Plainclothes officers conducted an unrelated stop of three University of Idaho students for suspected drinking at 2:50 a.m. around Nov. 13 as they walked in a field off Taylor Avenue between the Sigma Chi frat house and the girls’ rental house. The group stopped about a tenth of a mile from the off-campus rental where Madison Mogen, 21, her best friend Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, 20, were brutally stabbed to death. between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m The three women lived together and Chapin, who lived about 200 yards away at Sigma Chi, lived there. IDAHO MURDER: POLICE RELEASE BODYCAM VIDEO FROM NIGHT OF KILLINGS Screenshot from the police video, enlarged and highlighted. (Moscow Police) Police previously said investigators found nothing of value in the dashcam footage – but it remains unclear whether they have identified or interviewed the people walking. Fox News Digital has asked about the images on multiple occasions since Saturday and has yet to receive a response. Online sleuths spotted the group of figures, who were seen walking near the intersection of King Road and Taylor Avenue, two houses down from the crime scene. Olivia Vitale, a true-crime vlogger with more than a million followers on TikTok, went viral Saturday with the details. He said he believes someone walking with the group may have information that could help investigators. IDAHO VICTIM’S FAMILY RAISES MONEY FOR REWARD AS CAMPUS MURDER MYSTERY ENTERS 4TH WEEK WITH NO ARRESTS. Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, along with the other two roommates of the women in Kaylee Goncalves’ latest Instagram post, shared the day before the murders. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram, Moscow Police) “During the time frame of the murders, there were people in the general neighborhood,” he told Fox News Digital. “Between the people with law enforcement and the people in the background of the camera footage, it’s about half a dozen people. The important thing is that they may have witnessed something without their knowledge.” The camera is sealed at 3:12 am. Police have previously said they believe the murders took place between 3 and 4 that morning. IDAHO murders: CONVICTED KILLER ARRESTED ONE MILE FROM UNIVERSITY STABBING View of Taylor Avenue, which intersects with King Road two doors down from the scene of a quadruple homicide just steps from the University of Idaho campus. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital) Police have previously asked the public to avoid speculation and misinformation and warned that people who harass or threaten “potentially involved parties” could face criminal consequences. However, the development has the potential to help investigators in the case, according to experts. “If they haven’t already, they need to be tracked down as soon as possible,” Pat Diaz, a former Miami-Dade homicide detective turned private investigator, told Fox News Digital. “That’s a big lead. Someone knows something.” WATCH: Idaho murder probe: Investigators gather hours of video evidence from nearby gas station With the FBI’s help in the case and the known presence of the two plainclothes officers, investigators can sift through cell tower data to reveal which phones were in the area at the same time, according to Joseph Giacalone, a professor at John Jay College. of Criminal Justice and a retired New York City Sgt. UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO STUDENTS MURDERED: TIMELINE OF EVENTS “They can see what phone numbers are connected to a particular cell site,” he told Fox News Digital. “Since we know there are two officers who possibly have cell phones, they can restrict other people in that general neighborhood.” The technology requires a subpoena or search warrant. Aerial map showing the location of the Idaho murders on November 13th and the unrelated underage drinking stop nearby that same morning. (Google) Fox News Digital also asked police if search warrants have been served outside the King Road home and if authorities have zeroed in on any unnamed people. “This is not information that is being released at this time,” Robbie Johnson, a spokesman for the investigation, said Saturday. Separately, he said some details are being kept confidential to preserve the integrity of the investigation. In a video statement Monday, Moscow police Capt. Roger Lanier said investigators are reviewing “hours and hours and hours” of video in the case. IDAHO murders: POLICE SAY RECEIVING ‘GOOD TIPS’ 4 WEEKS DESPITE LACK OF REWARDS, SUSPECTS Belongings of victims of the University of Idaho quadruple homicide are removed from a home in Moscow, Idaho, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital) “These videos are from all the gas stations in the city and specifically the area around King Road,” he said. “It takes a lot of time.” He said investigators have interviewed and re-interviewed some parties as they continue to process new tips. “We literally have an army of analysts sorting through the videos that have been submitted through the FBI.gov Moscow upload site,” he said. The victims of the massacre at the University of Idaho on November 13. (Instagram @xanakernodle / @maddiemogen / @kayleegoncalves) As police continue to hunt for a suspect, they are asking students and local residents to be vigilant. “We’re going to have to be vigilant now, but we’re going to have to make this a way of life for us,” Lanier said. “We should always walk with our heads up, stick to lighted paths and walk in groups if we can – and also let people know when you’ve arrived home if you haven’t made arrangements in advance.” Last week, police asked for the public’s help in locating the occupant(s) of a white Hyundai Elantra 2011 to 2013; he was also seen near the victims’ home at the time of the murders. Police say anyone in the Elantra may have “critical information to share” in the case. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The tip line can be reached at 208-883-7180 or via email at [email protected] Digital media can be submitted at fbi.gov/moscowidaho. As Fox News Digital reported early Monday, Goncalves’ family is also raising funds to offer a reward for information that solves the case. Michael Ruiz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @mikerreports
