Demolition of the home at the center of theUniversity of Idaho murder casehas been paused.
The off-campus apartment made headlines after students Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21,Xana Kernodle, 20, andKaylee Goncalves, 21, werefound dead inside the residenceon Nov. 13. Their deaths were officiallyruled as homicides, leading to amonths-long investigationand the arrest ofBryan Kohberger.
The former Washington State University Ph.D. criminology student, 28, was charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the killings after beingtaken into custodyon Dec. 30.
While a trial against Kohberger is scheduled to start in October, perCBS News, University of Idaho President C. Scott Greenannounced in a memo on Wednesdaythat the home where the tragedy took place will temporarily remain as is.
Angela Palermo/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Green added that remediation of the house, which includes lead and asbestos abatement, is expected to continue.
“In the meantime, we can focus on other aspects of healing,” he shared. “All personal items of the students who lived there were removed, and families will soon be able to retrieve their loved ones' possessions to the extent they wish to do so.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Calling the decision ‘“difficult,” the university president reflected on the significance of the home as “a stark reminder of what was lost.”
“We lost our innocence and sense of safety,” he said. “We realized that evil can visit our town, and we lost four bright souls from our Vandal Family.”
source: people.com
