02/21/2026 Haunted Locations: The Chop-Chop House in Boise, Idaho
- Danielle Yvonne
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
Happy Saturday! Today is a wild one! As soon as I saw the name of the location, I knew I had to delve into the history, and the history is pretty morbid. Enjoy!
The Boise Murder House aka The Chop-Chop House
Many people know it as the Boise Murder House, but locals refer to it as something way creepier: The Chop-Chop House.
On the morning of June 30, 1987, the basement of 805 W. Linden in Boise, Idaho, turned into a violent scene.
A 21-year-old named Preston Murr was at the house with 37-year-old Daniel Rodgers and 31-year-old Daron Cox. According to reports, the three men had been searching for Rodgers’ stolen guns. They drove around Boise in attempts to locate the thief. They then returned to the house around midnight.
What happens next is a little blurry, but one thing is for certain… it ended in bloodshed.
An altercation broke out and Murr was shot in the shoulder. He managed to escape the house and run to a nearby neighbor’s house. He pounded on the door and was screaming for help. Inside, the neighbor heard the chaos.
He later reported hearing someone yell, “Let go of me!” followed by a horrifying scream. Looking out his window, he saw someone chase Murr down, catch him, and drag him back toward the Linden Street house.
The neighbor called the police.
But they never came…
By the morning, there were blood stains on the sidewalk and smeared across a screen door. It was the trail of Murr’s blood as he tried to escape.
When police finally responded to a second call from the neighbor, they followed the blood trail back to 805 W. Linden Street. They had a warrant and were able to enter the home.
Inside, they uncovered a gruesome crime scene.
Murr had been fatally shot in the back of the head in the basement.
Rodgers and Cox then used an ax and a knife to dismember his body. They wrapped his remains in plastic bags and then took them to Brownlee Reservoir which is near the Idaho/Oregon border. This is how the house earned the nickname of the Chop-Chop House.
The body was found a week later, and both men were arrested and charged with murder.
Cox cooperated with authorities and received a reduced sentence. He ultimately served a six-year sentence and was released.
Rodgers was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He remains incarcerated and keeps being denied parole.
Despite the crime scene being cleaned, the heaviness of what took place never left the house.
Over the years, the house has had several tenants. In the 90’s, rooms were rented out. In the 2000s, it became a popular rental for students because of its proximity to Boise State University.
Reports of things feeling “off” started in the basement. Many residents describe it as unsettling and disorienting.
Joe W., a former student, told a local radio station that while he never saw anything paranormal, the basement had a “weird feel.”
Another Boise resident recalled touring the house in 2000 when her family considered buying it. She still feels anxious remembering the basement. “It looked abandoned,” she said. “The basement was by far the creepiest part.”
And then there are the stories that go beyond uneasy vibes...
One former resident, Dan D., shared an experience that continues to circulate in local legend.
Late one night, he and a friend heard what sounded like someone attempting to break into the house. They checked the porch, but no one was there.
But when Dan turned to face the house, he saw something in an upstairs bedroom window… a “big black oily looking thing.”
He described it as a shadowy mass that moved away from the window and toward the bedroom door before disappearing. Moments later, it reappeared and was reflected in a mirror sitting on the porch.
The figure then moved… it slid down one of the porch columns, growing larger, thicker, and darker until it filled the mirror.
Then it passed through him.
“It was the weirdest, most disturbing thing I’ve ever felt,” he said. “Like ice fingers sinking into my shoulders.”
There are no officially documented paranormal investigations tied to the Chop-Chop House. However, there has been some talk about looking further into this after some Reddit users renewed interest in the case.
You don’t need to believe in ghosts to admit that 805 W. Linden Street feels heavy with something.
Today, the house remains standing where it was built, drawing attention once again due to the revived curiosity about the events that occurred within its walls. They are even opening the doors for tours which you can find using the links below.
So, tell me. Have you heard of this location before? Have you been there? Would you go? Let me know in the comments. And as always, if you do decide to visit here or any haunted location, respect the property, respect the owners, respect the residents... living or dead.
For more details about this story, how you can visit, and links to the shows, podcasts, documentaries, and resources used for this post can all be found below.
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