BOISE, Idaho (Court TV) One week after Bryan Kohberger was sentenced for the brutal murders of four University of Idaho college students, the family of one of the victims is speaking out for the first time.
Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life terms plus 10 years in a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty after he pleaded guilty to murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus home on Nov. 13, 2022.
In this photo provided by Stacy Chapin, triplets Maizie, left, Ethan, second from left, and Hunter, right, pose with their parents Stacy and Jim Chapin at Priest Lake in northern Idaho in July 2022. Ethan Chapin was one of four University of Idaho students found stabbed to death in a home near the Moscow, Idaho campus on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. (Stacy Chapin via AP)
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While Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodles families all delivered victim impact statements at Kohbergers July 23 sentencing, one family was notably absent.
Weve given a lot of thought to what we should say since 7/23 and have edited this a million times, Chapins mother, Stacy Chapin, said in an Instagram post on July 31. The entire situation has been a tough pill to swallow but at the end of the day, we believe the outcome is the right one.
Other victims families had been less supportive of the cases outcome, with Goncalves father declaring he was furious after learning of the plea deal.
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Stacys post offered gratitude to the prosecutors, University of Idaho staff and others before offering a final thanks to her son. You were only with us for 20 years, but you touched the lives of so many people. From the time you were a baby to when we dropped you off at college, you were an absolute joy and the glue that held our family together. We remember your smile, your laugh, how you kept us in check, and the many ways you brought happiness and light to any situation. There will never be another you. There would never have been enough time with you. We love you, miss you, and promise to continue honoring your legacy.
Ethan was a triplet, and Stacys post references his siblings recent graduation from the University of Idaho, where they continued attending after their brothers murder.
Stacy plans to continue talking about her sons murder and the DNA technology that led police to his killer; she is a confirmed speaker on a panel at CrimeCon in September 2025. Court TV will be at CrimeCon and will bring you details from the panel.
