James Leonard, a 39-year-old ex-convict from Moscow, Idaho, was arrested on 7 December on charges of domestic battery and assault after an incident involving his wife and daughter.
Police said that Leonard’s arrest was not related to the unsolved quadruple stabbing that left four University of Idaho students dead earlier in November. Leonard has previously been convicted of murder but served little prison time.
His defense attorney is also the county coroner and has said that the students were killed in a homicide by stabbing.
Leonard is alleged to have beaten his wife and her daughter and cut himself with a knife. Police arrived at the scene and found Leonard’s wife with injuries. Leonard was found in a bedroom and had cuts on his hands and face.
He was frisked and found to be carrying two knives and a marijuana joint.
The arrest occurred amid an investigation into the deaths of four university students, who were killed in a quadruple stabbing earlier in November.
Police have said they don’t suspect any connection to the crime that occurred off in Moscow and left 4 students dead.