At 1122 King Road, a place that once echoed with the laughter of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, a crew worked to erase the physical reminders of that fateful early morning on Nov. 13, 2022. As reported by People, this house was the scene of a crime that not only shattered the tranquility of Moscow, Idaho, but also ignited a firestorm of public theories and speculations.
Yet, there's a growing chorus of voices questioning if tearing down the crime scene was a hasty move. This Thursday, an emotional plea came from the families of Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle. They issued a heartfelt statement, calling on local authorities and the University of Idaho to 'put an end to this madness.'
From Western Journal:
The families contended that the house could have provided answers to critical questions surrounding the murders, including what the surviving roommates could see and hear from their rooms, how the suspect may have entered and exited the home, and what he could see from outside.
“If the home is demolished, will all of these questions be able to be answered later on … if they become an issue at trial? If not then leave the home alone!” the families wrote.
Former FBI agent Brad Garrett agreed.
“You go room to room … to make sure that you get every possible, conceivable piece of evidence,” Garrett told ABC News.
“The jury can now not walk through the crime scene where this occurred. It’s so important, if the jury so desires, to be able to walk physically into the rooms where these attacks occurred.”
Investigators and prosecutors, meanwhile, say they have no further need of the house “because they have already collected measurements to create illustrative exhibits for the jury,” NBC News reported.
Goncalves and Kernodle families issue last minute statement hoping to stop demolition of King Rd house scheduled for TODAY. 1/3 @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/dp3vOc1PTi
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) December 28, 2023
The worries of the Goncalves family hit the mark. Rushing to tear down that house seems recklessly hasty.
Sure, that property was a heartrending snapshot of tragedy. Knocking it down might symbolize moving on. But the sensible move would've been to wait until after the trial.
