Murder In Moscow: Moscow Police Walk Back Their Initial Comments About The Target Of The Attack

Early in the University of Idaho murder investigation, Moscow Police repeatedly described the killings as a “targeted attack,” which led to confusion over exactly what investigators believed had been targeted. The issue became more muddled on November 30, 2022, after the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office said the killer had specifically looked at the King Road residence and that one or more of the occupants were “undoubtedly targeted.” Moscow Police quickly walked that back, calling it a miscommunication and clarifying that detectives did not actually know whether the house itself or any particular victim had been specifically targeted. The department stressed that investigators were still working to determine the significance of the residence, the victims, and the killer’s motive.

Days later, Moscow Police tried to clean up the confusion again by saying they had not abandoned the broader belief that the murders were targeted, only that they had not determined what the target was. In a December 5 update, the department said investigators still believed the killings were a targeted attack but had not concluded whether the target was the King Road house or one of its occupants. That distinction was important because early public statements had created the impression that police knew the house itself had been selected in advance, when in reality investigators were still uncertain about whether the killer had chosen the residence, a specific victim, or both.


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