Sleuths Unearth Theory About Idaho Suspect As Police Ask For Information About White Car Seen By Crime Scene
They think they might be onto something.
As the investigation into the murders of four University of Idaho students continues, police are seeking information about a car seen near the crime scene on the night of the murders.
On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, the Facebook page for the Moscow Police Department made a post asking for the community’s help with finding the owner of a 2011 - 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
Idaho police are searching for the car's occupants in an effort to find information about the murders.
They believe that the owner of the car “may have critical information to share” regarding the murders of the four students — Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
They credit tips, leads, and investigators for pointing them in the direction of the car, which is believed to have been within the immediate vicinity of the King Street home in the early hours of November 13.
Internet sleuths theorize that the owner of the car might be involved in the Idaho murders.
Although the internet sleuths believe they’ve cracked the case, the police emphasized that the investigation is still very much ongoing and that no suspects have been announced.
“At this time, no suspect has been identified, and only vetted information that does not hinder the investigation will be released to the public,” they wrote in the post. “We encourage referencing official releases for accurate information and updated progress.”
Along with the text, they posted stock images of a white 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
The post has over 3,000 shares on Facebook with comments wholly turned off.
However, followers of the case were quick to take to other social media platforms to discuss their thoughts and theories about the car, its owner, and their involvement with the case.
One theory on Reddit, covered by a woman named Hattie on TikTok (@hatdizzle), seems to be picking up traction as followers of the case deem it to be credible.
The theory connects the Hyundai Elantra with someone’s coworker who owned a hunting knife.
“Seems too strange not to be the answers we've been searching for,” Hattie writes in the caption of her video that she credits to a woman on Facebook.
In one of the various subreddits where people post their theories about the case, one person shared a story about their friend whose coworker was suspicious.
“Long story short, he works with a guy who had for months been wearing a hunting knife to work (on his belt), and was asked not to bring it to work anymore,” the user wrote, “then after the murders he no longer wore the knife to work.”
They claim that when he was asked about the knife, he refused to answer or produce it, threatening to sue the establishment for harassment.
“In addition, this person was known for being punctual and not missing work, and would even come in on days not scheduled,” they continued. “The day and the week after the murders he was a no-call no-show to work.”
They also claimed that the man was in the vicinity of the food truck the same night the victims were there, but because it may have just been “a lot of coincidences,” they refused to name him publicly.
Without a lot of physical evidence to back these claims up, it may just seem like a coincidence — or pure fiction — but the woman who put two-and-two together believes there may be more to the story.
An allegedly public report requests a wellness check on an employee who hadn’t been to work.
The report that was filed listed the address for a home in the Moscow area and claimed that an employee hadn’t shown up to work since “Monday.”
It’s unclear how many days passed before the report or when this all happened in reference to the night of the murder, but if it was to be right after, then it would have been Monday, November 14.
The largest connection between all of this information is that when you search up the address of the home on Google Maps, the street view shows a white Hyundai Elantra parked in front of the home.
When the internet sleuth plugged the King Street residence into Google Maps, they also noted that the home was a mere 3-minute drive away.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.