Criminal defense attorney Lexie Rigden on the case against murder suspect Bryan Kohberger one year later. As the University of Idaho prepares to knock down the rental home where four students were murdered last year, one of the victim’s mothers is fighting to keep it standing until the suspect goes to trial. Experts have raised concerns about the university’s decision to demolish the building, arguing that it prioritizes the school’s desire to “move on” over the potential impact a firsthand look at the crime scene could have on jurors in the case against Kohberger.
Cara Northington, the mother of 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, who was stabbed to death alongside three friends on November 13, 2022, has started a Change.org petition to prevent the demolition. Northington argues that destroying the house would destroy crucial evidence in her daughter’s murder case. She writes, “My daughter was murdered in that house, and there is no way they should be destroying any evidence.”
The demolition is scheduled to begin on December 28, less than a year after Kohberger’s arrest. The petition organizer believes that tearing down the house before jurors have the opportunity to examine it could hinder a fair path to justice. They argue that it is crucial for all evidence to remain intact until after Kohberger’s trial concludes.
Kohberger was arrested on December 30, 2022, a few weeks after the murders. He was apprehended after taking a road trip with his father back to their family home in Pennsylvania. At the time of the killings, Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University, which is located approximately 10 miles away from the King Road house.
According to prosecutors, Kohberger allegedly entered the three-story house at around 4 a.m. He is accused of stabbing 21-year-old best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen, who were found in Mogen’s bedroom along with a Ka-Bar knife sheath that allegedly had Kohberger’s DNA on it. On the second level, Kohberger is accused of killing Kernodle and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin.
The decision to demolish the house and build a memorial garden was made after the landlord donated the property to the University of Idaho. Chapin’s family has stated that the memorial garden is being designed by UI architecture students. However, not everyone agrees with the demolition. Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, questions the need to tear down the house before the trial. He emphasizes the importance of allowing the jury to experience the crime scene firsthand, stating that photos alone cannot provide the same perspective.
While the FBI and defense investigators have visited the house multiple times to gather evidence, legal experts argue that pictures and videos may not have the same impact on jurors as an in-person visit. Edwina Elcox, a defense attorney based in Boise, believes that being able to visit the crime scene is crucial in certain cases. She asserts that preserving the house until the trial concludes or until Kohberger pleads guilty is necessary.
Kohberger’s trial was originally scheduled for October but has been delayed as he focuses on challenging the indictment and DNA evidence. The family of Kaylee Goncalves expressed sadness over the decision to demolish the house, describing December 28 as “a very sad day.”
In conclusion, the mother of one of the murdered students is fighting to keep the crime scene intact until the suspect’s trial. Experts argue that demolishing the house could hinder a fair path to justice, emphasizing the importance of allowing jurors to experience the crime scene firsthand. The demolition is set to take place on December 28, and the trial has been delayed as Kohberger challenges the indictment and DNA evidence.
