Autopsy Reveals New Details in Brutal Killings of University of Idaho Students: ‘Personal’

Latah County, Idaho, Coroner Cathy Mabbutt Thursday said autopsies of four murdered University of Idaho students confirmed they were stabbed.

“It would have had to been a large knife,” Mabbutt said, according to a Moscow-Pullman Daily News report.

She told CBS the murders seemed “personal,” according to an Idaho News report.

The coroner added the deaths of Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, likely occurred early Sunday morning. That aligns with police statements that the four students were likely at the 1122 King Road residence sometime after 1:45 a.m.

All four undergraduates were pronounced dead at noon Sunday shortly after they were found in the Moscow, Idaho, rental unit.

Idaho’s KXLY 4 News Reporter Esther Bower Thursday posted a press release from the coroner with the bare facts of the multiple homicides.

All four autopsies were completed late Wednesday, according to a KXLY report. The report noted no indication of any sexual assault was found, according to Mabbutt, adding each victim had been stabbed more than once.

The procedures, performed by the Spokane County Coroner’s Office, took approximately nine hours, the report added. Spokane County Communications Manager Jared Webley said evidence had been transferred to the Moscow Police Department. Autopsy results were shared with law enforcement and the Latah County Coroner, the report noted.

Mabbutt said some of the victim’s wounds may have been defensive in nature, according to the Daily News report. DNA samples from areas including victim’s clothing, bedding and nail clippings will be tested at a forensic labratory. Law enforcement hopes to find clues to identify the murderer(s) responsible for the college town carnage.

A victim’s father Thursday spoke about his daughter with Arizona’s Family.

“I heard from her I think before we went out,” Jeffrey Kernodle said, referring to his daughter Xana. “I think midnight was the last time we heard from her and she was fine.”

Kernodle reportedly said his daughter was in constant communication with her family and nothing seemed unusual that night.

“The door locks with a number code,” he said, describing the King Road residence. “Every time you go, you have to go around the house because of the number code, so they either knew that or went around and maybe found the slider door open.”