Idaho House Where 4 College Students Were Stabbed To Death Will Be Destroyed
The house where four college students were stabbed to death will be demolished, the University of Idaho confirmed in a statement on Friday.
Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, were found dead at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, in mid-November. Nearly six weeks after the killings, Bryan Kohberger, 28, was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary.
Scott Green, the university’s president, said they accepted an offer from the owner to give the King Street house to the college. Now, the structure will be torn down as a means of healing for the community.
“This is a healing step and removes the physical structure where the crime that shook our community was committed,” Green said in a statement. “Demolition also removes efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene.”
Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, waived his extradition hearing after his court appearance on Dec. 31 and was brought to Idaho in January to face charges. Idaho police said they would no longer be communicating with the media and the public about Kohberger’s case, per the judge’s order.
Idaho students struggled to regain their sense of safety following the killings, but efforts were made to support the community as they returned to the campus. Green said the college created scholarships in memory of the four students, and a campus memorial is also underway.
“Sometimes it is hard to see beyond this tragedy. But the selfless acts, the deep engagement, and loving support of our entire Vandal Family remind me that there is so much good in the world,” Green said. “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.”
