'We high-fived each other': Idaho murders' victim Ethan Chapin's parents reveal last moments spent with son
MOSCOW, IDAHO: Leaving the University of Idaho on November 6, 2022, Parents Jim and Stacy Chapin exchanged high-fives as they realized their triplets were "having the time of their lives." Stacy recalled, "We drove out of town that Sunday morning … and we literally high-fived each other that day. We literally congratulated each other. We were like, 'We've done it, we've done it. They're adulting. They're kind. We've done it. We can rest easy.'" They could not possibly have foreseen what would occur.
Their 20-year-old son, Ethan Chapin was brutally killed along with his 20-year-old girlfriend Xana Kernodle and her housemates Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves just seven days after the meeting. The Chapin family was shaken to the core by their killings and the fallout, plunging them into the "depths of hell," as Stacy puts it.
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'We said goodbye in the parking lot'
The Chapins have been silent for months, but they are slowly coming out of those depths. In Skagit Valley, Washington, Jim fought back tears as he recounted the last time he spoke to his son while standing in a tulip field close to where his triplets were raised. Jim said, "We said goodbye in the parking lot Saturday night. Gave him a hug. Told him to be safe. And that was the last time," as reported by Fox news. Although no one could blame them, the Chapins insisted that they were not angry. Jim gave a clear and succinct justification. He declared, "That's negative energy, and it's not worth it."
"It's an honest response," Stacy said. She added, "It's a tough hand to be dealt, but we can't change the outcome." Therefore, they founded "Ethan's Smile," which is a nonprofit established in Ethan's memory. In the year 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, Ethan worked for the farm's proprietor. The farm developed the 'Ethan's Smile' tulip blend after Ethan was killed. With money from the mix and bulb sales, the Chapins started the foundation. "Ethan's Smile" will provide scholarships to the University of Idaho for students from Skagit Valley, Washington. Additionally, the foundation is what broke their five-month silence, as per reports.
'We just walked it out'
The Chapins went into lockdown following the murders. Hunter and Maizie, the remaining triplets of Stacy, Jim, and Ethan, moved in together and stayed for two months. The vivid recollection of how they got through that difficult moment was imprinted permanently in Stacy's mind. Stacy said, "We just walked it out. Talked. Told stories. One day, I was out walking by myself. I was crying so hard. I happened upon somebody. And I thought they were going to call 911 on me."