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Idaho stabbing deaths: Vigil set for Wednesday

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(NewsNation) — A candlelight vigil is set for Wednesday in honor of four University of Idaho students stabbed to death in a rental home as the search for their killer continues.

“Our detectives are on top of their game,” Aaron Snell, communications director with Idaho State Police, said. “We recognize there’s potential contingencies for everything, and so we’re working on that.”

Police will be present at the vigil amid “community concern and fear” about the suspect not being caught yet.

In the aftermath of the stabbings, there has been an increased Idaho State Police presence on campus, and the university has upped its own security force as well.

Students who talked to NewsNation said they came back to Moscow to attend the vigil, but plan to return to their hometowns and continue classes online.

The vigil is set for 5 p.m. PT Wednesday at the University of Idaho in Moscow. NewsNation will be streaming it on its website and social media. USA Today reports that the University of Idaho Water Center in Boise and College of Eastern Idaho campus are also having vigils.

The four University of Idaho students who died — Ethan Chapin, 20; Washington; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 — were all close friends, and members of fraternities and sororities. Kernodle, who was roommates with Mogen and Goncalves, had been dating Chapin.

Preliminary findings by a counter coroner were that the students, found around noon on Nov. 13, all died from stab wounds and were likely asleep at the time.

As of Wednesday morning, police still had no suspect or motive.

Police had the cars of the victims towed from the house Tuesday to a secure location, so they can process the vehicles for evidence.

So far, authorities have gotten thousands of tips, and have worked to dispel rumors surrounding the incident.

Officials have confirmed that they do not consider the following people suspects:

  • The victims’ two surviving roommates
  • A male seen in a food truck video circulating online
  • The private party who drove Mogen and Goncalves home
  • Anyone who spoke to the police dispatcher during the 911 call that morning
  • A male whom Goncalves and Mogen called several times that morning