House where Idaho college students were slain to be demolished
(NewsNation) — The house in Moscow, Idaho, where four college students were brutally murdered will be demolished and a memorial and garden will be established, according to a memo from the president of the university.
The memo states that an offer from the owner of the home at 1122 King Road was accepted by the university, which will then have the structure demolished.
“This is a healing step and removes the physical structure where the crime that shook our community was committed,” the memo states. “Demolition also removes efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene.”
The nondescript gray house on King Road was the center of a massive quadruple murder investigation in the stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin and Madison Mogen.
The house is a 2,175-square-foot, tri-level, six-bedroom, three-bathroom house with at least one accessible back door, according to photos analyzed by NewsNation.
The six bedrooms and three bathrooms are spread out across three floors, with two bedrooms and one bathroom on each floor. Victims were found on the second and third floors, according to police.
The murders shocked the small town and the University of Idaho community.
In the memo, university President Scott Green said the school is evaluating options “where students may be involved” in the future development of the property.
“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,” he stated. “Together we will rebuild and continue to support each other.”
In addition, the president’s memo said early planning is underway to create a memorial to the four students.
“While the memorial will be a focal point of a garden, the garden will also be a place of remembrance of other students we have lost and a place of healing for those left behind,” the memo states.
According to Green, a university committee, with student representation, is developing a plan and the garden design will incorporate class and individual student participation.
It will be located on the Moscow campus, but the exact location has not yet been identified.