Parents of Idaho college murder victims speak out on 2-year mark of gruesome crime
Courtesy Goncalves Family
(MOSCOW, Idaho) — Parents of the University of Idaho victims are speaking out on the two-year mark of the gruesome quadruple homicide as they await the trial for their children’s suspected killer.
For victim Kaylee Goncalves’ parents, one of the devastating milestones this year is Kaylee’s younger sister, Autumn, turning 21 — the age Kaylee was when she was killed.
“Early on, [Autumn] just said, ‘What am I going to do when I’m older than Kaylee?'” Kristi Goncalves recalled. “You should never be older than Kaylee, but yeah, you will be and, and that’s coming.”
“It should be an exciting, fun time for her to go out with all of her sisters and go do something fun. But somebody does this to your family, it robs you of all kinds of different things. And birthdays are a huge part of that,” Steve Goncalves told ABC News on Tuesday.
For the mom of 20-year-old victim Ethan Chapin, two years “seems like a long time ago,” but “also feels like yesterday.”
Ethan Chapin was a triplet and his sister, Mazie, and brother, Hunter, also attend the University of Idaho.
“The two will graduate college in May, and we could not be prouder of everything they’ve accomplished,” Stacy Chapin said in a statement.
“We continue to heal and miss Ethan as we work diligently to find the silver linings in the worst circumstances,” she said.
Bryan Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle at the girls’ off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. Chapin, Kernodle’s boyfriend, was sleeping over at the time.
Kohberger, who was a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University, was arrested in December 2022. His trial date has been pushed back to Aug. 7, 2025.
For the Goncalves, the last two years felt like a “standstill” in the courts.
Two months ago, Kohberger’s trial was moved from Latah County, where the crime took place and the defense argued jurors wouldn’t be as impartial, to Idaho’s capital city, Boise.
Kristi Goncalves said, “I feel like now that we’ve moved it down to Boise, as much as we didn’t want that, that was the right choice. And I’m glad that it, you know, in hindsight that it happened, and I feel like things are going to start moving, although it still seems very slow.”
Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty, though his defense is arguing for the death sentence to be taken off the table.
The Goncalves family said they support the death penalty in this case, highlighting the limitations that sentence would pose on Kohberger’s life in prison.
“It’s more about, honestly, the 23 hours of confinement, and not being able to be enrolled in college education and being able to further his career and his influence on society,” Steve Goncalves said.
On Wednesday night, the University of Idaho community will gather for a vigil to honor the four slain students.
“Together, we’ll honor their legacy by sharing memories, writing notes, and gathering in a place dedicated to all Vandals we’ve lost,” the student government said.
ABC News’ Kayna Whitworth contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Over 85 million Americans are under cold weather alerts over the next few days as arctic air plunges south across the country.
Portions of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have an extreme cold warning in effect as wind chills may reach as low as -50°F.
While it won’t be quite that cold farther south, wind chills may be dropping into the teens in cities like Houston and New Orleans early next week.
On Sunday, a developing coastal storm will bring the chance for moderate to heavy snow in several major cities.
Winter storm watches and warnings are in effect for more than 28 million people from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast on Sunday.
A wide swath of 4 to 8 inches of snowfall is expected from West Virginia to Maine.
New York City is currently forecast to pick up around 3 to 6 inches of snow on Sunday afternoon and into the evening, which could make this the biggest snowstorm in nearly three years for NYC.
As for timing, the bulk of it will be during the afternoon and evening on Sunday, with much of the I-95 corridor from Baltimore to Boston seeing the potential for slick roads.
As the cold snap progresses into the south, there will also be a winter weather potential in cities along the Gulf Coast that don’t often see frozen precipitation, including Houston and New Orleans.
Starting Monday night and continuing through Tuesday, there may be measurable snowfall in Houston, which could create numerous travel issues.
The last time Houston saw 1 inch of snow was back in 2021, but 2008 was the last time they picked up more than 1 inch of snow. New Orleans hasn’t recorded any measurable snow since 2009, and the city hasn’t topped 1 inch of snow since 1963.
It’s too early to determine if they’ll break that streak, but the chance for winter precipitation along the Gulf Coast is real enough that preparations need to be done this weekend ahead of the storm.
(LAS VEGAS) — Matthew Livelsberger — the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Year’s Day outside the Trump International Las Vegas Hotel — shared personal and political “grievances” in two letters found on a phone in the vehicle and called the attack a “wake up call,” authorities said Friday.
Livelsberger, an active-duty Army soldier, said the country was being led by the “weak” and those out to “enrich themselves,” while also claiming the incident was not meant as a terrorist attack, according to excerpts of the two letters shared by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
“I know everyone is very eager to try to understand and be able to explain what happened,” Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said during a press briefing on Friday. “We still have a large volume of data to go through, a lot of content to go through.”
The department said they would release the two letters to the public.
“You’ll see that he actually calls it a stunt, in one of these documents that we’re going to release to you, that he was trying to get the attention of the American people because he was upset about a number of different things,” Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said during Friday’s briefing. “But I’ll let those writings speak for themselves.”
Livelsberger died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound prior to the blast, the Clark County coroner confirmed Thursday evening. No one else was seriously hurt, though seven bystanders sustained minor injuries, officials said.
The evidence shows Livelsberger “thoughtfully prepared” and acted alone in the incident, Spencer Evans, special agent in charge for the FBI’s Las Vegas division, said during Friday’s press briefing. Livelsberger was not on the FBI’s radar prior to the incident, Evans said.
“Although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who was struggling with PTSD and other issues,” Evans said.
Authorities are also looking into a letter purportedly sent by Livelsberger and shared by the military-themed “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast on Friday. That information was sent to the FBI following the attack, Evans confirmed.
“We still have not conclusively determined that that’s from the subject, but feel confident, based on evidence that we’re uncovering on his devices, that that was, in fact, from Livelsberger,” Evans said.
In the Cybertruck, officials found credit and identification cards in Livelsberger’s name, evidence he owned the weapons found in the destroyed vehicle and identified tattoos that appeared to match Livelsberger’s body, however, severe physical injuries slowed the identification process.
The Clark County coroner ultimately identified Livelsberger — of Colorado Springs, Colorado — as the driver on Thursday. His cause of death was a self-inflicted intraoral gunshot wound.
Livelsberger was found with a gun at his feet. Two firearms — one handgun and one rifle — were found in the vehicle “burnt beyond recognition,” McMahill said.
Both weapons were purchased legally on Monday, he added.
Two phones were recovered from the vehicle, including one containing the two letters, Koren said. Investigators have been unable to access the other phone at this time, he said.
It is unclear why Livelsberger chose a Tesla or the route he took, authorities said Friday.
Livelsberger rented the Tesla vehicle on Saturday in Denver via the Turo app, before driving to Las Vegas through cities in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. His progress was tracked through Tesla charging stations, officials said.
The vehicle first pulled into the Trump International Las Vegas Hotel valet area just after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, officials said. It then left the area, driving along Las Vegas Boulevard, before returning to the valet area at about 8:39 a.m., exploding 17 seconds after its arrival.
Livelsberger served as a Green Beret in the Army and was on approved leave from serving in Germany at the time of his death, a U.S. Army spokesperson said Thursday.
He received extensive decorations in combat, including the Bronze Star with a “V” device for valor, indicating heroism under fire. Livelsberger received four more standard Bronze Star medals, according to Army records. He also earned the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three stars. Each star represents service in a separate campaign in Afghanistan.
Livelsberger had been receiving mental health assistance over the last year, a U.S. official confirmed Friday.
Another U.S. official confirmed that officials thought Livelsberger was stable enough to go home for Christmas and his leave was approved.
The Department of Defense has turned over Livelsberger’s medical records to local law enforcement, Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters during a briefing on Friday.
“I just don’t have more details to share,” she added, when asked about reporting from CNN that the suspect had been diagnosed with depression last year.
Singh noted that service members are encouraged to seek help with any mental health issues.
The Las Vegas incident is not believed to have any direct connection to the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people — as well as the suspect — and injured 35 others, according to the FBI. The truck used in the New Orleans attack was also rented using the Turo app, officials said.
Evans reiterated Friday that there is no evidence that the two events are connected, saying there are “coincidental similarities” between them — including that both drivers were in the military, rented vehicles through the same service and stayed in an Airbnb.
There is no evidence at this time that the two drivers had any overlap even though both served in Afghanistan, Singh also said Friday.
Livelsberger was a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, an official briefed on the probe told ABC News. His wife, who investigators spoke to in Colorado Springs, said he had been out of the house since around Christmas after a dispute over allegations of infidelity, the official said.
His wife told officials she did not believe Livelsberger would want to hurt anyone, the official told ABC News.
Livelsberger is believed to have told the person he rented the truck from that he was going camping at the Grand Canyon, the official told ABC News.
Investigators are still looking to determine how the items in the truck were detonated, but with the contents of the vehicle so badly burned, it may be a slow process, according to the official.
The sheriff said Tesla CEO Elon Musk helped the investigation by having the truck unlocked after it auto-locked in the blast and by giving investigators video of the suspect at charging stations along its route from Colorado to Las Vegas.
McMahill said police believe the explosion was an “isolated incident” and that “there is no further threat to the community.”
Video played at Thursday’s Las Vegas news conference showed a load of fireworks-style mortars, gasoline cans and camping fuel canisters in the back of the truck.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
(NEW YORK) — AAA forecasts 79.9 million people will travel by car, plane or another mode of transportation for Thanksgiving — up 1.7 million people compared to last year.
Here’s what you need to know before you head to the airport or hit the highway:
Air travel
Hopper expects this will be the busiest Thanksgiving holiday ever for U.S. airports, with 36.5 million seats booked between Saturday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Dec. 3 — a 4.8% increase from the same period last year.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving — Dec. 1 — will be the busiest day to fly, according to Hopper.
The cheapest days to leave for your trip are Thanksgiving Day or three days earlier, on Monday, Nov. 25, Expedia said. The cheapest days to fly home are Black Friday (Friday, Nov. 29) or Travel Tuesday (Tuesday, Dec. 3).
Expedia predicts the busiest and most expensive days to fly will be the day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The most popular U.S. destinations this year are Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas and Chicago, Hopper found.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport are poised to be the most crowded airports, Hopper said.
Road travel
A record 71.7 million people are expected to travel by car for Thanksgiving — up by 1.3 million people from last year, according to AAA.
The worst times to drive before Thanksgiving are the afternoons of Monday, Nov. 25, Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Wednesday, Nov. 27, according to analytics company INRIX. It’s best to wait until Thanksgiving Day — Nov. 28 — when the roads will be quieter.
If you’re heading home on Saturday, Nov. 30, or Sunday, Dec. 1, INRIX recommends hitting the road before 1 p.m.
Traffic could be more than double what it is on a typical day in cities including Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle, INRIX warned.
