Idaho University Murder Case Update: 6 People May Have Lived In Home, Not 5

Authorities are now saying there were possibly six people living in the off-campus house where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death.

"Investigators are aware of a sixth person who could have potentially lived at the residence. That person was not at the residence on the night of the murders," Idaho State Police communications director, Aaron Snell, told CNN.

Snell did not elaborate on if the sixth person lived at the residence at any time and did not provide a name.

The bodies of Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21 were found around noon on Nov. 13 after a 911 call reporting an unconscious person.

All four were stabbed multiple times with a long knife, and some of the bodies had evidence of defensive wounds. Investigators believe the victims were asleep at the time of the attack. Investigators say the two surviving roommates were in the house sleeping at the time of the attack.

"It's such a horrific crime," said Latah County coroner Cathy Mabbutt to the New York Times. "It's hard to think that somebody, whether they live here or they were here, commits something like that and is at large."

Investigators initially said only five people were living in the house; Goncalves, Mogen, and Kernodle, and two other roommates who have not been publicly named by authorities but are not considered suspects. CNN reports the property management company confirms six people are listed on the lease for the off-campus home but did not provide names or additional information.

Police have issued conflicting statement on whether the victims or the property were targeted.

Residents of Moscow have been on edge since the murders as investigators have been inconsistent in the details they share and the potential danger for the rest of the community.

The university moved classes online and the campus shut down until after Thanksgiving break following the deaths. Students who were uncomfortable returning to campus were allowed to complete their semesters online.

"Faculty have been asked to prepare in-person teaching and remote learning options so that each student can choose their method of engagement for the final two weeks of the semester," University of Idaho President Scott Green wrote in an update to students and faculty on Nov. 22.

There have been no arrests, and no individuals have been identified as suspects. The murder weapon, believed to be a long-blade fixed knife, has not been located.

The four friends were out the evening of Nov. 12 following a University of Idaho football game. Chapin and Kernodle, who had been dating since the spring, were at a fraternity party. Mogen and Goncalves had gone to the Corner Club bar and a food truck. The four returned to the off-campus home before 2 a.m. on Nov. 13.

The two surviving roommates were separately out of town on Saturday and had both returned to the home before 1 a.m. on Nov. 13, investigators said. They are not considered suspects.