Who were the four students killed at the University of Idaho? A look into their lives
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Sally Krutzig, Shaun Goodwin and Mia Maldonado, Idaho Statesman
MOSCOW (Idaho Statesman) — One was a triplet whose siblings were his “best friends.” One made a gay coworker feel safe amid unkind comments. One was “the life of every party.” One was a budding social media manager who loved the color pink.
All four died in a quadruple homicide on Sunday morning.
Moscow, Idaho, made national headlines for the killings after local police walked into a house on King Road to find the victims dead, killed by an “edged weapon.”
They were all students at the University of Idaho. Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen were close friends who lived at the King Road rental. Ethan Chapin was spending the night with Kernodle, whom he was dating, according to his mother.
“They were daughters, sisters, aunts, best friends and humans,” said Alivea Goncalves, sister of Kaylee Goncalves, in a statement she sent to the Idaho Statesman. “No amount of words or statements could ever attempt to capture who they were or what they wanted in life or what was stolen from us all.”
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KAYLEE GONCALVES
Goncalves, 21, was a senior majoring in general studies in the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. She was originally from Rathdrum, where she worked part-time jobs before going to college.
Her sister called her a “fighter through and through” and “dedicated, outspoken, motivated and full of life.”
Alex Paul, a University of Idaho graduate and former coworker, said Goncalves trained him at Panera Bread in Hayden.
Paul said that was his first summer after coming out as gay, and Goncalves made sure to create a safe space for him after unkind remarks from someone at the store.
“Kaylee assured me to pay him no mind,” he said. “I had forgotten about that interaction until the news broke, and with it the realization of how safe she made me feel.”
Lillian Brennan worked with Goncalves as a barista at Jitterz Espresso in Hayden and said she looked forward to sharing shifts with her.
Brennan recalled a day when Goncalves, came to the stand to make herself coffee on her day off. After seeing how overwhelmed Brennan was, Goncalves stayed late to help close.
“She turned what was a stressful shift into a really fun time,” Brennan said. “And at the end of it all, she wouldn’t even let me share my tips with her. She was so selfless and kind.”
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XANA KERNODLE
Kernodle, 20, was a junior from Post Falls. She majored in marketing in the College of Business and Economics and was member of Pi Beta Phi, one of 10 sorority chapters at the university.
A friend of Kernodle’s, Maya Hippenstiel, created a GoFundMe page for Kernodle late Monday. The fundraiser, which Hippenstiel said would help pay for funeral and memorial costs, had collected over $16,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Waking up and realizing it’s a day Xana won’t be in — is unbearable,” Hippensteil wrote on GoFundMe. “So I would like to at least take some stress off of her family’s plate.”
Hippenstiel, who has known Kernodle for nearly four years, told the Statesman that her friend was “the life of every party in more ways than one” and could “fill any room with light and laughter.”
“She was kind and loving as well as compassionate,” Hippenstiel said in Facebook message to the Statesman. “She was extremely driven, and her serious side became apparent when she talked about her goals. Everyone loved her, and I seriously mean everyone.”
Kernodle graduated from Post Falls High School in 2020 before attending U of I.
“She had a lot of drive and had a very bright future taken away,” Kandance Dickson, one of Kernodle’s high school teachers, told the Statesman in an email.
RELATED | Mayor calls University of Idaho students’ deaths ‘senseless’
ETHAN CHAPIN
Chapin, 20, was from Conway, Washington. A “Bulldog” at Mount Vernon High School, he played basketball and tennis before graduating in 2021.
“Our hearts are with his family, friends, former teachers, counselors, and support staff,” Belle Vargas, public information officer for the Mount Vernon School District, told the Idaho Statesman.
Chapin wasn’t the only family member to attend the U of I. He was a triplet, with brother Hunter and sister Maizie enrolled there as well.
“It is an unspeakable tragedy and the pain is excruciating,” said his mother, Stacy Chapin. “Ethan was literally the greatest kid and his smile would light up every room! More importantly, he was a triplet and his brother and sister need all of the strength and prayers possible because they were best friends.”
Starting school as a freshman this fall, he planned to major in recreation, sport and tourism management. He joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. The Greek chapter started a GoFundMe on behalf of Chapin’s family.
“The Gamma Eta Chapter of Sigma Chi is grieving the loss of our beloved brother Ethan Chapin following the senseless tragedy that took his life over the weekend,” the fraternity wrote on the fundraising website.
RELATED | Police identify 4 University of Idaho students found dead in reported homicide
MADISON MOGEN
Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, was a senior marketing major at the University of Idaho.
Known as Maddie to her friends, she loved the color pink and was excited about plans to move to Boise after graduating this spring, said family friend Jessie Frost. Mogen worked as a server at the Mad Greek in Moscow with Kernodle and used her budding social media managing skills to run the restaurant’s social media pages.
“Xana and Maddie have been servers here for several years and brought so much joy to our restaurant and all of those they encountered,” the Mad Greek Facebook page posted on Monday. “With this incredible loss, we have shut down to process and grieve.”
A joint GoFundMe account
for Mogen and Goncalves was created to raise $40,000 to be split between their families. The two had been friends since childhood.
“They were inseparable,” Jessie Frost, who created the GoFundMe account, told the Statesman in a message. “Best friends in grade school throughout high school and now college. These girls were good girls, (who) didn’t do drugs or bad things.”
A SISTER WARNS: ‘WE WILL FIND YOU’
Alivea Goncalves said she sent her statement to the Statesman on behalf of her family and Mogen’s.
“They were smart, they were vigilant, they were careful and this all still happened,” she said. “No one is in custody and that means no one is safe. Yes, we are all heartbroken. Yes, we are all grasping. But more strong than any of these feelings is anger. We are angry. You should be angry.”
Moscow police said they still had no suspects as of Tuesday.
“To whomever is responsible, we will find you,” Alivea said. “We will never stop. The pain you caused has fueled our hatred and sealed your fate. Justice will be served.”
Bellingham Herald reporter Denver Pratt contributed.