House where four University of Idaho students were slain will be demolished

A house near the University of Idaho campus where four students were found stabbed to death in a gruesome attack in November will be demolished, university officials said.

In an email to students and employees Friday — with the subject line “Outpouring of Support Brings Healing From Tragedy” — Scott Green, the university president, said the owner of the house had offered to give the residence to the university. The house is located on King Road near the campus.

“The house will be demolished,” Green wrote. “This is a healing step and removes the physical structure where the crime that shook our community was committed. Demolition also removes efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene. We are evaluating options where students may be involved in the future development of the property.”

The message said the university has also created scholarships in the victims’ names and plans to develop a garden in their memories.

Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves were found dead at their rental home off campus on Nov. 13. The killings terrified the small city of Moscow, which had not recorded a homicide in five years. It took weeks for investigators to identify a suspect or locate a weapon. Thousands of students left campus and switched to remote learning as anxiety mounted over the possibility of additional attacks.

On Dec. 30, authorities arrested Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University, at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. He was extradited to Idaho in January, where he awaits a preliminary hearing on charges including four counts of first-degree murder and burglary.

Green said it has been difficult “seeing beyond this tragedy,” but also expressed gratitude for the outreach and support from across the University of Idaho community.

“We will never forget Xana, Ethan, Madison and Kaylee, and I will do everything in my power to protect their dignity and respect their memory,” Green wrote.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.