University of Idaho president's family once owned home where students were murdered

The president of the University of Idaho who guided his university through the trauma of four murdered students last fall has a family connection to the property where the murders took place.

C. Scott Green has given speeches, interviews and press release statements since the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle in November 2022.

He’s led the university’s effort to demolish the home at 1122 King Road.

“It is the grim reminder of the heinous act that took place there,” President Green said in a news release announcing the demolition. “While we appreciate the emotional connection some family members of the victims may have to this house, it is time its removal and to allow the collective healing of our community to continue.”

Over the past year, though, Green has never publicly disclosed his connection to the home.

Property ownership documents available through Latah County show Green’s family owned the property from 1967 until 1973.

A deed filed with the county shows Cumer L. Green and Sandra L. Green bought the property at 1122 King Road on June 20, 1967.

A 2001 obituary for Cumer Green shows he graduated from U of I in 1963, then got his law degree from the school in 1969.

The family moved to Boise in 1969 and the Greens later divorced.

The divorce judgment lists the mortgage on the King Road property at $11,500.

Further deeds available through the Latah County Assessor’s Office show Green sold the King Road property in 1973.

The house has gone through multiple renovations and remodels in the decades since.

Moscow city permits show the house originally had two floors, but the owner added the lower floor in 2000.

The property changed hands several times before ending up with the company that owned it at the time of the murders, listed as an LLC based in Colorado.

After the murders, that owner donated the property to the University of Idaho, which made the decision to tear down the house.

4 News Now reached out to a University of Idaho spokesperson about the connection and why it was never disclosed.

Communications Director Jodi Walker said in an email that “President Green’s father owned a number of properties in Moscow in the 1960s and early 70s. 1122 King Road was one of those and it was sold decades ago.”

4 News Now has asked if President Green ever lived in the home and why the university didn’t mention this previously.

Walker said Green has no recollection of the house and that his dad owned and sold a number of properties over the years.

When 4 News Now asked why this wasn’t shared earlier, Walker said, “We did talk about it briefly early, when the president became aware his dad had owned it. But we did not feel a property he sold 50 years ago was highly relevant now.”

Green is a graduate of U of I who went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School.

In an interview with the U of I Argonaut upon his hiring, Green remembered running around Memorial Gym at U of I with his grandfather, who was the athletic director at the time.

[PamMinnick]

What does this have to do with anything about the tragic murders? With everything going on today, this is what they see as news?

[GGOL]

Highly strange case...the timeline of the murders makes little sense, I highly doubt the guy did it alone. And now they're tearing the house down? Before the trial? I hope justice is truly served in this case.

[VincentMcmanus.]

Is the president of the university of Idaho being accused of murder? How is this in any way relevant?

[therose]

When you need to fill your programming, worthless info is the way to go.

[cynthiasutch]

Perfect example of noise, useless information the type professional news outlets could filter to make room for, um, the news.

[dez]

This is stupid. He was a child and it was FIFTY YEARS AGO.

[singlechickprepping]

I dont understand what the connection is between someone who owned the house 50 urs ago to a murder in 2022. Are you implying a former owner killed people?

[steveunger]

Are we so depraved that we have to dig this deep and assume malfeasance?

[registromalplena]

On the other hand I guess I am glad that they are digging into it. What if no one look into it and it turned out that the killer had lived there or one of his relatives or relationships owned it.

[maryjane]

Tearing down crime scene house before a trial is the problem. Isnt crime scene have to be kept pristine as evidence. That is the problem folks! I wonder if this has ever been done in other cases

[richardcrainium]

I heard that one of the coins in the pockets of the victim was once held in the hand of Steve the guy who works night shift at the local pizza your point?

[mokihaname]

Good grief, I clicked on this! So irrelevant, who cares who owned the house! Making something out of nothing!

[hanselito]

Anytime anything bad happens you just gunna try and ruin somebodys life that has it together? Does that make them feel better?

[pattiannepascual]

i would love to see the dislikes under this video 😅

[josephpeluchette]

So all that says nothing meeans nothing and is nothing they dont own it

[redtidepeoms]

So they are president of the university making top salary and also owned homes rented to the students at max rent. How much more dirty can this system get 😂

[peterkilbridge]

He has "no recollection" of owning a home? Maybe President Gay of Harvard is actually the smartest college president instead of the stupidest.

[whathappenedtomyYThandle]

Probably has more to do with buying & flipping houses then adding on to them without permits so they could make more money renting to students. Would be hard to believe that house was permitted and up to code. And maybe the news should look into all the otner "deals" done. Or how were assessed and taxed.

[maryjane]

We knew about this by watching true crime shows about a year ago. Old news that media did not have

[thomasblue]

What has that to do with anything? Shalom