According to rumors, US authorities have detained a suspect in connection with the enigmatic deaths of four university students in the state of Idaho more than six weeks ago.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger, age 28, was identified by police. In Pennsylvania, 2,500 miles (4,020 kilometers) away from the crime location, he was apprehended.
On November 13, the students were discovered dead in their beds in a rental property close to the school, having been stabbed.
Later on Friday, Idaho police want to hold a news conference.
In the small university town of Moscow in northern Idaho, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, and Madison Mogen were all discovered dead inside their homes.
Family relatives of the victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation’s development in the weeks following their deaths.
According to investigators, they have so far looked through more than 16,500 public tips and 113 pieces of tangible evidence that were retrieved from the crime site.
Over 250 interviews have also been performed, and they have “roughly 4,000 photos” analyzed.
As they solicited the public for assistance in locating a white Hyundai Elantra automobile that was seen nearby on the day of the murders earlier this month, even more tips started coming in.
Police reportedly found a car that matched that vehicle’s description while Mr. Kohberger was being arrested, according to NBC.
The arrest occurs on the same day as Goncalves and Mogen’s memorial service is being held at a church in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.
The four students were probably dozing off at the time of their deaths, according to a post-mortem study. Police cleared their roommates and other students who found their remains of any misconduct.
The Moscow police chief claimed last week that online sleuths who were spreading untruths about the inquiry were giving authorities trouble.
Investigators are greatly diverted by trying to find and dispel rumors about specific people or events that may or may not have occurred, according to Captain Roger Lanier. These rumors are frequently spread via social media.
According to the police, state police and FBI officers detained Mr. Kohberger on Friday in the Pennsylvania city of Scranton. Officials said that he was discovered and taken into custody at his parents’ Albrightsville home.
They add that he will likely be extradited to Idaho to answer for a homicide.
He is a graduate student in criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University, according to online data.
The Moscow campus of the university is about a 10-mile drive away from Pullman, Washington, where it is located.
Of the 25,000 people living in Moscow, 11,000 are students. The small village is hidden in the Palouse, a rural area of gently sloping hills.
Following the attacks, about half of the students decided to take their remaining classes online, and Idaho State Police deployed patrols to the campus to keep an eye on things.
