IDAHO MURDERS: Tribute video for Xana Kernodle shows unseen footage from 'Happy Times' in her life
MOSCOW, IDAHO: University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen were murdered in their off-campus house on November 13, more than a month ago. While the police are yet to identify a suspect, a web sleuth has shared a "Happy" tribute for one of the victims by posting an unseen video montage.
The victim featured in the video is Xana Kernodle - a compilation of short video clips from TikTok and other social media apps where she appears with her friends and university mates. The YouTube user who made the video has created a beautiful montage of Xana that will be cherished long after she left the world.
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A Twitter user shared the video and wrote, "Well done!!! Watch "HAPPY TIMES | IDAHO STUDENTS | UNSEEN FOOTAGE | FUN TRIBUTE | XANA KERNODLE" on YouTube."
The video also features the other three victims - Ethan, Xana's boyfriend, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. Apart from them, the video also features one of the two surviving roommates, Bethay Funke. The video also has appearances by many friends of the victims; some memorable moments captured are from Halloween, house parties, the tortilla Instagram challenge, etc.
Well done!!! Watch "HAPPY TIMES | IDAHO STUDENTS | UNSEEN FOOTAGE | FUN TRIBUTE | XANA KERNODLE" on YouTube https://t.co/Inuu6ZypJe
— Tammy Bixby (@TammyBixby4) December 26, 2022
Xana and Ethan were in the Sigma Chi fraternity house hours before they were killed alongside two other Idaho students last month. According to ABC News, Moscow authorities are seeking more information on their whereabouts on the night they were killed. The couple, who were both 20 years old, was reportedly in Chapin's fraternity home from 9 pm on November 12 to 1:45 am on November 13, according to the police.
Cara Northington, Xana's mother, discussed the case publicly a few days ago. She said she needed more information and that police hadn't been helpful when speaking with NewsNation. During a tearful interview, Northington unveiled details about her daughter and said, "If you knew Xana, you knew what a light she was to everybody she came across. She was such a positive influence on everybody around her … I'm not saying this because I'm her mother and biased. It's just the truth. There's nothing negative you could say about her. She was just such a good soul … No parent should ever go through this. These kids were good kids."
Xana's father Jeff Kernodle revealed that his daughter had bruises on her body, indicating that she died defending herself from her assailant. "She's a tough kid. Whatever she wanted to do, she could do it," he said, adding, "She didn't worry about the drama and stuff that much. She was never into that. She just liked having fun. Never about worldly things." He added that Xana and Chapin had been in a relationship for more than a year. Jeff said that her daughter was in continuous contact with her family and that nothing about that particular night stood out as different, as reported by MEAWW.
Meanwhile, her family has decided to start a scholarship in her honor. Sheldon Kernodle, Xana's cousin, wrote about the memorial scholarship on social media on Thursday, December 15. Sheldon wrote, "We've started a memorial endowment in Xana's name to honor her memory and keep her legacy alive," adding, "The Xana Kernodle Scholarship Endowment is a permanent endowment, created in partnership with the University of Idaho Foundation, that will support and fund scholarships year after year for University of Idaho students."
He added, "In order to create awareness and raise as much money as possible in Xana's name, the Kernodle Family will be matching dollar-for-dollar donations up to $10,000," he added. "We are asking anyone who is willing and able to donate any amount they are comfortable with. Please know that no donation is too small."
Xana, Mogen, and Goncalves all lived at the King Road house along with two other unharmed roommates who lived on the lower level; Chapin resided at a nearby fraternity and had been staying over the night of the murders. Before she was killed brutally, Xana was a junior studying marketing.