Idaho House Where 4 College Students Were Murdered Won’t Be Demolished Just Yet

The demolition of the Idaho rental home where four college students were murdered in November has been put on hold.

The University of Idaho decided to put off tearing down the six-bedroom, three-bathroom house near campus until October. Students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were found stabbed in their beds in the home on Nov. 13.

The school had faced pressure from family members of some of the victims who didn’t want the house to be torn down before the trial of the accused killer begins in October. They want the jury to have the opportunity to visit the home if needed.

Asbestos and lead discovered in the home during the investigation must also be remediated before it can be torn down.

“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 on Wednesday. “While we look forward to removing this grim reminder of this tragedy, we feel holding until October is the right thing to do.”

Doctoral student Bryan Kohberger, who was studying criminology at nearby Washington State University, was charged with four counts of murder and one count of burglary in the stabbing deaths of the students.

“This is pretty hideous,” Randall Bell, CEO of Landmark Research Group, previously told Realtor.com®. His company specializes in the analysis of real estate properties following disasters and crimes.

Anytime you have an extreme crime involving young adults or children, “it really amplifies the negative emotions,” he said.

In an effort to help communities heal, it’s not uncommon for properties where tragedies have occurred to be demolished. Leaving them standing can serve as an unwelcome reminder of the atrocity.

For example, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer‘s Milwaukee apartment building was torn down. It’s currently an empty lot.

The Newton, CT, home of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter Adam Lanza was also razed and is now vacant property.

Sometimes, the home where the murder took place is demolished and a new home is built on the property. That was what happened to the Beverly Hills, CA, home where actress Sharon Tate and four others were killed by Charles Manson‘s followers in 1969.

The University of Idaho plans to create the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial on campus, in honor of the slain students.

Stacy Chapin, whose son was one of the victims, told the New York Times that demolishing the house this summer seemed fast. But she also has two children who still attend the University of Idaho. (Ethan was a triplet.)

“Our kids have to walk past that house every day,” Chapin told the Times. “The kids, they need to heal. The university needs to heal. And the community.”

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