FIRST ON FOX: The father of Idaho victim Kaylee Goncalves has hired a local attorney over concerns that his relationship with police and missteps in the quadruple homicide investigation have gone awry.
The family recently retained Gray Law criminal defense attorney Shannon Gray, whose cases range from kidnapping to drunken driving arrests.
Gray, who began his career as a prosecutor in the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, recently moved from Portland, Oregon, to Moscow, Idaho, said Kylee’s father, Steve Goncalves.
“I have a lawyer for a reason,” Goncalves said in an exclusive interview on Sunday. He added that he now rarely interacts directly with the police. “They are talking to my lawyer now,” he added.
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Stephen Goncalves, his wife Christy Goncalves and their slain daughter Kaylee Goncalves.
(Ted Warren via AP/Instagram)
Gray also has a website called Wake Up Parents! where he can be booked as an expert speaker on social media pitfalls.
“Mr. Gray has extensive knowledge of the law and the impact of social media on minors and has pledged to warn parents of the enormous dangers social media can pose to their children,” the site said.
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Now a lawyer is helping Goncalves, who has publicly shared his frustration with the pace of the investigation into his daughter’s murder, which has gone into its fourth week without a suspect.
The four victims of the quadruple homicide near the University of Idaho are Maddie Mogen, Ethan Chapin, Hana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves.
(Instagram: @maddiemogen, @kayleegoncalves, @ethanchapin4)
The grieving father said in an interview on December 6 that he hoped the lawyer would pressure the police to release more information about the case.
Kayleigh Goncalves, 21, her best friend Madison Mogen, 21, Hana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were stabbed to death between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Nov. 13. A hard bladed knife they believe was used in the attack.
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The home where four University of Idaho students were killed on November 13th.
(for Derek Shook)
Goncalves said he also hired a private investigator in hopes that he could help solve the strange murders.
Gumshoe is an ex-cop with 50 years of experience and an 87% success rate, according to Goncalves.
As a campus murder mystery enters its 4th week without an arrest, an IDAHO victim’s family is raising money for a reward.
Working with the Idaho State Police and the FBI, the Moscow Police Department struggled to get a cohesive message across.
Police initially said they believed at least one of the victims was targeted before retracting the claim. The next day, they diverted again, insisting that the attack was targeted.
“Everywhere you look, there seems to be confusion,” Goncalves said in a Dec. 6 interview. “What’s happening right now is ridiculous.”
An attorney for Goncalves did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Moscow Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Moscow Police Department is asking citizens to call 208-883-7180, email tipline@ci.moscow.id.us or send digital media. Here.