Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves 'was terrified of stalker' (2024)

Murdered Kaylee Goncalves would beg friends to walk closely behind her at all times after becoming 'terrified' of a stalker who would follow her around town, a local shop owner has claimed.

Goncalves, 21, was one of the four students brutally knifed to death in Idaho, Moscow, on November 13.

Kaylee's roommates, Madison Mogen, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, were also stabbed to death - with Xana's freshman boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, also killed in the massacre.

There have been several reports Goncalves was scared of a stalker in the weeks leading up to the quadruple homicide – something Moscow Police have denied knowledge of.

But a vape shop manager now claims he discussed Goncalves stalker with her and Mogen three weeks before they were slain in their beds.

Goncalves, 21, was one of the four students brutally knifed to death in Idaho, Moscow, on November 13. There have been several claims that she was being stalked before her death

A vape shop manager (pictured) claims that he discussed Goncalves stalker with her and her friend Maddison Mogen three weeks before they were slain in their beds

He told NewsNation: 'Kaylee and Maddie would both come in here, they always had a smile on their face, they were the light of the world.

'They always came in with a group of four or five girls at most,all the time they would come in together.

'I made a joke about them coming in together, that it was nice to see that they were trying to stay safe.

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'Maddie then said oh we had a friend of ours be stalked, which is why we travel in a group. She was motioning to Kaylee as she said it.

'It seemed as though they were all trying to keep Kaylee safe, and be there for her as friends. This was three weeks before the murder.

Goncalves reportedly told him that the stalker would follow her 'at night' when she was going to or from bars, either by the 'campus or down on Main Street'.

Idaho police have said the four University of Idaho students were murdered in their sleep between 3am and 4am (Pictured: Victims Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Maddie Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and 20-year-old Ethan Chapin)

Authorities had asked for any information about a white Hyundai Elantra spotted near the scene of the murders — though it is unclear whether the white sedan caught in surveillance footage is the same vehicle

Her family have said they were not aware of any stalker, despite the manager claiming it was something she had 'tons of issues with'.

She 'always had to have someone who was constantly walking behind her' in order to keep her feeling safe.

It comes as police are trawling footage after a possible scream may have been picked up on an officer's bodycam on the night of the murders.

The high-pitched sound, recorded at 3:12am, was captured by a Moscow police officer who was responding to an unrelated incident near the University of Idaho.

Some web-sleuths believe that the sound is a scream, while others think it could be the sound of car tyres peeling away.

The noise appears to have been made around the time the students were killed and authorities hope it may help them in determining what happened.

The last known movements of at least two of the victims: The girls visited the truck at 1.43am-1.53am. It's unclear if they went straight home, but police say they were murdered shortly afterwards sometime between 3am and 4am

Goncalves (right, pictured with Mogen) reportedly told him that the stalker would follow her 'at night' when she was going to or from bars, either by the 'campus or down on Main Street'

Chapin and Kernodle were in a relationship and were both killed. Police continue to probe who could be behind the killings five weeks later

Police have found no evidence of a sex crime, and the victims had wounds on their bodies which indicated that they tried to fight of the attacker.

Initially cops said they thought all four were assaulted as they slept, with Goncalves father saying she had the worst injuries from the incident - suffering 'gouging wounds' and 'rips'.

The Chief of police at Moscow Police Department himself admitted that investigators did not understand how the two surviving roommates - Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen – appeared to sleep through the attack.

Newly released video footage from a police stop that occurred near the student's King Street home had earlier been brought to the fore by internet sleuths.

The officer's bodycam captured the moment plain clothes officers made an unrelated stop in the area for three students suspected of underage drinking.

Internet sleuths say a possible 'scream' may have been picked up on a police officer's bodycam showing a plainclothes officer stopping three students for underage drinking

Her family have said that they were not aware of any stalker, despite the manager claiming that it was something she had 'tons of issues with'

A flyer seeking information about the killings of four University of Idaho students who were found dead is displayed on a table along with buttons and bracelets, almost five weeks on

In the background of the video, aside from the 'scream', several people can also be seen moving quickly past police on Taylor Avenue, just two houses down from the scene of the crime and minutes before the killings occurred.

A forensic pathologist and former medical examiner also told Fox news that the toxicology reports for the slain students could hold potential answers to the unsolved case.

Dr Michael Baden questioned if they had taken any drugs which 'caused them to sleep' during the encounter.

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt last week dismissed the tests, saying that they had not yet come back from the lab – adding that they were irrelevant.

The Moscow Police Department declined to comment on whether toxicology reports are still pending.

Idaho police investigators have travelled up to 24 miles out of Moscow to collect surveillance footage in nearby towns after a white Hyundai was spotted near the scene of the vicious killings of four college students

Kaylee and Madison were found on the top floor of the Moscow, Idaho home. College lovers Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were found in a second-floor bedroom while survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were sleeping on the first floor

So far, the investigation - which is now moving into its fifth week - has not yet produced any suspects or motive for the murders and pressure continues to mount on officers who have yet to make a single arrest.

The families of the victims have expressed frustration with the lack of information provided by investigators and no murder weapon has yet been found.

Moscow Police are currently examining 'massive amounts' of digital content from local homes and businesses.

They are seeking the driver of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was seen near the crime scene, who they believe may have 'critical information' about the case.

Dylan Mortensen (left) and Bethany Funke (middle) survived the brutal attack in the rental house which saw their fellow University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle (second from left) Kaylee Goncalves (second from right) and Madison Mogen (right) killed

Kristi and Steven Goncalves worry they could lose vital evidence as the time since their daughter's death surpasses the one-month mark

On December 7 police announced the critical news that they were looking to speak with the occupant or occupants of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that they said was in the 'immediate area' of the victims' home on November 13, when the slayings occurred

Moscow Police Captain Roger Lanier said on Thursday that they had been sifting through a database of 22,000 registered white Hyundai Elantras that fit into their criteria that they are sorting through.

Police have said that the license plate of the vehicle is still unknown and could have been removed.

The head of Moscow Police said there are 'multiple groups' scanning through clips as they try to track down those responsible.

He vowed his force would continue to work over Christmas as the team comes under huge pressure to finally make an arrest over a month after the stabbings.

It comes after it was revealed officers are only now asking for security footage from gas stations 24 miles away in nearby towns.

Moscow police chief James Fry said: 'We will continue to keep up this pace [over the holidays].

Authorities confirmed that there were 'several friends' inside the property when the 911 call was made, who have been assisting police with their inquiries

Kristi Goncalves, the mother of 21-year-old victim Kaylee Goncalves, says a lack of information means 'sleepless nights... feeling sick to your stomach... and just being left in the dark'

The head of Moscow Police said there are 'multiple groups' scanning through clips as they try to track down those responsible

'We've given individuals time off when they need it. We're bringing other people into those spots so the investigation can continue.

'But we're not going to stop investigating this. We have looked at massive amounts of video footage, especially in the critical camera areas.

Retired Moscow Police Captain Paul Kwaitkowski, 64, said it is likely the Idaho murderer knew at least one victim and may have been motivated by revenge

'And we've looked at 24 hours prior to and 24 hours after those and now we're extending that out even further to other cameras and other time frames.

'We have massive amounts of people looking at this. Multiple different groups on different videos in different locations just because... you know we have investigators all across the nation reviewing these videos for us and sending us back information.'

The killings have shook the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, which had not recorded a murder since 2015.

Authorities have insisted the fatal attack was 'targeted,' and in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, former Moscow Police Captain Paul Kwaitkowski, 64, suggested the killer may have been seeking vengeance.

Police are asking the public to call in tips at 208-883-7180, email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us or submit digital media here.

Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves 'was terrified of stalker' (2024)

FAQs

Were Goncalves and Mogens lovers? ›

Maddie Mogen — Kaylee's best friend from childhood. Peter Van Sant: Give us a sense of just how close Kaylee and Maddie were in life? Kristi Goncalves: I think that they had a very amazing relationship … the epitome of true best friends from very early. … I mean they were sisters through and through.

Did Idaho students know they were being stalked? ›

The grieving sister of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves has said that her sibling had no idea she was being stalked by “true evil” before she was brutally stabbed in an attack that sent shockwaves through the small college town of Moscow.

What is Dylan Mortensen doing now? ›

'She is in trauma therapy of sorts, she's getting help from the spiritual community,' he said. 'Isolating herself but she is stepping out a little at a time, she is gaming online with peers in group gaming session. 'She's doing what she can without going into public. '

Did Bryan know the Idaho students? ›

But his defense attorneys say in a court filing that "there is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims." Criminologist and CBS News consultant Bryanna Fox adds that "the defense is claiming that the defendant, Bryan Kohberger, and the victims have absolutely no connection.

What were Kaylee's injuries? ›

The knife slashed open Kaylee Goncalves' liver and lungs, he said.

Why did Kaylee call her ex-boyfriend? ›

A University of Idaho student stabbed to death in her sleep may have called her ex-boyfriend on the night of her murder to rekindle their relationship, her family believes. Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were killed during a 13 November attack in the small college town of Moscow.

Are Dylan and Bethany suspects? ›

Investigators have also not revealed why the 11:58 a.m. phone call came nearly eight hours after Mortensen reportedly saw the killer inside her home. Investigators said early on that Funke and Mortensen might be “key” to solving the crime, and quickly ruled the two out as suspects.

What was Kohberger's motive? ›

"He would have been in a heightened state of arousal and that means he was emotionally aroused or even sexually aroused as he was killing those girls, and I suspect it was both," said retired FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole. That heightened state of arousal is driven by hatred, not anger, she added.

What did Dylan Mortensen see? ›

A police affidavit reads: “[Mortensen] saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her. “Mortensen described the figure as 5′ 10″ or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows.

Did Kohberger stalk his victims? ›

Kohbberger did not follow any of the four victims on social media and no evidence existed to support claims that he surveilled their off-campus home in Moscow. The defense said claims that Mr. Kohberger surveilled the home came not from media sources but from inaccurate details included in the probable cause affidavit.

What is Bryan Kohberger's alibi? ›

Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's "alibi" that he was driving around looking at "the moon and stars," is too vague, according to prosecutors.

What is Bryan Kohberger's family saying? ›

The parents of Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the murder of four University of Idaho students, have said they are cooperating with law enforcement to seek the truth but have warned the public against making false assumptions, saying their son should be presumed innocent.

Who was Goncalves boyfriend? ›

Grieving family offers glimpse of Kaylee Goncalves' longtime boyfriend Jack DuCouer's visit with his dog Murphy to their home in Coeur d'Alene.

What happened to Kaylee Jade Goncalves? ›

In the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, as well as Kernodle's boyfriend Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death in the girls' off-campus home. Two other roommates survived. Steve and Kristi Goncalves said there was an indication their daughter fought for her life.

Was Kaylee Goncalves cremated? ›

Now, Kaylee's ashes are right next to Mogen's at the Goncalves' house, NewsNation's Brian Entin reports. “These were best friends forever,” Entin said on “Banfield.” Like their daughters, the two families are also close. The Goncalves family told Entin that Mogen's parents said they wanted her ashes to be by Kaylee's.

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