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Plan To Demolish House Where Idaho Students Were Killed Is Paused After Outrage

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Plan To Demolish House Where Idaho Students Were Killed Is Paused After Outrage


The house where four college students were brutally stabbed to death last November will remain standing until October, the University of Idaho announced Wednesday, following outrage from some of the victims’ family members over its planned demolition.

In an email to students and employees, President Scott Green said that the university had reversed course on its decision to demolish the rental house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, where Madison “Maddie” Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, were killed on Nov. 13. Bryan Kohberger, a former criminology student at Washington State University, in nearby Pullman, has been charged with four counts of murder and is facing the death penalty if convicted.

“We will revisit this decision in October,” said Green, who noted that the university still “fully” expected to demolish it.

The Moscow, Idaho, residence where students Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves were found dead on Nov. 13 is roped off amid investigations in January.

“Thank you to the University of Idaho for honoring the wishes of the families by not demoing the King Rd. house,” the Goncalves family said in a statement provided to HuffPost by their attorney, Shanon Gray.

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The owner of the house donated it to the university earlier this year. The university had initially planned to tear it down this spring, long before the murder trial was set to begin, with the permission of both the prosecution and defense teams, which Green noted in his email. That did not sit well with some of the victims’ family members, specifically the Goncalveses, who were vocal in their objections.

“The university asked for the families’ opinions on the demolition and then proceeded to ignore those opinions and pursue their own self-interests,” Gray said in an early July email to The Idaho Statesman.

Gray told the Statesman that members of the Mogen and Kernodle families also opposed the demolition of the property until after the trial, which is scheduled to start Oct. 2. The trial could be delayed, however, after a judge on Monday granted the defense’s request to stay the proceedings.

“The home itself has enormous evidentiary value as well as being the largest, and one of the most important, pieces of evidence in the case,” Gray told the Statesman.

Prosecutors have disputed that the house would play a role in the trial; unlike other high-profile cases, they did not plan for the jury to tour the scene of the killings.

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“The scene has been substantially altered from its condition at the time of the homicides including removal of relevant property and furnishings, removal of some structural items such as wallboard and flooring, and subjected to extensive chemical application creating a potential health hazard,” Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said in an email to the university that was viewed by CNN. “These are some of the reasons that we have concluded that a ‘jury view’ would not be appropriate.”

In his original Feb. 24 announcement, Green had called the proposed demotion a “healing step” that would counter “efforts to further sensationalize the crime scene.”

He echoed that sentiment Wednesday, saying, “It is a constant reminder of the heinous acts that went on inside it. It is also a place that continues to draw unwanted attention from media, YouTubers and others.”

Still, Green acknowledged Wednesday that the house “elicits deep emotional responses from those who are working through grief and who fear that its destruction could impact the court case.”

“We hear all these arguments, take them seriously and weigh them against the greater good for our university. … This is why the decision about what to do with the King Road house is so difficult,” he said.

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Following the removal of hazardous asbestos and lead, Green said, “personal items from the residents will be removed and families will soon be able to retrieve their loved ones’ possessions to the extent they wish to do so. We will continue to work discretely and respectfully with the families on this.”





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Idaho

North Idaho memories: Hayden man shares fond recollection of Moscow childhood

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North Idaho memories: Hayden man shares fond recollection of Moscow childhood



Although I have been a Coeur d’Alene-area resident for some 40 years, I have lived and worked in many cities in Idaho.

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I was born and spent my first 13 years in Moscow and I think that’s North Idaho enough for this series.

Moscow was a wonderful place to be a kid in the 1940s! The whole town plus the University of Idaho campus were the playfield and discovery zone of kids on bikes from all across town.

Summer days riding downtown to Roger’s for a 5-cent root beer or ice cream cone, then onto the U of I campus to watch an Idaho football practice or maybe get caught up in a vacant lot baseball game!

Of course, catching shiners, snakes and crawdads down at the creek was a staple, as was wandering through the bushes along the creek and railroad tracks, finding recently used hobo camps, ah!

Sometimes we would take over sleeping bags, sleep at the foot of Mingo’s Hill, then climb the several hundred old rickety wooden steps to the top and over to Palouse Creek at the base of Paradise Ridge, where we would catch bullheads with a stick and string.

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Winter was also delightful! We had snow vacations for at least 10 days each winter due mostly to trains not being able to bring coal in through the drifts.

It was great fun to sleigh down Pool’s hill and build snow forts and caves in the snow.

I must mention also the Saturdays whooping at the cowboy shows being shown at the Kenworthy and Nuart theaters. It cost us a whopping 12 cents for the matinee!

Finally, one of the huge annual events — the circus! Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey and Clyde Beatty. Circuses would arrive by train at the depot on Third Street. The whole shebang would parade down Main Street and set up on the “flats” in the northeast part of town. Us guys would help set up tents and do other labor in exchange for a ticket to a performance. It was a great experience!

Moscow was a perfect place for kids to grow up back in the ’40s!

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— John Mushlitz, Hayden

•••

Send your North Idaho memories and photos to Devin Weeks, dweeks@cdapress.com. Please provide information with any photos you send: who is in them, when and where were they taken and a brief description of what is happening in the photo. Pieces should be no more than 500 words. Please include names of those submitting the memories and how long North Idaho has been or was your home.

Longtime residents have a treasure trove of stories about the way things used to be. We hope you’ll share those gems with us.

    A postcard of Main Street in Moscow looking north at Rexall Drug, Moscow Hotel and Scott’s Flower’s and Gifts. Circa 1940.
 
 



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MHP troopers arrest attempted homicide suspect out of Idaho near Four Corners

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MHP troopers arrest attempted homicide suspect out of Idaho near Four Corners


BOZEMAN — According to the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP), a suspect in conjunction with an attempted homicide in Idaho was arrested on Huffine Lane near Four Corners on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

MHP said in a press release dispatch received a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) report from Idaho at approximately 10:30 a.m. According to the release, the BOLO report was for a possibly armed suspect wanted in conjunction with an attempted homicide in Summit County, Utah.

Watch the moment MHP Troopers arrest Idaho suspect on Huffine Lane:

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Attempted homicide suspect out of Idaho arrested between Bozeman and Four Corners

Around 11:15 a.m., troopers reportedly located the vehicle on Highway 191 outside of Four Corners. The driver initially pulled over on Huffine Lane when troopers attempted to stop the vehicle and then fled at a high rate of speed toward Bozeman.

During the pursuit that followed, troopers were able to successfully perform a PIT maneuver, causing the suspect vehicle to stop, ending the pursuit.

The release said the suspect was taken into custody without incident and is being held at the Gallatin County Detention Center.

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No further details were released. We will update you when we get more information.





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North Idaho highways to receive a fresh coat of paint through summer

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North Idaho highways to receive a fresh coat of paint through summer


 

Throughout the months of July, August and September, Idaho Transportation Department striping crews will be laying down a fresh coat of paint on large sections of highways across the Panhandle. The following schedule will help drivers to be aware of upcoming temporary work zones that may affect them and plan ahead. Every year crews stripe hundreds of miles, and on heavily traveled routes like I-90, apply two coats of paint.

JULY 

US-95 Byway in Sandpoint

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                               US-95 from Sandpoint to Athol

US-95 from Athol to Coeur d’Alene

SH-41 from I-90 to Rathdrum

US-95 from Coeur d’Alene to the Latah County line

SH-53 from Rathdrum to the Washington State line

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Post Falls business loop

AUGUST             

EARLY                     SH-58 from the Coeur d’Alene Casino to the Washington State line

SH-60 from US-95 to the Washington State line

SH-5 from Plummer to St. Maries

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MID                         SH-3 from I-90 to the Latah County Line

SH-6 from the SH-3 Junction to the Latah County line

LATE INTO              SH-97 from I-90 to the SH-3 Junction

EARLY SEPT            SH-4 from Wallace to Burke

Wallace, Mullan, and Osburn business loops

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During striping operations teams are organized into a line of pace cars flanking the paint truck and are followed by a crash cushion trailer to ensure the safety of the crew.  This configuration of vehicles travels slowly as they paint the roadway markings to ensure lines that will last through the year. While the paint itself is very bright, retro-reflective beads are also mixed in to help catch and reflect light to improve nighttime visibility.

Pace cars alert motorists of the operation and slow down traffic so drivers do not go over the paint before it dries. It is important for drivers to avoid drifting over the lines on either side of their lane or trying to pass where striping is in progress.

Striping operations occur primarily during daylight hours and are performed in the summer when temperatures are consistently warm enough to ensure the paint dries quickly and adheres securely to the road. Most frequently these operations are carried out during weekdays, but there are occasional needs for weekend work. Crews start as early as 5 a.m. to avoid peak commute times and try to pull off so others can pass where they have room to do so safely.

Drivers who encounter the mobile paint operations are asked to be patient for the safety of motorists and crews, and to follow the guidance of all work zone signs, especially for no passing.

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Updated information will be available throughout the summer on Idaho 511.



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