Moscow struggles to adjust to heavy spotlight

MOSCOW — Ever since four University of Idaho students were killed in their home last month, Moscow has been thrust into the national media spotlight.

The Nov. 13 stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen have drawn media outlets from across the country to the Palouse. As people around the U.S. closely follow developments in the murder investigation, this attention has put the small rural college town in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable position.

Corner Club owner Marc Trivelpiece did not mince words about the media presence in an emailed response to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

“We cannot wait for these vultures to leave so we, as a community, can begin to heal,” he wrote. “They are disrupting that process and are not welcome.”

Local writer Tara Karr Roberts has lived in Moscow for nearly 20 years and spoke about how other Moscow residents perceive this attention.

“I don’t know anyone who feels really good about the national attention at this point,” Karr Roberts said.

Karr Roberts, who works part time for the UI but does not speak on its behalf, understands why the national media is drawn to this unusual story. However, as the investigation continues to go unresolved, she believes some of the coverage has not been helpful and instead can hurt students who are already grieving. They do not need a reporter sticking a microphone in their face, she said.

It can also spread fear among the students’ family members who do not live in Moscow. This is frustrating to Karr Roberts because she and other Moscow residents she knows “don’t feel like we’re under threat.”

Moscow business owner George Skandalos shared a similar view about Moscow. He said the heinous nature of these murders is the reason Moscow has seen this much coverage, but the 20-year Moscow resident still feels safe in his hometown.

“By and large, Moscow’s still probably one of the safest places you could live,” Skandalos said.

No suspect has been identified in the case, and police are still urging residents to remain vigilant. Moscow Police Capt. Roger Lanier said earlier this week in a video statement that people should practice safe habits like walking with their head up, sticking to lighted paths and walking in groups if they can.

This message was released the same day Fox News reported that Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, said the public should be looking out for a “sadistic male” because the information he received from Latah County Corner Cathy Mabbutt indicates the killer is a “strong individual.”

As the investigation continues, people are being confronted by out-of-town reporters.

According to the Moscow Police activity logs, a resident on Palouse River Drive complained about a reporter from an international publication allegedly knocking on his door and asking him questions. Lanier told the Daily News on Monday that police have received emails about media members canvassing neighborhoods and waiting outside businesses to talk to people.

While it has been frustrating to some, the Moscow Police Department sees value in the media.

“This is an important case and the coverage and attention to it can help in some ways,” said Moscow Police spokeswoman Robbie Johnson.

For example, she said it may help them find the owner of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was near the King Street crime scene around the time of the murders. Police are hoping the owner will have crucial information that will benefit the investigation, and it may currently be outside of Moscow.

What does not benefit the investigation, she said, is speculation and rumors that have been spreading on social media.

In a video statement on the Moscow Police Department’s YouTube channel, Lanier said the police are seeing tips from the public that are geared more toward these rumors instead of the facts that have been released by law enforcement.

He said the rumors and speculation have had a negative effect on the victims’ families and friends, some of whom have received death threats and been subject to harassment.

Johnson told the Daily News on Wednesday she has spoken to people who have been victimized. She said police have been reminding people they can report this harassment to the police.

“I don’t know if everybody realizes just how harmful it can be,” she said of the speculation.

Johnson said this forced the MPD to refine its messages to the public and only share specific information that is important to the investigation. This is to avoid adding fuel to the speculation, she said.

Johnson said the police are receiving valid tips that benefit investigators, which is why she said there continues to be progress in the investigation.

Karr Roberts, too, has been discouraged by the speculation swirling around her hometown. She said people on the internet are treating it like a fun true crime story, but in the process are putting a target on local residents by sharing their names online.

“I feel like people are not thinking about how it genuinely hurts people here,” she said.

Karr Roberts said that as everyone in Moscow learns how to adapt to this new reality, she is reminded that locals are “really good” at supporting each other, and checking to make sure their friends are OK.

Lifelong Moscow resident Jon Kimberling said community members are heartbroken by these murders that have caused “so much pain for so many people.” He said the city has to stay together through this process.

“It’s just been so sad to keep seeing Moscow on the national news day after day,” he said. “However, I love where I live and really appreciate the way our community has come together and how our leaders have stepped up to try to do all the right things.”

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.