A man has been taken into custody as a suspect in the gruesome murders of four University of Idaho students.

On November 13, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, and Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, both 20, were found dead in the off-campus house they shared in Moscow, Idaho.

The crime scene was described by police as the "worst they've ever seen."

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt confirmed last month that all four students were killed by stabbing, stating that they had been "butchered."

Two other roommates were present at the time of the attack but were not harmed, and they were quickly eliminated as suspects.

For a while, it seemed that the police were no closer to identifying the perpetrator or determining the motive for the crime. However, on 30 December, authorities announced that they had arrested a man in Pennsylvania in connection with the murders.

According to NBC News, multiple law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation said that the man was apprehended in the Scranton area, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI.

6abc Action News informed that the man's name is Bryan Kohberger. A SWAT team found him in the Pocono Mountains.

The outlet also reported that court documents show that Kohberger has been ordered to be extradited to Idaho to face criminal charges.

The Moscow Police Department announced that it will hold a press conference at 1:00 pm local time on the same day.

"Police Chief James Fry will give an update of the ongoing investigation into the quadruple homicide that occurred at 1122 King Road on Sunday, November 13," the press release stated.

"Officials from the Moscow Police Department, Idaho State Police, the City of Moscow, and University of Idaho will be present."

The press conference will be streamed live on YouTube, and officials have requested that all media inquiries be held until after the conference.

The case has shocked people across the US, and the latest development marks the first significant progress in the investigation.

Previously, Mabbutt stated that the killings appeared to be "personal" based on the results of the autopsies and mentioned the possibility of finding "defensive wounds" on the victims' bodies, suggesting that they struggled against their attacker.

Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee who was killed in the attack, had previously expressed frustration with the police investigation and even hired a private detective to try to identify the perpetrator.

In an interview with the New York Post earlier this month, he suggested that the police force handling the case was too "inexperienced," citing the fact that one of the officers is only 26 years old.

"So they're just inexperienced – and I don't want anyone making mistakes in my child's case," he said.

Kaylee and Madison were recorded on CCTV footage outside a food truck in Moscow just hours before they were killed.

On social media, many people speculated about a man referred to as "Hoodie Guy" and whether he was connected to the crimes. The footage shows the man appearing to stare at the two women but not interacting with them, though the police also ruled him out as a suspect.

More information about the arrest is expected to be provided at the upcoming press conference. The case is still ongoing.