(NewsNation) — The stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students earlier this month have left a community on edge, as a suspect has still not been arrested in connection with the killings.
Close friends Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were found dead in an off-campus rental home on Nov. 13.
Many questions remain in the case, which has garnered national attention as police continue to search for a suspect.
NewsNation’s Brian Entin and former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer answered questions from viewers during a livestream Tuesday. Watch the entire conversation in the player above.
Q: Was there a dog in the house?
A: Entin said there was a dog in the house on the night of the attack.
“The dog wasn’t hurt,” he said. Some have asked why the dog didn’t bark — to that, Entin said it’s still unknown if the dog did or did not bark. Idaho Statesman breaking news reporter Alex Brizee told NewsNation previously that it is unclear who the canine’s owner was.
Q: Were fingerprints taken at the scene?
Coffindaffer said the scene is going to be analyzed inside and out by investigators, including those who know how to analyze fingerprints.
“(The team is) going to be taking blood and hair and fibers, samples of any and everything,” she said. “I can’t even imagine the hundreds of submissions that are going to be given to the lab to look at.”
However, getting fingerprints can be complicated. Very specific points need to be found within the print to do a comparison, Coffindaffer explained. Once these are found, authorities would need to find prints of people for comparison to the samples.
“You’re going to be getting anybody and everybody that was at their house,” she said.
Q: How could the victims have been attacked without waking up?
Coffindaffer said these kinds of attacks happen quickly, which is why there weren’t more signs of struggle on the victim’s bodies, other than defensive wounds.
“They were ambushed in their sleep,” she said. “By the time that they are getting attacked, it’s happening so fast, to the larynx, to the heart, to the vital organs, to the lungs.”
Q: Is there an officer watching the back side of the house?
There is a police officer at the front of the house and crime tape at the back of the house. There’s also a big parking lot that exists at the back of the house.
Q: Was a dog used at all to try to track where the killer went when they left the house?
There may have been a dog used in an effort to track someone in the backyard.
Q: Why has no reward money been offered?
Police say they’re still getting a lot of tips right now, so they don’t feel the need for a reward. However, if things slow down, and they don’t make progress, a reward could be coming in the future.
Q: What is the law with regard to social media? Can the FBI get information from Meta, Instagram or Snapchat?
It’s possible, but a subpoena would likely be needed in such a situation.
Q: Will winter weather impede the Idaho investigation?
It’s likely that any outdoor investigation has already been completed.
