The still-grieving University of Idaho community dedicated a “healing garden” Wednesday to the four students viciously murdered in their off-campus home nearly two years ago.
The student-designed flower patch honors the lives of all students who died while enrolled at the school, but specifically memorializes Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen.
“It’s a reminder that even in moments of sadness, always find light. In the wake of tragedy, I take great inspiration from the amazing resilience of the families involved,” Dean of Student Blaine Eckles said at the unveiling ceremony.
The Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial honors the lives and legacy of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen. Facebook
The Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial was established as a “permanent space for quiet reflection, remembrance, hope and healing” — following community outrage ignited by the demolition of the off-campus rental where the foursome was stabbed to death on Nov. 13, 2022.
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The small walking path, complete with a “Memory Garden” and overhang, is wedged between several academic buildings and peppered with various flora and fauna.
It was designed by the University of Idaho’s architecture students and “inspired by community input.”
Goncalves, top left, Kernodle, Chapin, bottom left, and Mogen were stabbed to death in their bedrooms on Nov. 13, 2022. ZUMAPRESS.com
There was public outcry earlier this year — including from the victims’ family members — when the three-story home at 1122 King Road was torn down.
Protesters demanded that the home remain intact until after suspected killer Bryan Kohberger’s trial concluded in case the building harbored remaining evidence.
But school officials, who were given the house after the tragedy, called the structure a “grim reminder of the heinous act that took place there.”
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A university spokesperson told The Post that the memorial garden was not meant to replace the off-campus home because the site was never intended to be a place of reflection.
Bryan Kohberger’s legal team claims he wasn’t in the state at the time of the cold blooded slayings. Getty Images
The Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial also honors lost students other than Kernodle, Chapin, Goncalves and Mogen, the representative noted.
Prosecutors believe Kohberger broke into the off-campus house around 4 a.m. and stabbed the four friends to death inside their bedrooms. Lifelong pals Mogen and Goncalves were sharing a bed at the time, while couple Kernodle and Chapin were sleeping across the hall.
Kohberger’s defense team claims he was not in the vicinity of the property, but was instead on a late-night drive miles away in Washington State to look at the moon and stars.
At the time of the slayings, Kohberger was a criminology Ph.D student at Washington State University, just eight miles away from the house.
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The state will pursue the death penalty at Kohberger’s trial, which is set for June 2025.
POCATELLO — A motorcyclist was injured late Saturday when his bike collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Alameda Road and Yellowstone Avenue.
Pocatello Police Lt. Josh Hancock said the crash was reported to police at 11:27 p.m. Few details were available Sunday, but Hancock confirmed that the motorcycle driver was transported to Portneuf Medical Center with minor injuries.
Information about the driver of the other vehicle was not available.
Photos obtained by EastIdahoNews.com show a damaged motorcycle lying in the outer lane of Alameda, near its intersection with Yellowstone, and debris spread across both lanes. A sedan with front-end damage is also seen stopped in the intersection.
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Alameda was closed between Yellowstone and Wilson avenues for a time as police investigated and emergency crews cleared the roadway.
Pocatello police are investigating the crash.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.Emergency workers respond to a crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle at the intersection of Alameda Road and Yellowstone Ave. in Pocatello, Saturday. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.comEmergency workers respond to a crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle at the intersection of Alameda Road and Yellowstone Ave. in Pocatello, Saturday. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoNews.com
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Outside of Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, who served as the floor sponsor for the bill, debate from legislators from across the political spectrum was entirely negative. Members of both parties raised concerns the legislation would consolidate power in the state, lead to paranoia amongst public officials and employees and present a fundamentally unnecessary solution in the face of existing oversight mechanisms.
Sen. Treg Bernt, R-Meridian, said the bill would allow the state to “supersede local decision making” by “stripping communities” of their ability to manage local issues. In addition to intruding on the relationship between state and local government, Bernt said the bill would bring “unprecedented authority” and investigatory power into the attorney general’s office.
“This consolidation places critical decisions affecting freedom and democracy in the hands of a selected few, rather than dispersing power as intended in a representative government,” Bernt said. “This ship fundamentally alters the balance of power in the state of Idaho — I have grave concerns over this.”
Sen. Ali Rabe, D-Boise, questioned why the legislation was necessary with the safeguards already in place. Even in bills that lack enforcement mechanisms, Rabe underlined there are mechanisms in place to “keep our elected officials” in check, including the Idaho Bribery and Corrupt Influences Act and the Idaho Ethics in Government Act, both of which govern the conduct of public officials.
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“I worry also it could put us at odds with each other and make us kind of paranoid against each other,” Rabe said. “It seems pretty easy in here to just send a referral from one elected official to another about anyone over anything. … I believe that it could potentially be abused in a lot of ways.”
Pointing to the provision of the legislation that could bar people from public office for up to five years, Sen. Josh Kohl, R-Twin Falls, said blocking individuals from seeking office puts the state on “thin ice” in maintaining constitutional protections.
“It’s just a tool of potential weaponization, and people could use this to target people they just don’t like or are feuding with. … You could imagine 1,000 scenarios where people could use this to target someone,” Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, said.
McCandless covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho Press of Nampa and Coeur d’Alene Press. He may be contacted at rmccandless@idahopress.com.
BOISE, Idaho – Around 1 p.m. today, Idaho State Police responded to a disturbance involving about 12 protesters inside the Idaho Capitol building.
The group used whistles and bullhorns inside the building, then went into a restroom and blocked the door with their bodies to keep others out. Troopers gave numerous warnings about the disturbance, and the group was trespassed from the building. The group refused to leave when instructed and remained in the restroom, further disrupting the situation.
Around 2:40 p.m., troopers arrested six people for misdemeanor trespass. One person was also charged with resisting arrest.
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During the arrests, one person sustained a minor injury while leaving a bathroom stall. They were taken to a local hospital for a precautionary evaluation before being booked.
All of the people involved were adults. No weapons were reported in the incident.
The Boise Police Department assisted in transporting those arrested to the Ada County Jail.
ISP supports the public’s right to protest and express their opinions. People must follow lawful orders and rules to keep everyone safe and maintain order in public buildings.
