King Road House in Moscow to be demolished December 28

Known as the King Road House, the residence where four University of Idaho students were killed last November will be demolished later this month.

The off-campus house located at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho was given to the university early this year. Ever since, the university has been set on tearing it down. 

“It’s a daily reminder of what happened there,” said Jodi Walker, executive director of communications for the University of Idaho. “Removing [the house] is helpful for the healing process for our Vandal community.”

The university has no plans yet on what the empty space will be used for, said Walker. 

“It will be turned back to green space for the moment and then decisions can be made down the line of what to do with the ground long term,” she said.

Victims Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves will be memorialized in the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial that is being designed for the campus. 

This semester, students in the university’s art and architecture program have been working on concepts, said Walker. 

Student designs will be sent on to professional architecture services and then the university can start building the site. 

“The demolition of the house is that next step and then from there we can really turn our full focus on the healing garden and memorial, as that next step in the healing process,” said Walker.

The house will be demolished during winter break so it doesn’t disrupt the students who live near King Road, said Walker.

The FBI was on scene at the house on King Road Tuesday, October 31 and Wednesday, November 1 to get documentation for visual and audio exhibits and a physical model of the home for potential use in the trial. (Photo Credit: NWPB)

The FBI accessed the King Road House to gather more data in late October and early November. Scans taken of the property could help the FBI create visuals that could be used in the trial, according to the press release. 

The defense team representing Bryan Kohberger, the suspect charged with the murders, will be getting two days to access the house to help prepare their case. A trial date has not been set. 

Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial. There is no deadline for when the trial has to take place, said Andrea Burkhart, a criminal defense attorney in Washington. 

“There is a very large volume of discovery in this case already and much of it is technical evidence that requires review by experts, which can be very time-consuming,” said Burkhart. 

The delay is likely because the defense is trying to review the state’s case in order to plan its own investigation, said Burkhart.

“It’s difficult to get a sense of how long that will take while information is still coming in,” said Burkhart. 

Demolition will begin at 7 a.m. on December 28 and could take several days, said Walker. Media will have access to view the demolition but crews working on the site will not be available for interviews, according to the press release.