The 28-year-old man who is suspected in the murders of a group of four University of Idaho students was reportedly stopped by police two separate times as both he and his father made their way from Washington out to Pennsylvania before he was finally arrested.
The suspect made the trip of roughly 2,500 miles with his father just a short time after he allegedly killed Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21, explained a report from NBC-affiliate KTVB 7. Jason LaBar, the suspect’s legal representation, explained to the outlet that his client was stopped two different times in Indiana while on the trip, though it is still entirely unclear who had been driving at that time.
“I don’t know whether they were speeding or not or if they were even issued a ticket,” stated LaBar. “I just know that they were pulled over in Indiana almost back to back. I believe once for speeding and once for following too closely to a car in front of them.”
LaBar also stated to the outlet that he has been informing his client on everything that was being said about him on the web.
“I am giving him updates. I spoke to [the suspect] this morning for an hour last night for 20 minutes, really updating him on some of the allegations that are coming out but mainly allegations that have nothing to do with the facts and evidence in the case but really the cross country trip,” LaBar explained to the outlet. “You know, just to clarify those types of facts as to why he ended up in Pennsylvania and whether or not he was in Pullman at the time of the acts of … the homicides.”
The suspect, who is attempting to acquire a Ph.D. at Washington State University out in Pullman, Washington, for criminal justice and criminology, worked as a teacher’s assistant and was known as a very strict grader. This seemed to have changed in the weeks in the wake of the murders, one former student explained on Monday to CNN.
“Definitely around then, he started grading everybody just 100s. Pretty much if you turned something in, you were getting high marks. He stopped leaving notes. He seemed preoccupied,” the student stated. “The couple times that he did come after, or around that time period, he had a little more facial hair, stubble, less well-kept. He was a little quieter.”
As part of a Friday evening press conference, Moscow Police Chief James Fry spoke out about the heartache felt by the Moscow, Idaho, community in the wake of the murders.
“These murders have shaken our community, and no arrest will ever bring back these young students,” stated Fry. “However, we do believe justice will be found through the criminal process.”
