‘She was shimmer and shine’: Siblings remember sister killed in alleged RV stabbing

IDAHO FALLS – The family of a Spokane mother who was allegedly killed in Idaho Falls wants the world to know about her legacy as they seek justice.

Megan Stedman, 34, was found dead in the back of an RV on Wardell Street last month.

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Chris Brandon Foiles, 42, was indicted on Jan. 26 by a grand jury on one count of first-degree murder for allegedly killing Stedman, an enhancement for using a deadly weapon, and one count of destroying evidence. He has since pleaded not guilty.

Stedman was reported missing from Bozeman, Montana, the last place she had been seen on Dec. 15. Her disappearance prompted her community of family and friends to begin an extensive mission to find her, spreading the news across the internet and throughout Washington, Montana, Idaho, and beyond.

‘She was amazing’

Stedman’s siblings, Christina Mitma Momono and Adrian Mitma, sat down with EastIdahoNews.com and say they want their sister to be remembered as a person, not a victim.

“She was amazing. If I needed a smile, I’d go to her (and say), ‘I need your smile, I need your hug,'” says Adrian. “Her hug was unique. Everybody knows a Megan hug if you ask anybody. It’s tough.”

Not only was their sister a dedicated mother of two, but she was also active in the community by helping the Spokane homeless youth and organizing recreational activities for the elderly.

“One of her first jobs was doing recreational activities for the elderly in a senior home with my mom because our mom is a nurse. She was just really caring and compassionate,” says Christina. “All of her little besties and I worked together to find her, and I can see her light illuminating through them and their stories. I’m proud of her for being a compassionate person, fun and caring.”

As a mother, Christina says Stedman was warm and adoring, always making sure her children stayed on the path to the successes they dreamed of.

“She was always there,” says Christina. “She was super open and inclusive. She really cared about her children’s journey, not the bumps along the way, but the journey and where they’re going. She really wanted the best for them.”

According to the family, Stedman’s love for her children is what prompted her to start a new adventure by driving in an RV to Colorado with Foiles to be closer to her daughter, who lives in Colorado with her father during the school year.

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‘A nightmare of a turn’

Stedman became a mother at 16, according to her family, and was recently at a point where her children were grown enough that she could begin to explore the world on her own.

“(Foiles) was her new boyfriend at that time. She seemed like she was excited to travel and explore the world. She had never left the family nest before, so this was kind of her big leave,” says Christina. “She was like, ‘I got this. I’ve got an RV; my boyfriend is going to help fix it. We’re going to go and make it to Colorado, and I’ll live near my daughter.’ It just took a nightmare of a turn.”

After not hearing from Stedman for a while after she left for her trip, some friends came to family and said Stedman had been planning to break up with Foiles, alluding that things could’ve escalated from there.

“Her friend was the last person to talk to her. They knew she was trying to end it with Chris Foiles. Nobody had heard from her, so we all collaborated and tried to see who talked to her last,” said Christina. “Once we knew, we just had to do a lot of footwork.”

Adrian realized Stedman could be in real danger when he checked their shared cell phone plan and saw she hadn’t used her phone in days.

“She’s on my phone plan, so I can check her phone, texts, and anything else that’s going on. She hadn’t sent anything since (Dec.) 15th,” says Adrian. “No text message, no data usage, nothing. That’s when it became very serious and we started calling police.”

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Because there was no immediate crime scene to point to anything criminal, police were not able to do much, meaning the family had to find evidence and create momentum in finding her themselves.

“The police aren’t going to go look for her like it’s a criminal case, so we had to establish enough evidence to show that it’s beyond just a missing persons case,” said Christina. “Which makes it really hard if a family doesn’t have resources, or access to resources, or time. Those first days are really critical.”

On Jan. 12, Adrian says he was at a gas station in Post Falls, Idaho, when his life changed forever.

“My sister called me and said, ‘Check the news right now,’ which was (East) Idaho News. I saw the RV, and even though it was painted, I knew that was it,” says Adrian. “My heart sank, just kind of broken. I couldn’t think.”

According to police, someone recognized the van from the missing person poster and called dispatch. That is when Foiles was found, and Megan’s body was recovered.

The family believes Stedman did not come to Idaho Falls on her own volition and Foiles was trying to escape his lengthy criminal history in Washington and Montana.

“I don’t feel like she led the trip here. I feel like it was him trying to escape from the police in Montana,” says Christina. “I think he took backroads in Montana from Bozeman to (Idaho Falls), and it just became a matter of convenience.”

Police reports state Foiles stabbed Stedman multiple times after he became worried she would contact police.

According to Christina, Stedman would never have left with someone she believed to be dangerous, leaving many questions unanswered.

“I don’t think she ever chose to be with him. She would never leave with somebody that’s dangerous; in fact, she was trying to tell him that they were over, according to her friends, so she could move on with her life,” says Christina. “And I think that was the last conversation.”

‘She was shimmer and shine’

Because of her powerful devotion to her children, Christina says she feels a source of energy from Stedman to keep watch over her children.

“I sense that urgency from her, like, ‘Just make sure you take care of my kids.’ I feel like she didn’t mean to go. She fought to the end and gave it her best,” says Christina. “One of the reasons she did that was because of her kids and us. She wanted to achieve all her dreams, so that’s what she was working for.”

Christina says throughout the process, they have focused on celebrating their sister rather than dwell on any anger toward Foiles.

“I don’t really have words for him. Because I don’t feel like he has emotions,” says Christina. “I have more words for my sister, our family and her kids to keep going. I feel like the process of court is just a process, it’s procedural, and he made the choice to be there. And we want justice served.”

The family says they will continue to remember Stedman and search for justice in her name.

“She was never one to disappear, so she’ll keep guiding us,” says Christina. “She was shimmer and shine, that’s what we say.”

Watch our interview with Christina and Adrian in the player above.