Moscow police cannot guarantee there is no threat to the public after quadruple homicide | News

MOSCOW, Idaho — The Moscow Police Department (MPD) could not say there was no threat to the public during a press conference Wednesday.

MPD chief James Fry has repeatedly acknowledged the suspect “is still there”, but reiterated that the department believes it was an “isolated and calculated attack on the victims”.

“We can’t say there’s no threat to the community,” Fry said.

The remarks came after days of police telling the community there was no threat but stressing the need to remain vigilant.

Many community members had been calling for more responses since Sunday. Fry acknowledged the community’s frustration.

“The reality is, I probably should have been here about a day ago,” Fry said, “but I’m here now.”

Col. Kendrick Wills of the Idaho State Police (ISP) defended the MPD’s approach to information sharing, saying it was necessary to strike a balance in order to protect the integrity of the case.

“It’s a balancing act of providing the community with the information they need, while making sure we provide a case that the Latah County District Attorney’s Office can pursue,” Wills said.

Fry shared an overview of the status of the investigation. He said investigators are working to follow leads and establish a timeline, and his department is receiving help from the FBI and ISP.

Fry said two other residents were at home at the time of the attack, but the investigation is not limited to them.

“There were other people at the house at the time,” Fry said. “They weren’t hurt…but we’re still tracking anyone who might have been in that area.”

When asked why a call to police didn’t come in until noon when the attack took place late Saturday night, Fry said it was unclear.

“We don’t know why the call came in at noon rather than midnight,” Fry said.

Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call a hotline set up by the MPD. This number is (208) 883-7180.

You can find our previous coverage of the homicide investigation here.