Cops examining the gruesome murders of four University of Idaho students are sifting through a stunning 22,000 Hyundai Elantras in search of a “crucial” piece of evidence.
This is the total number of registered automobiles possibly matching the white 2011-2013 model spotted in the “immediate proximity” of the off-campus residence where the friends were fatally stabbed early on November 13.
Thursday, Captain Roger Lanier of the Moscow Police Department stated, “That’s a great deal of information, but it may not be all of it.”
The key vehicle may be “one that is simply not in the registration database” or one that is typically kept off the road, the police chief added, reiterating requests for information on possible matches.
So far, police have only stated that the white Hyundai was in the “near region” of the savage murder, without disclosing whether the occupants are being sought as suspects or as witnesses.
Nonetheless, Lanier reiterated on Thursday that “we are certain that the occupants of that vehicle have information that is crucial to this investigation.”
Even with the tremendous “fascination” in the case, not everyone will be aware of the search, according to the chief of police.
“Perhaps your neighbor has one in their garage that they rarely drive. Perhaps one is missing from the registration database. Inform us,” he said.
The small force in Moscow has assigned six detectives and five support staff to the murder investigation, with the assistance of 48 FBI investigators, including behavioral analysis specialists, and 28 Idaho State Police officers.
Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Xana Kernodle’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were murdered, but authorities have been unable to identify any suspects or motivations.
The police chief reaffirmed his conviction that the crime will be solved, applauding the recent “surge in tips.”
“Eventually, we’ll zero in on exactly what happened and who’s responsible,” he promised in a Wednesday update.
»Idaho police are examining 22,000 vehicles for a ‘crucial’ lead in the student murders«