Idaho murders: Father of slain victim says she had 'big open wounds,' calls police 'cowards'
MOSCOW, Idaho - The father of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves told Fox News Digital that the victims had "big open gouges" that were clearly the work of a "sadistic male" and called police "cowards" for not sharing more with the public.
Steven Goncalves said he asked the coroner, Cathy Mabbutt, how many times the victims were stabbed.
"She says, sir, I don't think stabs is the right word, it was like tears, like this was a strong weapon, not like a stab," he told Fox News Digital Sunday.
"She said these were big open gouges. She said it was quick. These weren't something where you were going to be able to call 911. They were not going to slowly bleed out," he said.
Kaylee Goncalves, 21, her best friend Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, were slaughtered in the early morning hours of Nov. 13 in a rental home near campus.
Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, along with the women's two other roommates in Kaylee Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the slayings. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
Moscow police, working with the FBI and Idaho State Police, have yet to publicly name a suspect or recover the fixed-blade knife they believe was used in the horrific attack that has left the small college town reeling from grief.
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Goncalves said his daughter's injuries "definitely did not match" Mogen's wounds. "They may have individually died from the exact same thing, being stabbed, but there are more details," he added. "They're not even close to matching."
The knife slashed open Kaylee Goncalves' liver and lungs, he said.
The grieving father paid for a copy of his daughter's death certificate, which included some of the details of her injuries – but he doesn't know whether his daughter or Mogen were the targets. "I have my own suspicions," he said.
His daughter and Mogen were ambushed in their sleep and found in the same bed, according to the coroner.
Goncalves surmised that they died in Mogen's bedroom on the third floor because "there are photos of Kaylee's room with no blood on the bed."
He added that his investigators didn't obscure the windows in his daughter's room like they did for the other victims.
Although the coroner told Goncalves that the victims died quickly and did not suffer, he said he's not convinced.
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Kernodle, who had defensive wounds, and Chapin were found on the second floor of 1122 King Road. "It was a hell of a battle going on down there from what the coroner told us," Goncalves said.
Mabbutt, when reached by phone, declined to comment on the information she disclosed to Goncalves.
The coroner told him that the perpetrator was a "strong individual," but police have yet to identify the suspect's gender.
"I got outraged by them not just coming out and saying this was a woman or a man because they should know by the amount of strength it took to deliver the injuries," he said. "They're just being cowards. There are girls walking around the street right now that deserve to know. They should be looking out for a sadistic male."
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Police said in a statement that they will not comment on or release specific details of the crime. "It is what we must do to preserve the integrity of the investigation," said Robbie Johnson, public information officer for the Moscow Police Department. "We want more than an arrest. We want justice. It takes time to do it right."
Johnson said police are encouraging "good safety practices in general" and are not focusing on a "specific threat to the community."
The University of Idaho's commencement ceremony, held on Saturday, was somber rather than celebratory as the mysterious murders continue to cast a shadow over the small town. A moment of silence was held for the victims, two of whom were slated to graduate.
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Anyone with information is asked to call the tip line at 208-883-7180 or to email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us. Digital media can be submitted at fbi.gov/moscowidaho.