Ethan Chapin, left, and Stacy Chapin.Photo:Courtesy of Chapin Family, TODAY
Courtesy of Chapin Family, TODAY
The mother of one of theUniversity of Idaho studentsmurdered last November is speaking out about her late son, the children’s book she wrote in his memory and her decision to not attend his alleged killer’s upcoming trial.
While speaking withSavannah Guthrie onTODAY, Stacy Chapin — the mother of Ethan Chapin — revealed that she would not attend the upcoming trial ofBryan Kohberger, 28, who is accused of killing Ethan, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison “Maddie” Mogen, 21, in the early morning hours of November 13 at the home Kernodle, Goncalves and Mogen shared in Moscow, Idaho.
“It does not change the outcome of our family, and it’s energy that we need to put into healing our kids and getting back to a new family dynamic and working on that,” Stacy told Guthrie. “We let the prosecutors do their job and we do our job in our family."
Ethan did not live at the home where the murders took place, but was staying over with his girlfriend Kernodle. All four victims were students at the University of Idaho and close friends.
While onTODAY, Stacy also revealed that she wrote a children’s book titled,TheBoyWhoWoreBlue, in memory of her son, who was a triplet, saying, “It’s the best I can do for him.”
Numerous foundations have been created in Ethan’s memory, includingEthan’s Smile, which funds scholarships for students from Ethan’s hometown of Skagit Valley, Wash. A portion of the profits from Stacy’s new book will be donated to the organization.
EMH Books
In addition to announcing her new children’s book,Stacy showed a new tattooshe has on her left arm in Ethan’s handwriting that reads: “I love you mom,” with a heart, and is signed “Ethan.” The tattoo is from a card Ethan had given her.
Stacy said she and her husband Jim are now focused on ensuring that Ethan’s siblings, Hunter and Maizie, have everything they need to keep moving forward.
“Jim and I couldn’t be more proud of them to be honest,” Stacy said onTODAY. She added Hunter and Maizie went back to school at the University of Idaho after losing their brother and finished their semesters successfully. She also spoke about her decision to not hold onto anger and instead focus on her children.
“It has its moments, of course,” Stacy told Guthrie. “But we get up every morning and we just decided that the best thing we can do is put our best foot forward, mostly for Maizie and Hunter. They deserve it. They didn’t deserve this, and so they deserve still the best life that we can give them, and that is really our strength. It drives us.”
Kohberger— who was a Ph.D criminology student at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., at the time of the murders — has an upcoming trial scheduled for October 2. Pullman is about eight miles away from the house in Moscow where the students were stabbed to death.
source: people.com
