to be the target of the attack. Moscow Police then walked back the comments saying they believe the attack was “targeted” but that they do not know if it was one or more of the victims or the home that was the target.
Police are now urging the public to only take information from official channels in what appears to be an attempt to push back on the most recent statements made by Goncalves’ family.
Goncalves’ father Steve Goncalves spoke out about the nature of the murders, revealing that the injuries “don’t match” in an interview with Lawrence Jones Cross Country over the weekend.
“I’ll cut to the chase – their means of death don’t match,” he said.
“Their points of damage don’t match. I’m just going to say it. It wasn’t leaked to me. I earned that. I paid for that funeral. I sent my daughter to college. She came back in a box, and I can speak on that.”
When asked if he was specifically referring to the deaths of his daughter and Mogen – who he previously said were found in the same bed – he replied: “They don’t match.”
In an update on Monday, Moscow Police appeared to address those comments and said that officials had held certain facts about the case back from both the public and the victims’ families.
“There have been statements and speculation about this case, victim injuries, cause of death, evidence collection and processing, and investigative techniques,” the statement said.
“With the active criminal investigation, law enforcement has not released additional facts to the family or the public. We recognize the frustration this causes and that speculation proliferates in the absence of facts.
“However, we firmly believe speculation and unvetted information is a disservice to the victims, their families, and our community. The Moscow Police Department is committed to providing information whenever possible but not at the expense of compromising the investigation and prosecution.”
Among the other missing information is the whereabouts of Kernodle and Chapin for around five hours on the night of the murders.
On the night of 12 November, Kernodle and Chapin were at a sorority party at Sigma Chi house together from 8pm to 9pm. They arrived back at the home at around 1.45am with a major gap in time still unaccounted for three weeks on.
Goncalves and Mogen, meanwhile, had spent the night at The Corner Club bar in downtown Moscow, before stopping by a food truck and then getting a ride home from sorority service to arrive at the property at around 1.56am.
The two surviving roommates were also out that night and arrived home at around 1am, police said.
At around 3am or 4am, an unknown assailant stabbed the four victims to death with a fixed-blade knife, police said. There was no signs of sexual assault on any of the victims.
