The house where four college students were found murdered last year will be demolished later this month, the University of Idaho announced Thursday.
Demolition is scheduled to begin on December 28, with the school’s fall semester ending. This comes after the school stopped hitting the wrecking ball several times amid objections from some of the victims’ families. They have expressed concerns that demolishing it prematurely could result in the destruction of evidence for a later trial.
The school has now said its decision to demolish the house over the winter break was made “as an attempt to minimize the additional impact on students living in that area”.
“It is a grim reminder of the heinous act that occurred there,” University of Idaho President Scott Greene said in a statement Thursday. “While we appreciate the emotional attachment some of the victims’ family members may have to this home, it is time to remove it and allow the collective healing of our community to continue.”
One of the victims’ fathers said he remained upset Thursday.
“It’s going to be another rough Christmas,” Steve Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee Goncalves was one of the victims, told ABC News.
The King Road home in Moscow, Idaho, was the site of a horrific quadruple murder last November, in which University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mugen, 21; Zana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were found stabbed to death.
Prosecutors allege that in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, Brian Kohberger, then 28, had a Ph.D. in criminology. A student at nearby Washington State University, broke into the house and committed the murder.
After a six-week manhunt, police zeroed in on Kohberger as a suspect, tracked his white Hyundai Elantra and cellphone signal data, and recovered what authorities said was his DNA found on the sheath button of a KA-BAR knife someone had found. Bodies of victims at the crime scene.
Four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in a large off-campus rental house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, as seen here in May 2023.
Angela Palermo/Idaho Statesman/TNS via Getty Images, FILE
He was arrested on December 30 and charged in May with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. During his appearance, he refused to enter a confession, so the judge declared not guilty on his behalf.
After the killings, the property owner donated the house to the school, which announced in February that the site would be demolished as a “healing step” that “also removes efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene.”
Then, in July, the university announced an abrupt moratorium on the high-profile demolition, saying it would halt plans to build the house “until October” — when the Kuhberger murder was scheduled to begin.
The pause came amid objections from some of the victims’ families who expressed concern that removing the house before Kohberger’s trial could cause unexpected problems for prosecutors as they work to issue a guilty verdict.
“Ultimately, this shouldn’t matter from a legal perspective,” said ABC News legal contributor Matt Murphy, a former prosecutor in Orange County, California. But the university has handed the defense an issue that will be debated and litigated for years to come. . “Out of respect for the victims and their families, as well as the rights of the accused to due process, they should have waited,” he added.
Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial in August, delaying the start date indefinitely. In early September, the university announced it would postpone demolition of the house until at least the end of the fall semester.
Before the demolition, Kohberger’s defense will have access to the home, while they continue to prepare their case for trial. No date or trial has been set.
Kohberger’s defense “indicated they wanted to take photos, take measurements, and possibly collect drone footage of the house,” the university said.
Construction crews will begin demolishing the house in the early morning of December 28, and it may take several days to completely clear the site. The school says King Road will be closed to traffic during the demolition and debris removal process.
Follow the podcast: “The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery” from ABC News, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast player.
The tragic and heinous murders of college students at an Idaho house have left a community in shock and dismay. With the end of the semester approaching, it has been decided that the house where these senseless acts took place will be demolished. The decision reflects a collective effort to move forward and create a sense of closure for the victims, their families, and the community at large. As the facility prepares for the demolition, it serves as a solemn reminder of the need for greater safety and security measures in college environments. The impending demolition also signifies a step towards healing and renewal for all those impacted by this heartbreaking event.