More than two weeks after the quadruple murder of University of Idaho students while they slept in an off-campus housing unit, a grieving community gathered on Wednesday evening for a candlelight vigil.
According to the New York Post, during the vigil, Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee, one of the murder victims, revealed that his daughter died innocently “in the same bed as her longtime best friend, Madison Mogen.”
Kaylee Goncalves, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, were stabbed to death in the early hours of November 13.
Speaking to the approximately 1000 people who gathered for the vigil at the school’s Kibbie Dome, Steve Goncalves said of Kaylee and Madison: “These girls were absolutely beautiful. They’ve been friends since sixth grade … Every day, they did homework together, they came to our house together, they shared everything,”
According to the Idaho Statesman, Goncalves added: “They went to high school together, then they started looking at colleges, and they came here together, they eventually get into the same apartment together.”
The grieving father noted that he found some solace that his daughter and best friend were together in their last moments.
“And in the end, they died together, in the same room, in the same bed. And it’s a shame, and it hurts,” Goncalves said.
“The beauty of the two always being together is something that will — it comforts us; it lets us know that they were with their best friends in the whole world,” Goncalves added.
The Independent reported that Goncalves vowed to see the killer identified and brought to justice:
“We’re gonna get our justice, we’re gonna figure this stuff out. This community deserves that.”
Madison’s father, Ben, also attended the vigil. The Post noted how he recalled bragging about how his daughter made the dean’s list and how he was happy when she told him she had fallen in love with her boyfriend.
“I’m so glad that she got to just have at least a little taste of what it’s like to be in love with someone,” Ben Mogen said, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“I was really proud to call (Jake) my daughter’s boyfriend, and maybe someday they would have gotten married. It seemed like it, at least,” Ben added.
The Post noted that on Wednesday, “police stunningly revealed that detectives aren’t sure if the quadruple homicide was a targeted attack.” The statement contradicts an earlier report noting that the killer had targeted the victims.
Moscow police said in a statement:
“Conflicting information has been released over the past 24 hours. The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office stated the suspect(s) specifically looked at this residence and that one or more of the occupants were undoubtedly targeted.”
The statement added: “We have spoken with the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office and identified this was a miscommunication. Detectives do not currently know if the residence or any occupants were specifically targeted but continue to investigate.”
Police have not yet identified any suspects or found the murder weapon.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
