Demolition Of House Where Idaho Students Were Killed Set To Begin This Month

The site where four Idaho students were fatally stabbed last year is set to be demolished later this month.

On Nov. 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were found dead at an off-campus rental house in Moscow Idaho. The victims were Madison “Maddie” Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

The suspect in the killings, Bryan Kohberger, 28, who was a grad student at nearby Washington State University, was arrested on Dec. 30 and indicted in May on counts of first-degree murder and burglary, NBC News reported.

The FBI had visited the house in October to collect additional data, followed by Kohberger’s defense team this week in preparation for the trial, which does not have a set date yet, according to a statement from the University of Idaho.

The university’s statement said that the house, which was given to the university earlier this year, will be demolished starting Dec. 28, adding that it “may take several days to completely clear the site.”

“It is the grim reminder of the heinous act that took place there,” university President Scott Green said in the statement. “While we appreciate the emotional connection some family members of the victims may have to this house, it is time for its removal and to allow the collective healing of our community to continue.”

The university first announced in February that it planned to destroy the house in the spring. Green had described the move in a statement as a “healing step” that could counter “efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene.”

But the plan was paused in July after some of the victims’ family members expressed outrage over the decision, arguing that the house should be preserved until after the trial is completed.

In response, Green said that the college would delay its demolition until October.