Unredacted crime scene photos from the killing of four University of Idaho students in 2022 have potentially been released, according to a statement from the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
The photos were likely leaked to journalists and social media commentators, according to the statement. The office doesn’t yet know who released the images.
A judge ruled last October that the graphic crime scene photos would not be released to the public, saying releasing the images would cause extreme emotional distress for the families.
“We have shared this information with the families and expressed our outrage, as well as our sympathies that they must once again suffer unnecessarily,” said Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson.
The families may have recourse in the civil courts, Thompson said, but the state of Idaho would not have legal standing to take independent action.
His office – along with the Moscow Police Department and Idaho State Police – released the statement Tuesday, in the hopes they might get in front of what is happening and lessen the chances the photos are distributed.
The stabbing deaths of the four college students captured international attention for years. The press release from Latah County said they recognize the public’s legitimate interest in transparency but that, quote, “the dissemination of these photographs does not serve that interest.”
