It’s Been Two Years Since Four Students Were Murdered at the University of Idaho, and the Nation Wants To Know Why

Today is November 13. It’s the two year anniversary of the murders of four students at the University of Idaho, a case that captured the nation’s attention and about which many questions persist.Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, pictured above, were found stabbed to death in their bedrooms, in the house they lived in at 1122 King Road, at the small college town of Moscow, Idaho. The house has controversially been demolished but it was in the middle of college housing and you could see it from the classrooms. Two of the roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke (also pictured above) survived.The plot of land where 1122 King Road once stood. Vicky Ward/The New York SunNext summer you will read their story and the seismic impact of the murders on the the small town of Moscow, Idaho in my upcoming book co-authored with James Patterson.It’s not appropriate for me to share the details now, but, as I did last year, I do want to take a moment on this day to remember the four beautiful souls who should be still among us.Ethan Chapin. The Chapin familyEthan, the triplet and popular athlete who had a kind word for everyone. Xana Kernodle. The Kernodle familyXana, the irrepressible spirit who brought joie de vivre to every gathering. Maddie Mogen. The Mogen familyKaylee, the intrepid, determined, self-sufficient go-getter. Kaylee Goncalves. The Goncalves familyMaddie, the soft-spoken, gentle, stylish, beloved only child.Earlier today I spoke with Ethan’s mom, Stacy Chapin, who has become a close friend. None of us knows how we would react if something as horrific as this happened to us. Sadly, it’s usually only when a crisis hits that the true character of people emerges. Mr. and Mrs. Chapin are extraordinary people. They took the view from the get-go, even in shock, that what Ethan would want is for them not to collapse but to celebrate the precious time they did have with him. From the first moment they learned of the tragedy, Mrs. Chapin decided her job was now to ensure that Ethan’s surviving siblings, Hunter and Maizie — and the many, many friends that Ethan had — got the necessary support to get on with their lives. At Ethan’s funeral, just one week after the murders, ignorant of who or why someone had done this unspeakable thing to his son, Jim Chapin stood up before the 1000-strong crowd of sobbing UI students who’d driven and flown miles to be there and told them: Cry today; but then go home to your parents for Thanksgiving; and then go back to school and carry on. Do not let this derail you. That’s not what Ethan would want.So this time last year, on the one year anniversary of Ethan’s death, Mr. and Mrs. Chapin carried on in the same vein. They dried their tears and held a black tie party at a local wine cellar, Hellams, at La Conner, Washington. It doubled as a fundraiser for the scholarship foundation they set up in Ethan’s honor, Ethan’s Smile. The Chapin family at the first Ethan’s Smile gala. Left to right: Hunter, Stacy, Jim, and Maizie. The Chapin familyIt was an intimate event for the 40 people who’d become part of the extended Chapin family in the previous twelve months. Xana’s beautiful older sister, Jazzmin, was there; so too were various representatives of the University of Idaho. And so too was another person for whom I have tremendous admiration and affection: James Fry, the then Moscow police chief — he retired in May — who oversaw the investigation which resulted in the capture and indictment of a Washington State University criminology PhD student from Pennsylvania, Bryan Kohberger. Mr. Kohberger stands trial for the four murders and a count of burglary next August. I will be covering it here.Xana’s sister, Jazzmin Kernodle, at the first Ethan’s Smile fundraiser. The Chapin familyTonight, Mrs. Chapin tells me, they are hosting another fundraiser in Ethan’s honor — but this one is more casual. Country-style. Mr. and Mrs. Chapin have fitted themselves out from a local store, the aptly named “Bony Pony.”Meanwhile at Rathdrum, Idaho, Kaylee’s father, Steve Goncalves, also now a friend, is continuing his way of remembering his daughter: which is to fight on her behalf for justice. Mr. Goncalves and his wife Kristi haven’t missed a court hearing since Mr. Kohberger’s arrest in December 2022. Their whip-smart, tenacious eldest daughter, Alivea, has been one step ahead of everyone, finding videos and making contacts online that could be helpful. Kristi and Steve Goncalves at the MadeWithKindness Foundation’s Make It Pink gala. The Goncalves familyMr. Kohberger’s trial recently got moved out of Moscow to the larger town of Boise — something Mr. Goncalves fought against, but now thinks might be for the best, because the new judge, Stephen Hippler, appears to be no-nonsense and wants to get this thing done. Only the new venue means the Goncalves family will have to move to Boise for three months — and they’ve had to raise money through GoFundMe for the upheaval.Mr. Goncalves tells me that, recently, he and Mrs. Goncalves had to endure two excruciating plane rides to court at Boise and back. Unimaginably, they found themselves sat next to Mr. Kohberger’s defense counse. I can’t imagine how grim that must have felt.So, today he and Mrs. Goncalves are delivering “comfort food” to some of their adult chilsren, and they fight on. Mr. Goncalves’s perspective has made me think about something I hadn’t considered previously: because the wheels of justice turn excruciatingly slowly, the parents of murder victims have to sit and wait in agony for years, not knowing exactly what happened to their child in their last moments. Prosecutors don’t share the details with them in order to protect the investigation.While reporting this book, I’ve learned that there are no right and wrong ways to grieve the loss of a child in circumstances like this. What Mr. Goncalves and Mrs. Chapin have each done in their different ways is to keep the memory of their children and that of their dear friends, Xana and Maddie, alive in the public’s mind. At the very least, these four extraordinary young people, who were tragically and wrongly robbed of their lives much too young, deserve that.

It’s Been Two Years Since Four Students Were Murdered at the University of Idaho, and the Nation Wants To Know Why

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