ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Ethan Chapin's mother, Stacy Chapin, recently shared her emotional and heartfelt sentiments about the victims of Bryan Kohberger as she made an unexpected appearance at a packed auditorium at a true crime conference in Orlando.
Ethan, 20, was killed alongside his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, 20, her housemate Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and best friend Madison Mogen, 21, on November 13, 2022, at an off-campus apartment on King Road.
Nearly two months after the grisly murders of the University of Idaho students, authorities arrested Kohberger as prime suspect in the case and later charged him with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
The 28-year-old suspected killer's hearing was scheduled to begin on October 2, but it was postponed citing an unknown illness.
What did Ethan Chapin’s mom say about the Idaho murders?
Ethan Chapin's mother, Stacy Chapin, remembered the four slain students on Friday, September 22, when she made a surprise appearance at the 2023 CrimeCon following Professor Joseph Scott Morgan’s presentation.
She began, "I'm Stacy Chapin, and I'm Ethan's mom. I want all of you to know that these were four of the greatest kids, and all of the great things that you read about them [are] legitimately true."
"It's always been a challenge for me to hear people talk about Ethan who don't know him," continued the devastated mother, according to Daily Mail.
"I can speak on behalf of my own son, who was an incredible human, and we miss them all terribly," stated Stacy as her voice broke in front of a 3,200-strong attendees.
She added, "They were amazing, amazing kids in the prime of their life," and later explained how she wanted to make it known that Ethan's story was real and deeply personal to her.
At the time of his death, Ethan was a student at the University of Idaho studying recreation, sport, and tourist management.
He lived at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, about 200 yards away from the home where he was stabbed to death. He had been visiting his girlfriend, Xana Kernodle on the night of the murders.
What is the status of Bryan Kohberger’s hearing?
Bryan Kohberger, who was arrested from his parent’s residence in connection to the murder of the University of Idaho students, has been charged with four counts of murder but pleaded not guilty during his arraignment.
On September 21, a pre-trial hearing for Kohberger was also postponed due to a reported illness. The Idaho Statesman reported that the hearing was postponed due to an unknown illness, citing a spokesperson for the Idaho courts system.
Moreover, the judge did not set a new hearing date at the request of Kohberger’s attorney, Anne Taylor, who noted that the defense team could not be prepared to effectively present their case.
According to the publication, a Latah County District Court supervisor did not provide any further information on the illness, such as who specifically became ill.
