Ethan Chapin’s mother has opened up about her feelings for the first time since Bryan Kohberger was sentenced for the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, including her son. On Instagram, she expressed how challenging the ordeal has been, yet added that her family views the plea agreement—resulting in Kohberger facing life imprisonment—as the correct resolution.
Ethan was killed with his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, and her roommates, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, on November 13, 2022. After extensive legal proceedings, Kohberger agreed last month to accept a guilty plea. This plea deal ensures he is sentenced to four consecutive life terms rather than facing the death penalty.
In her message, Stacy Chapin acknowledged many individuals and groups whom she described as “the true heroes in our lives.” This includes the Moscow Police Department, prosecutors, University of Idaho staff, media personnel, and the wider circle of family and friends who supported her, as well as Ethan’s siblings, Hunter and Maizie, and their close friends.
The Chapin family chose not to attend Kohberger’s recent sentencing. Conversely, the families of the other three victims were present and delivered heartfelt victim impact statements during the hearing.
Reactions from other families involved varied regarding the plea agreement. While the Goncalves family expressed anger and dissatisfaction, Kernodle’s mother chose to forgive Kohberger.
Cara Northington shared with Fox News that her initial feelings of frustration about never receiving answers have shifted. She now believes the situation is a way God is shielding them from additional suffering and heartache.
Leander James, the attorney for Mogen’s mother and stepfather, said that they “support the plea agreement, 100 percent.”
The Goncalves family, however, blasted prosecutors for the deal, saying they were “beyond furious at the State of Idaho” who “have failed us.”
