House where ‘worst crime scene police have ever seen’ happened has been demolished
Demolition has commenced on the residence that witnessed one of the most horrific crime scenes ever encountered by the police.
On November 13, 2022, a gruesome incident unfolded at the off-campus dwelling of four University of Idaho students. Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Xana’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were brutally stabbed to death with an ‘edged weapon’ upon returning home from a night of revelry.
Court documents reveal that Madison and Kaylee were found on the second floor, while Xana and Ethan were discovered on the third floor. Although two other roommates were present during the tragic event, they emerged unscathed. The police described the crime scene as the most ‘gruesome’ and ‘harrowing’ they had ever encountered.
On December 30 of the same year, Bryan Kohberger, a criminology PhD student, was apprehended on suspicion of murder. Currently incarcerated at Latah County Jail in Moscow, Idaho, Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one charge of felony burglary, with prosecutors pursuing the death penalty.
As reported by CBS News, the trial is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2024.
Thirteen months after the brutal murders, the demolition of 1122 King Road—the site of the tragedy—began on December 28. The University of Idaho had previously announced its intention to demolish the property, citing it as a grim reminder of the heinous act. Kohberger’s defense team and the prosecution conducted final visits to the property for documentation purposes before the demolition.
Despite protests, including objections from Kaylee Goncalves’ family, the house was torn down. The Goncalves family pleaded on Facebook to halt the demolition, arguing for the preservation of the residence for basic evidentiary purposes during the trial. They suggested that maintaining the house could help jurors visualize the perspective of the surviving roommates present during the murders.
However, a trial expert cautioned against taking jurors to the crime scene, emphasizing that the trial usually occurs long after the incident, rendering the scene devoid of its original state.
To honor the memory of the four victims, the university plans to construct a memorial garden on campus.