Demolition of murder scene on hold, again

The site of a quadruple homicide near the University of Idaho campus will remain standing, at least through fall semester.

U of I officials have again delayed their plans to raze the off-campus house, the Idaho Statesman reported Thursday.

The demolition had originally been planned for October. But now, it is on hold until at least mid-December, the Statesman reported.

“The King Road house will not come down this semester,” U of I spokeswoman Jodi Walker told the Statesman’s Kevin Fixler. “We will be moving forward, continuing to prepare for that eventual end.”

Four U of I students — Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Wash.; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene — were stabbed to death in the off-campus home on Nov. 13.

The demolition has been in the works since February, when the home’s owner donated the property to the U of I. But in July, the U of I delayed action until October — a timetable that seemed to coincide with the scheduled Oct. 2 trial of Bryan Kohberger, who faces four first-degree murder charges in connection with the slayings.

Kohberger’s trial is on hold.

And while members of the victims’ families have pressed for delaying the demolition until after the trial, the demolition could come sooner, the Statesman reported.

“I think anything’s possible,” Walker told the Statesman. “We certainly want to do what is best for our students, the university and keeping in mind the families as well. It’s a huge decision and a huge moment in their lives.”

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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