Murder site on Main Avenue demolished
A home on Main Avenue in Libby popularly known around town as the “murder house” is no more.
The single family home recently was torn down after lengthy and unsucessful efforts to find a buyer. The property went into foreclosure following the 2018 tax year. LSF9 Master Participation Trust currently owns the land, according to Montana Cadastral records.
Prior to foreclosure, the three bed, one bath, single family house was owned by Dale Kinniburgh Jr. and his wife Catherine.
Just after the first of the year in 2012, Kinniburgh shot and killed his wife and then himself in their home, 1217 Main Avenue.
Authorities learned of the murder in early morning hours of Jan. 3, 2012 when Kinniburgh called 911 and told law enforcement that he had killed his wife and was planning on killing himself.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Libby Police Department evacuated neighboring residents. By 8:30 a.m., neighbors within a one-block radius were relocated or told to stay in their homes, away from the windows.
A little after 2 p.m., the Flathead County Special Response Team arrived and used a camera entry method to assess the situation.
The camera entered through the bedroom window, where it captured footage of two unresponsive bodies. The team entered the home soon after and ruled the incident a homicide-suicide.
The Kinniburgh’s daughters arrived in Libby two days later to settle the estate.
Some time between the incident and their arrival, the home was burglarized. When the Kinniburgh’s daughters arrived, they noticed that the side door to the residence was open.
After sizing up the residence and sorting possessions, the daughters determined that three compound bows, a Nintendo Wii, camping gear, DSLR camera andW Nikon binoculars, as well as various minted coins were missing.
Authorities quickly tracked down the perpetrators and charged them with burglary. Ryan J. McKee, one of the two men who admitted to the break-in, told officers, “they just wanted to see [the house].”
Neighbors say the house has sat vacant since the slaying, despite attempts to sell.
The 84-year-old house was appraised in 2017 at $74,400. It was appraised again in 2019 at $88,400. Even with the property’s worth increasing, the half-acre house remained unoccupied with a seemingly permanent for sale sign posted.
The latest Montana Cadastral records show the land valued at $24,094.