The King Road House, the crime scene where four University of Idaho students were murdered last year, was demolished early in the morning this Thursday, with construction crews beginning demolition at 6:30 a.m.
The noises of heavy machinery and the house being ripped apart could be heard from halfway across campus.
Members of the media surrounded the house and directed their cameras towards the destruction, which only took about 90 minutes for the construction crew to fully bring down.
This comes after several members of the victim’s families issued a statement pleading to not demolish the house. Members of the Goncalves family and the Kernodle family issued a statement titled: “PLEASE STOP THE DEMOLITION OF THE KING ROAD HOME!” In the statement, the families give their reasons as to why the house should not be demolished. They also requested the court to set a trial date.
Jodi Walker, the Senior Director of Communication for the University of Idaho, who was at the site of the demolition, issued a statement about the demolition.
“The demolition of the house this morning is definitely an emotional time for our community and our campus and most certainly for the families, and first and foremost we want to acknowledge that and respect that. It’s also a moment for us all to breathe a little sigh of relief and know that we can move on to the next step of healing. While we will never forget what happened here on King Road, we can continue to move forward and heal. This is that next step.” Walker said.
Walker also explained some of the reasoning behind the university’s choosing to demolish the house now, and not after the trial.
“It was never a secret that we intended to demolish it. We listened to our community, and talked with our community, as well as the prosecutor’s office and the defense knowing that they both expressed that they were finished with the house and didn’t have any further use for it.”
According to Walker, the prosecutor’s office went as far as to say that the public couldn’t bring a jury into the house even if it wanted to, because the house had been dramatically altered from the time of the incident.
Walker also explained that the university’s choice to demolish the house now was to reduce the impact on students.
“Doing it (demolishing the house) while the students were gone on winter break made sense.”
Walker confirmed that 100% of the apartments and houses surrounding the King Road House housed students and that the presence of the house affected these students.
“We heard from students in the area that they were ready for the house to come down.”
Walker also confirmed that there are no future plans for the property and that all focus and planning are being put toward the Vandal Healing Garden.
With the house being brought down, there is still no scheduled trial date for Bryan Kohberger.
Ben DeWitt can be reached at [email protected] or on X @BenDeWitt123
Sassanach
I have followed this tragedy from nearly the minute it was announced on news releases. I can understand why taking down The House would not be missed by many of the students and neighbors in its proximity in their day to day. In addition, their thoughts will no doubt be much more consumed by classes, studies and social activities. Assuming that their thoughts on the crime will understandably be answered by opinions of friends and others, they may not 'dig' into every scintilla of information that comes up. Whereas sleuths, such as myself, every minor bit, seen, smelled, touched or heard has significance until it doesn't. With that simple view of this demolition, it should have remained upright and in place until this lurid slaughter is confidently and positively resolved and solved with ALL those having Any tangential connection to it properly brought to Justice.
Karen
I agree with you 100%!!!
FiL X
the house didn't do anything