Thank you for joining us here
on Crime 2 News 1st at four.
I'm Whitney ward.
Just within the last hour,
Moscow police have released the first
potentially significant information
regarding evidence connected in this case.
KREM 2's Mark Hanrahan joining
us live here in the studio with
new information tonight. Mark
ready. Let's get right to it.
Take a look at these photos behind
me right here Moscow PD saying
today they're now looking for a
white 2011 to 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
Police say tips and leads LED
investigators to look at additional
information about the car being in
the immediate area of King Street.
Or the murders happened during the
early morning hours of November 13th,
so take a closer look.
Now, to be clear, this isn't the
actual car police are looking for.
Rather, these are stock images
of the same make and model of
the car they are looking for.
Again, it's a white 2011
to 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
Police say the license plate
is not known right now,
but still this is a significant step
in the investigation as investigators
have yet to release any information
about a suspect or suspects,
and this is potentially the
first significant piece of
evidence they've released.
Publicly so far in their effort
to solve this case again,
investigators say tips LED them
to seek more information about
a car similar to that Hyundai,
right there in the immediate area of
the home where the murders happened
in the early morning hours that day,
the victims were found dead.
So if you have any information about the car,
you are urged to contact
the Moscow police tip line,
the number
208-883-7180. You can also send an
e-mail to that address right there on
your screen, Whitney. Alright,
Mark, thank you very much and earlier today.
Police began removing some of
the victims personal belongings
from that crime scene in Moscow.
Police said the families have been
asking for some of those items back.
Investigators say those things are no longer
needed for their investigation crews.
Amanda Rowley was at the House today
and spoke to law enforcement about
the next steps in this investigation.
At the request of the students families,
Moscow police packed up personal
belongings at the home.
In fact, Chief James Fry said it was
important for him to personally be
here with the officers boxing up those
items so they could in a sense be there
for the family and give back those
items that might help the family heal.
The chief himself drove EU
haul into the driveway.
Police officers arrived early
this morning to pack up the
students things and by noon today.
They finished loading the
boxes onto the truck.
This is not something police typically do,
but Idaho State police spokesperson
Aaron Snell says in this
case it was appropriate.
We've had the crime scene for
quite some time and, you know,
the family would like back
some of those belongings.
There's undoubtedly some sentimental
issues and I think it will help
with a little bit of the healing.
And we want to be part of that process.
We want to help them.
You know, we don't want to keep
holding on to on to items that really
aren't needed for the investigation.
There is no sign of the
students, immediate family members
here today, but we do know EU haul.
Has been taken to a secure location
where Moscow police will communicate
with the family to coordinate
returning those items to them.
Reporting in Moscow,
Amanda Rowley KREM 2 News
and Moscow is still mourning the
loss of those four college students.
This year's light up the season events
have now been dedicated to Madison Mogan,
Kaylee Gonzalvez,
Zana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
Tomorrow, the community will come
together to decorate a Christmas
tree in honor of those four victims.
People will be able to come by tomorrow.
The right kind thoughts or messages on
bows that will then be placed on the tree.
That event takes place from 3:00
to 5:00 in the afternoon at the
visit Moscow Contemporary building.
And for all of our latest reporting
about these murders and the Moscow Police
Department's current investigation,
you can always go to krem.com.
In other news new at 4:00 tonight,
the man in yesterday's
Riverfront park shooting had his
first court appearance today.
It was about 7:45 yesterday morning.
Police say a man fired dozens
of shots into the air.
It was right there along Spokane Falls Blvd.
Across from Riverfront Park.
No one was hurt.
Fortunately, the suspect,
45 year old Benjamin Crowfoot,
is now facing multiple charges
including first degree assault and
28 counts of reckless endangerment.
Witnesses say Crowfoot shot a
full magazine into the air.
Then reloaded and fired some more.
Police say they spotted him walking
in the middle of the street in
traffic before they arrested him.
He were also told the suspect
has a history of mental illness.
He's now being held on a $100,000 bond.
His next court appearance is
scheduled for December 20th.
Well, new tonight,
Eastbound I-90 just reopening this
afternoon within the last hour
after a serious 30 car pileup,
it shut down the entire freeway
near Ellensburg today for hours.
Washington State Patrol says
there were 18 vehicles and 12
semis involved in this crash.
The wreckage itself spanned
10 miles of roadway.
Fortunately,
an amazingly only minor injuries
were reported in all of it,
but quite a mess that was left behind.
It's not clear exactly
what sparked the crash.
In the beginning,
but the National Weather Service
says there was patchy freezing fog
and icy conditions at that hour.
The road itself, the freeway,
was closed for 10 hours.
And more of a storm headed our way
for a fresh round of snow that's
coming about 24 hours from now,
maybe a little sooner.
Our chief meteorologist, Jeremy Lagoo,
has been keeping us updated on
just what to expect for tomorrow.
Hey,
Jeremy.
Hey, Whitney. I was actually just
updating an article on creme.com
if you want to go over and get a
closer look at some of our totals or
storm totals from our incoming storm
and there is a lot at play here.
Let's start with temperatures.
Right now we're quite a bit warmer than
we've been in the past couple of days.
Despite still being in the 20s.
We are now in the upper 20s.
It does start to.
Feel a little warmer after all
those cold days.
But that sets the stage for our incoming
storm winter weather advisories now in
effect for eastern and northeastern
Washington and much of North Idaho,
kind of the same place that we've set up that
freezing drizzle the past couple of nights.
What we are going to see is widespread
impacts as this system moves in.
There's the storm off the coast right
now as it works its way toward us.
We wind up getting the cold front
of this thing.
You can see our cold front right here,
and that's what sweeps the region,
giving us some of that snow,
timing it out.
Here's how it plays out.
Tomorrow morning we see a little bit of
activity out ahead of the storm itself.
Kind of late morning, middle of the day.
It grows more widespread into the afternoon,
heavier overnight,
and then moves out by the time
we start the day Friday,
notice by 7:00 AM we're back
to a couple of stray showers on
the backside of this thing.
By Friday afternoon,
we might even see a little bit of sunshine.
Seriously, that's why it works.
Let's talk totals when it comes to storm
totals here in Spokane, 3 to 4 inches,
three to four in Coeur, d'alene and St.
Mary's.
If you head U in elevation,
you're easily getting more snow.
That's one of these type of
norms when it comes to more maybe
8 inches in some spots.
Most places 6,
and we're talking mountain peaks
to even get that.
Alright Jeremy, thank you very much.
Tensions continue to build after
the Spokane County Sheriff's Office
started handing out these Flyers
yesterday to people living at the
homeless camp near I-90 and Freya.
Those Flyers announced the camp will
be closed and provided information
about homeless services around Spokane.
However, the flyer itself does
not give a date of when the camp
is expected to be shut down.
Both the Washington Department of
Transportation and Camp Management say
the city and the county did not give a
warning for handing out those Flyers.
They say it felt like a sharp
step in the back in negotiations
for trying to clear that camp.
Now local law enforcement paid
campers another visit to that
homeless camp near I-90.
Crime news Janelle Finch is joining us
live right now from that camp to tell
us more about the message officers
had for those who are staying there.
Janelle.
Service providers here at the
camp are disappointed in how city
and county law enforcement are
distributing this information.
They say officials want to intimidate
campers more than they want to help them.
Leaders say campers already have
the information these Flyers and
bringing people in uniform just adds
to the performance of intimidation.
Earlier today, Jules helping hands
the Washington State Department
of Transportation and Empire
Health representatives waited
for law enforcement to arrive.
While yesterday's visit was
more of a surprise to campers,
today agencies were prepared.
Officers came in with updated Flyers
saying the camp would be closing
soon and to prepare next steps.
But owner of the Land Wash dot
says it's not buying what the city.
And county are selling.
It's just extremely disappointing.
I
mean, all this is doing is
riling up people at the camp.
We're making significant progress, but.
They continue to show up and
put pressure, cause people to get
upset and it's not being helpful.
Spokane Police told KREM two officers
would continue to be a presence
at the camp until it was gone.
Julie Humphrey says campers can
expect more Flyers with resources.
I spoke to compassionate addiction
treatment today about the Flyers.
They're one of the resources listed.
One of the Co founders say giving a
piece of paper with resources isn't an
effective way to help those in need,
and groundwork is being done to
get people out of the camp again.
These Flyers don't say when the camp
is closing and we've asked the Spokane
County Sheriff's Office multiple times.
For more information on their timeline
and have yet to receive a response.
Live in Spokane. Janelle Finch, KREM 2 news.