Remembering the
Idaho Four

Four University of Idaho students were killed at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho on Nov. 13, 2022. The crime sent shockwaves through the small town.

NWPB created this website to honor the memories of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. The page has the latest updates in the case and information on ways the families are being supported and legacies of the victims are being honored.

Ethan Chapin

Ethan Chapin was raised in Conway, Washington and worked on a tulip farm. He was a 20-year-old freshman at the University of Idaho and a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He has a triplet brother and sister who both still attend the University of Idaho and are part of Greek life. “[Ethan was] the life of the party, always optimistic, always looking for excitement,” said Ethan’s fraternity brother Darius Myers. “The type of person that picks you up when you’re down to keep you on a high when you’re out.” Myers said Ethan and his girlfriend Xana were soulmates who complimented each other. “Their energy was unmatched. Both were always just the two brightest lights in the room.”

Ethan was studying recreation, sport and tourism management. He loved watching sports, playing basketball and listening to country music, according to his mom Stacy Chapin. “He was up for anything at any time,” she said. “He was an amazing kid.” His parents created The Ethan’s Smile Foundation which will focus on giving scholarships to Northwest students.

Kaylee Goncalves

Kaylee Goncalves grew up in Rathdrum, Idaho, a small town near Coeur d’Alene. She graduated from Lake City High School and went on to major in general studies at the University of Idaho where she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority. She was 21 years old. “Kaylee Goncalves had a contagious laugh,” said Madison Whitney, president of the Alpha Phi sorority. “She laughed often at herself and with others.”

Kaylee and Maddie had been best friends since sixth grade, according to Kaylee’s dad Steve Goncalves. “Every day they did homework together, they came to our house together,” said Steve Goncalves during the University of Idaho vigil last fall, talking about his daughter’s yearslong friendship with Maddie. “[Kaylee] always put others first and prioritized her friends and family,” said Whitney.

Xana Kernodle

Xana Kernodle came to the University of Idaho after graduating from Post Falls High School. She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority studying marketing at the University of Idaho. “She was entirely herself, all the time,” said her sorority sister Zanna Miller. “A beautiful aura followed her everywhere she went. Xana was one of those people who you could not possibly be sad around.”

Xana was the girlfriend of victim Ethan Chapin and was roommates with Kaylee and Maddie. “Heaven gained four angels in the most unfortunate circumstances,” said Xana’s friend Maya Hippenstiel in a GoFundMe she created for Xana’s family. The Kernodle family created the Xana Kernodle Scholarship Endowment at the University of Idaho in her memory.

Madison Mogen

Madison Mogen grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She was 21 years old. Her family and friends called her Maddie. She graduated from Lake City High School and went on to study marketing at the University of Idaho. “Maddie was a great person. She had a bright smile, she had a bright future,” said Maddie’s friend Heather Blaschka. “She was bright in every way that a person could be. Maddie was the kind of person that made sure everyone felt welcomed and cared for.”

She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and worked at the Mad Greek restaurant in downtown Moscow with her sorority sister Xana Kernodle. “She loved going to [live] music,” said her father, Ben Mogen, at a vigil last November. “She was such a happy, great kid. She was nice to everybody.” Maddie and Kaylee Goncalves considered themselves best friends since sixth grade.