Family of U of Idaho victim seeks end to gag order.

Family of Murdered University of Idaho Student Challenges Gag Order

The tragic murder of four University of Idaho students in November 2020 shocked the nation. Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen were all brutally killed in their off-campus home. Six weeks later, a suspect was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, but a trial date has yet to be set.

Now, Goncalves’ family is challenging the court order preventing them from speaking publicly about the case. The family filed a motion to take another look at the gag order, which has been unsuccessfully challenged by media outlets.

Smoking License Found in Suspect’s Car

Despite the gag order, some information has been released, including the fact that an ID belonging to someone at the house where the murders occurred was found in the suspect’s car. The police have not confirmed who the ID belongs to, but retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer called it a “smoking license.”

More than 60 warrants have been served to major companies and banks in connection to the murders, including Amazon, DoorDash, Reddit, and dating sites like Tinder and OkCupid. The contents of the warrants are sealed and redacted as part of the murder case against the suspect.

Items Seized from Suspect’s Parent’s Home

An unsealed search warrant listed items taken from the suspect’s parent’s home at the time of his arrest, including a flashlight, medical-style gloves, a T-shirt, a Washington State Cougars sweatshirt, a pair of size 13 Nike shoes, as well as Under Armour black socks, shorts, and boxers. Police also collected a cheek swab from the suspect for DNA.

Monroe County First Assistant Michael Mancuso implied that the suspect was removing his trash to conceal his DNA. Investigators had been surveilling the home for weeks prior to the suspect’s arrest, and during that time, they searched the trash cans outside.

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Mancuso believes that the shoes and the cheek swab could be important during the suspect’s trial. The shoes could be compared to any shoe impressions found at the scene, and the cheek swab could be compared to the DNA of the snap button for the sheath of the knife found at the off-campus residence where the victims were found stabbed to death.

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