Idaho murders: Ethan Chapin’s parents reflect on last moments with their son
Jim and Stacy Chapin opened up to Fox News Digital about how their family is coping five months after their son's brutal murder near the University of Idaho.
Ethan Chapin's dreams were buried on the morning of Nov. 13, 2022, but seeds of a brighter future are now in the palms of dozens of young people looking to achieve their own.
Ethan's Smile, the charitable foundation that Chapin's family set up in his memory, doled out 33 scholarships last week after a "bittersweet" ceremony, his mother says.
The foundation has raised far more than the $50,000 handed out this year with a goal of endowing the scholarships, Stacy Chapin told Fox News Digital.
"We can't think of a better way to honor Ethan," she said. "We wanted our kids to have an education so they can stand on their own two feet, and it became 'Let's pay it forward in Ethan's honor.'"
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University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. (Instagram: @ethanchapin4)
Unlike many academic scholarships, she said the foundation is handing scholarships out to any student attending any accredited institution, including beauty and vocational schools.
"We wanted a scholarship for any kid that has any dream," she said. "I can't wait for 20 years from now when these kids come back and say …‘This is what I did with my life.'"
Chapin also thanked donors from around the country, including country star Morgan Wallen, who put the foundation on solid footing. She said she hopes to keep growing the fund until the interest alone can cover scholarships every year.
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Morgan Wallen poses with the Chapin family. Stacy Chapin says the country star donated to Ethan's Smile and also helped raise awareness, which led people around the country to contribute to the scholarship fund in her son's honor as well. (Stacy Chapin)
Chapin, his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, and two other friends — Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen — were murdered in a home invasion attack near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho, where they were all students.
The suspected killer, Bryan Kohberger, was a criminology Ph.D. student at the neighboring Washington State University at the time of the stabbings.
Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
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Kohberger is being held without bail awaiting trial. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
Chapin, who was majoring in recreation, sports and tourism management, was a triplet. His two siblings, Maizie and Hunter, still attend the university.
Their parents set up Ethan’s Smile, a foundation offering student scholarships after the attack. More information about the charity and how to donate can be found here.
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