- The suspect in the quadruple homicide of four University of Idaho students was brought to Moscow, Idaho.
- Residents in the town stood out in the cold to watch the man being brought into the jail.
MOSCOW, Idaho — Residents in the neighborhoods surrounding Moscow, Idaho, said they finally felt a sense of calm after the suspect in the quadruple homicide of four University of Idaho students was booked into jail Wednesday evening.
He arrived at the Latah County Jail in a convoy of four police vehicles that sped into a loading dock with their lights flashing. The scene, which happened only a mile-and-a-half from the home where the November 13th knife slayings happened, drew dozens of press and local onlookers.
The suspect studied for a Ph.D. in criminology at nearby Washington State University. He was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and felony burglary on December 30, 2022, after traveling back to his parent's home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. He was extradited to Idaho this week for the beginning of the case's legal proceedings.
Residents from the towns nearby stood in the cold to watch the suspect enter the jail.
Leeann Barton, who lives in Moscow — where the quadruple homicide happened — spent the past seven weeks in fear. She fortified her doors with planks, stocked her home with bear spray, and brought her dog inside at night to scare off any intruder.
"It gives a lot of peace of mind," said Barton, 20.
"I'm just glad that he's back in Idaho," said Melody Mantz, 21, who all her life has lived in Moscow, and considered it safe.
Alison Fox, 28, who lives nearby in Pullman, Washington — where the suspect lived — also shivered for a glimpse of police taking him into jail. She said it made her feel a sense of safety and relief.
"To be here and to see him here, it's not the end, but it's the beginning of the end," she said.
The homicide suspect's arrival in Idaho means that some court documents about his arrest could soon be unsealed. These documents will likely provide more information on why he is suspected of the killings.
"The Idaho law states that the probable cause affidavit — the document that spells out some of the evidence and circumstances leading to the arrest — cannot be released until he appears in court," Danielle Slakoff, an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Sacramento State University, told Insider.
The suspect's lawyer told CNN on Saturday that his client was "shocked a little bit" about the homicide allegations, and is "eager to be exonerated of these charges."
The suspect is expected to appear in court on Thursday.