The Demolition of Idaho House: A Look at Other Homes Connected to Infamous Murders

The University of Idaho is scheduled to commence demolition of the off-campus residence where four students were tragically stabbed to death last year, adding to a growing list of properties being razed after gruesome, high-profile murders. Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen lost their lives inside the rental property in Moscow, Idaho on November 13, 2022, leaving the university and local community in shock.

The home, which was donated to the university by its owner, was initially scheduled for demolition in July, prior to the start of the new academic year. However, this plan was postponed until this month, when the university revealed that Bryan Kohberger's defense attorneys had been granted access to the property in preparation for his trial. Prosecutors also visited the house on December 21, as confirmed by the school. Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder, and not guilty pleas have been entered on his behalf. Prosecutors have suggested that his trial commence in the summer of 2024.

Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing Tuesday at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho, in June.

August Frank/Pool/Reuters

Judge denies second attempt to dismiss case against suspect in Idaho student killings

The University of Idaho has announced that the demolition of the house where the heinous act took place will commence on Thursday during winter break. University President Scott Green stated that while they understand the emotional connection that some family members may have to the house, it is time for its removal to allow the community to heal collectively.

Before the demolition, the Goncalves and Kernodle families appealed to the university and local prosecutors to save the home in hopes that it could provide valuable evidence for the murder trial. They expressed concerns about what the surviving roommates may have heard during the killings. However, the university stated that neither the prosecutors nor the defense attorneys objected to the demolition. An email from a prosecutor to the school officials indicated that the house had changed significantly since the time of the homicides and therefore would not be admissible for a jury to see.

With the house now gone, focus can shift to the future of the property. The university plans to establish a memorial garden on the site in honor of the four students, and students studying landscape design and architecture were scheduled to develop concepts for the garden last fall.

The issue of what to do with these types of properties has become all too common in recent years, especially in the US. Communities often have to deal with the aftermath of mass shootings, figuring out how to pay tribute to the victims and their families while also enabling healing and progress for those affected.

It is particularly challenging after mass shootings at schools for students and teachers to contemplate returning, such as in the case of Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. This school was demolished and reconstructed after a shooting in December 2012 resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including 20 children aged 6 and 7.

Similarly, communities have grappled with questions about private homes where infamous killers resided or where their victims were murdered. In many cases, these homes are also demolished, as was the case with the home of the Sandy Hook shooter, where he lived with his mother, who was his first victim on the day of the shooting.

Heres a look at what happened to other homes synonymous with the killings that took place there.

10050 Cielo Drive

The infamous 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and four others took place at 10050 Cielo Drive, at the hands of Charles Manson's cult. In 1994, the Beverly Hills home was demolished and replaced with a sprawling nine-bedroom, 18-bathroom mansion, with a new address, completed in 1996.

The body of Sharon Tate is taken from her home on Cielo Drive after she and four others were found murdered by Charles Manson and his cult followers.

The mansion was listed for $85 million in January 2022 but has since seen multiple price reductions over the last 23 months. The current asking price is $49.5 million, as indicated by the real estate agents listing, which does not mention the property's controversial past.

John Wayne Gacys home

At least 33 people were killed by the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and law enforcement discovered the remains of over two dozen victims buried beneath his house near Chicago after his arrest in December 1978, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune reported that Gacy's home was demolished in April 1979, bringing relief to neighbors. One neighbor told the newspaper, "I'll be glad when every bit of it's gone."

After nearly a decade of sitting empty, a new home was built on the site in June 1988, also receiving a new address like the Cielo Drive house.

Police are seen on December 22, 1978, surrounding the home of the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, where the bodies of a number of his victims were found.

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The home of Fred and Rose West

Fred and Rose West were responsible for the abduction, sexual abuse, and murder of multiple girls and young women in England from the 1960s to the 1980s, with two of their daughters among the victims. Fred was accused of 12 murders and died by suicide before standing trial, while Rose was convicted of 10 counts of murder in November 1995 and was sentenced to life in prison. When the case came to light in the 1990s, investigators discovered the remains of many of their victims at their residence on 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester, including in the garden, basement, and bathroom.

The home, dubbed a "house of horrors," was torn down in 1996. A public walkway has since been built in its place.

Fred and Rose West's home at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester, England, is seen mid-demolition.

Barry Batchelor/PA Images/Getty Images

Alex Murdaughs hunting estate

Prior to gaining notoriety as the location of the tragic murders of Alex Murdaugh's wife, Maggie, and their son Paul, the expansive 1,700-acre property in Islandton, South Carolina, known as Moselle, served as the family's hunting estate. The property consisted of a main house, a cabin, and dog kennels, where the devastating events took place.

The main house at the Murdaugh's Moselle property is seen March 1 in Islandton, South Carolina.

Jurors visited the estate during the trial of the disgraced attorney earlier this year to gain a better understanding of the crime scene and the arguments presented by the prosecution and defense. The visit was intended to provide jurors with a more informed perspective on the case.

Unlike the other crime scenes, Moselle remains intact. According to CNN affiliate WJCL, the estate was put up for sale a few months after the murders, and numerous items from the house were auctioned off shortly after Murdaugh's conviction. His appeal has been filed, but is currently on hold as his defense attorneys seek a motion for a new trial.

The home was sold for $2.6 million, another affiliate, WCIV, reported in March.

CNNs Cindy Von Quednow, Veronica Miracle and Jeffrey Kopp contributed to this report.