MOSCOW, Idaho — The King Road home where four University of Idaho students were killed last year will remain standing until October 2023, nearly one year after the murders took place.
The house, located in Moscow, was set to be demolished by the university sometime before the upcoming school year starts. However, the university delayed demolition until October but did not specify why.
Although the demolition was delayed, the university said remediation of the house will continue in preparation for demolition.
"We know that every action and decision around this horrific incident is painful and invokes emotions. That is why every decision we have made this far is with the families of the victims and our students in mind," University of Idaho President Scott Green said in a statement. "While we look forward to removing this grim reminder of this tragedy, we feel holding until October is the right thing to do."
Crews started removing all of the victims' remaining personal items from the house in early July. The owner of the house said in February that they planned to tear it down but ultimately gave the house to the university.
In a letter recently obtained by KREM 2, an attorney for the University acknowledged some of the victims' families do not want the house torn down before the case is resolved.
University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were murdered in that house last November. On Thursday, disaster crews were at the house working to pack up some of the victims' remaining personal items.
Jodi Walker with the University of Idaho said crews anticipate it will take a couple of weeks to get all of the victims' remaining items out of the house and returned to the families. Both the prosecution and the defense for the man accused of committing the murders agreed to release the house to the university, according to Walker.
Fall classes begin on Aug. 21, 2023, and the suspect, 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, is expected to go to trial in October. This is why Shanon Gray, the attorney for the family of Kaylee Goncalves, said his clients are upset that a critical piece of the puzzle may be leveled.
“It’s the largest piece of evidence in the entire case," Gray said." The families feel like it should be left there until the trial is over.”
Gray told KREM 2 the house could still hold necessary evidence or help jurors visualize the case better than photos or 3D models.
“If there’s any evidence brought up in trial that has to do with vantage points or how you can see something or hear something or entrance points, exit points," he explained.
Attorney Kent Nelson added the university needs a legal reason before considering delaying demolition.
“The university has been in contact with the families since we took ownership of the house in the spring," Walker said.
Right now, Gray says he's not considering taking legal action to stop the demolition. He released the following statement Wednesday on behalf of the Goncalves family:
Thank you to the University of Idaho for honoring the victims' families' wishes by not demoing the King Road house.
"We appreciate how so many have responded with empathy and patience," Green said.
The university said the plan to create the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial is still in progress.
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