Idaho police walk back earlier claim about quadruple murder; victims may not have been 'targeted'

Police in Moscow, Idaho this week walked back a major claim about the brutal slaying of four college students in that town last month, throwing into further confusion an investigation already marred by a marked lack of progress.

Authorities in Moscow had said last month that the Nov. 13 slaying of the four students at their off-campus home appeared to be a "targeted attack," suggesting that the killing was not random but may have been pre-planned with a motive. 

Yet in a press release on Wednesday, the Moscow Police Department said that the earlier determination resulted from a "miscommunication" with the local prosecutor's office.

"The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office stated the suspect(s) specifically looked at this residence, and that one or more of the occupants were undoubtedly targeted," the police said in the press release.

"We have spoken with the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office and identified this was a miscommunication," the release said "Detectives do not currently know if the residence or any occupants were specifically targeted but continue to investigate."

In that release, police noted that, more than two weeks after the murders, "no suspect has been identified."