Fundraiser launched so Idaho victim’s mother can attend Bryan Kohberger trial
Online donations are being accepted on behalf of the parent of one of the four University of Idaho student homicide victims so she can afford to attend the murder trial in Boise of her daughter’s accused killer.
A GoFundMe page was established for Cara Northington, mother of Xana Kernodle, 20, who was stabbed to death with her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, and two of her roommates at a Moscow home they rented together near campus in November 2022. The other two homicide victims were childhood best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21.
Northington, who lives in Post Falls in North Idaho, will need to travel about 400 miles south to Boise for the trial of defendant Bryan Kohberger at the Ada County Courthouse after it was relocated out of Moscow last fall. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in late July with trial starting immediately after. His trial is expected to last upward of three months.
“She has overcome so much and just wants to be there to know the correct justice is served,” the fundraiser organizer wrote. “No mother should have to deal with this, but to not be able to afford to be at trial is unthinkable.”
The fundraiser has set a goal of $6,000.
Separate trial expense GoFundMe pages were created for the parents of Goncalves and Mogen, both of whom were also from North Idaho. Chapin’s family, of Mount Vernon, Washington, established a foundation in his honor, called Ethan’s Smile, that continues to accept donations toward college scholarships at ethanssmile.org.
The Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program does not reimburse families of victims who must travel to attend a trial following a venue change, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. The Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association also does not provide funds for such purposes, an organization representative said.
Goncalves’ parents, Steve and Kristi, have frequented court hearings for Kohberger leading up to his capital murder trial, and Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, also attended one in Boise late last year. Kernodle’s family, including Northington, has appeared less in the public eye since the students’ deaths more than 2½ years ago.
“She has friends and her church, but the cost of everyday living has to be considered as well,” the GoFundMe page read. “Please help this mom be able to honor her daughter and friends by being there for whatever happens at this trial.”
Kohberger, 30, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a count of felony burglary. His attorneys have maintained his innocence since his arrest in late December 2022. If a jury finds him guilty, prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty.
Kohberger’s defense this week asked the presiding judge to delay the highly anticipated trial that has garnered national and international attention. The judge has yet to rule on that request.