MOSCOW, Idaho. — The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office in Idaho is asking the public not to share unredacted photos that may have been leaked from the University of Idaho killings.
University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were brutally murdered in their off-campus home in November 2022.
Their case and investigations into their murders gained national and international attention.
Since 2022, Idaho State Police and the Moscow Police Department have released hundreds of images of the King Road home-- a good portion of those photos just showed what the home looked like when the murders occurred. A handful of those photos released were redacted to hide blood or the bodies of the students.
Now, the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office warns that the unredacted crime-scene images may be released in a leak.
“The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, Moscow Police Department and Idaho State Police have been made aware of a potential release of unredacted crime scene photographs, that include images of the decedents, to journalists and social media commentators from an unknown source. We collectively are deeply troubled to hear of this potential release.
Providing sensitive unredacted crime scene material for public dissemination is an unwarranted invasion of the victims’ privacy and demonstrates a profound lack of integrity and professionalism. Those entrusted with access to such material must safeguard it and violating that trust and any professional and ethical duties required by such position of trust, is unconscionable," their statement said, in part.
The prosecutor’s office is asking the public that if they come across those images, to not share them on social media or elsewhere.
“We recognize the public’s legitimate interest in transparency and accountability. The dissemination of these photographs does not serve that interest. These unredacted images should not be published, posted, shared, or otherwise distributed. Further dissemination would serve no legitimate public purpose and would only compound the harm to the victims’ families and the broader community,” the office wrote on Facebook.
Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee’s mom, has been one of the most vocal family members during the investigation and court proceedings involving the suspect, who pled guilty last summer. He is working to overturn his four life sentences, or at least get a new trial.
In a Facebook post for a group she and her husband run in honor of Kaylee, she said:
“I feel very scared. I haven’t been on the Internet at all today. I’m terrified. I don’t know what’s happening. I can’t lie to you and say that we didn’t know that at one point this could happen, but we thought there’d be some sort of accountability. It’s a very scary place for our family to be in. Our whole family kind of feels like we’re being held hostage,” she said.
Kristi said she hopes whatever prompted the warning from the prosecutor’s office is a fluke or a hoax, but said if they are released, it’ll show who the real “grimy people are that share it.” “I think that’s incredibly grimy and disgusting.
“I don’t know what I would do if I happen to see a picture of my daughter in that state, let alone any of the kids,” Kristi said.
The prosecutor’s office ended their Facebook warning with: “No family should have to endure the added trauma of knowing images from a loved one’s final moments may be circulating publicly. Their grief should not be compounded by the display, discussion, or sharing of intensely personal and painful material.”
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