No arrests announced as mourning, investigation continue in South Ida double stabbing

As the sun began to fade Friday evening, a woman propped a bouquet of white carnations against a tree trunk outside the south Wichita home of Martha and Godofredo Moreno.

“I thought it’d be a nice gesture,” she said. For her sense of security, she asked that her name not be used.

It had been about 31 hours since police found the couple’s bodies on the floor of their home with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds. Martha Moreno was 70; her husband was 72. It had been about 26 hours since the couple’s missing SUV had been found engulfed in flames in a field out in the county.

As of Friday night, police had not announced any arrests in the double homicide at the home, in the 600 block of South Ida.

The woman said she didn’t know Martha Moreno well but had casual conversation with her from time to time when the woman visited a friend who lives nearby. A few months ago, the woman saw Moreno outside with a young grandchild. On Friday, the woman said she was glad the child wasn’t there when the killings occurred.

She has a hard time accepting what happened. “I just couldn’t believe it was them,” she said, looking at the house.

Two police officers stood guard outside the house, still ringed with yellow crime-scene tape. A padlock secured the front door.

Earlier Friday, Wichita police Lt. Jeff Gilmore disclosed that police found the couple’s missing SUV at about 3:45 p.m. Thursday in a field in southwest Sedgwick County. The fire destroyed the gray Kia, he said. Fire investigators and detectives went to the field. After the fire was extinguished, authorities had it transported to the property-and-evidence facility, and investigators are hoping to recover evidence, Gilmore said.

“At this point, we are still looking into everything,” Gilmore said of the ongoing investigation.

Friday afternoon, investigators continued to work at the couple’s house, in an old neighborhood just southeast of Kellogg and Washington. At one point, an investigator wearing gloves walked from the house to the carport and briefly looked around inside.

Gilmore gave this account of the discovery of the bodies:

The initial 911 call came at 10:50 a.m. Thursday and was handled as a “cutting.” Police found the couple on the floor, and both were unresponsive. EMS personnel arrived and pronounced the couple dead at 11:01 a.m.

As of Friday morning, the cause of death had not been determined. Autopsies were being conducted, Gilmore said.

There appears to have been no forced entry to the home, Gilmore said. A tall wire fence surrounds the house. The couple was known to have dogs.

Gilmore asked that anyone with information about the case call Crime Stoppers, 316-267-2111. Police also said the public could call 911 to report information about the case.

A police report released earlier Friday morning says it was a 33-year-old man who found his parents dead.

Gilmore said the son does not live with his parents but had gone there to check on them. The couple were last seen Wednesday evening.

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 8:50 AM with the headline "No arrests announced as mourning, investigation continue in South Ida double stabbing."