King Road home demolished in Moscow

MOSCOW — Before the sun rose Thursday morning, construction crews began the process of tearing down the site of last year’s quadruple murder just off the University of Idaho campus in Moscow.

Dozens of media members arrived to watch the home at 1122 King Road be demolished.

On Nov. 13, 2022, the home became a crime scene when Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were murdered inside. In less than two hours Thursday, it was reduced to rubble.

UI, which was given the home by the former property owner earlier this year, believes this will serve as a healing step for the community.

UI spokesperson Jodi Walker said Thursday that the neighborhood is dense with students.

“The students have to live with the sight of that house every day,” she said. “You can see it from campus.”

She also said it has attracted YouTubers and others who try to access the property or look for souvenirs.

“That’s why we’ve had security on it 24-7 the entire time that we’ve had it,” Walker said.

The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, remains in Latah County Jail while the prosecution and defense in his case prepare for a potential trial. UI says it has been assured by his attorneys and the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office that the home is no longer needed for evidence. Walker said the attorneys don’t think it is necessary for a jury to walk through the house during the trial.

Both the prosecution and defense were given access to the home to document the property in the weeks leading up to Thursday’s demolition.

At least one of the victims’ families is angry with this decision to destroy the home. The Goncalves family posted a message on its Facebook page saying it has reached out to the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office and the UI to “stop this madness.”

The family posted a number of questions that they worry won’t be answered now that the home is demolished.

For example, what were all of the home’s potential access points? Can you hear sounds coming from the top floors when you are on the bottom floor? What vantage points could have allowed Kohberger to allegedly see into the house?

“We feel that the University of Idaho and the Court has put us in a horrible position to have to voice our opinions,” the Facebook post said. “We all along have just wanted the King Rd. Home to not be demolished and for us to have a trial date so that we can look forward to justice being served.”

Walker said UI will continue to have security at the site through the end of 2023. She said the construction crew will be back next week to grade the property and get it ready to plant grass.

She said there currently are no plans for the future of that site.

There is a plan to create the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial on the UI campus to honor the four victims.

Walker called it an “incredibly powerful student-driven project” involving students in the College of Art and Architecture.

The students have spent the fall semester designing the garden and memorial. Next semester, they will finalize those plans with the help of a professional architect. At that point, they will be ready to break ground, Walker said.

The tentative location is just north of the Shattuck Arboretum and east of the Physical Education Building.

UI said Germer Construction of Moscow served as general contractor for the demolition. Germer is performing site rehabilitation, grading, utility disconnection and demolition assistance, at a reduced cost to the university.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.