In a heartbreaking revelation featured in the Amazon Prime docuseries One Night in Idaho: The College Murders, Mazie Chapin shared the last text message she received from her brother, Ethan Chapin, just hours before he was murdered. The University of Idaho freshman had accompanied his sister to her sorority formal the night before the killings.
After a fun evening, Mazie went to bed early, while Ethan continued texting her, encouraging her to come hang out. His final message, “I love you,” struck Mazie as unusual given that they didn’t typically express such sentiments — a chilling moment in hindsight.
Cold Confession Follows Shocking 2022 Idaho Student Murders in Off-Campus Home
On the morning of November 13, 2022, Ethan Chapin, his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, and their friends Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were found brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus home. The horrifying murders shocked the small town of Moscow, Idaho, and triggered a lengthy investigation. The killings occurred around 4 a.m., marking one of the most chilling college-campus-related crimes in recent history.
Ethan Chapin’s Final Text Revealed as Idaho Killer Pleads Guilty in Chilling College Murder CaseMore than two years later, on July 1, 2025, Bryan Kohberger, 30, confessed to the murders as part of a plea deal designed to spare him the death penalty. In a signed confession, Kohberger admitted to breaking into the 1122 King Road residence with the clear intent to kill. His actions were described as premeditated and carried out with malice. The following day in court, Kohberger formally entered a guilty plea, which Ethan’s mother, Stacy Chapin, described as eerily cold and devoid of emotion.
Families Split on Plea Deal, But United in Desire for Closure and Peace
The plea deal prompted mixed reactions among the victims’ families. While the Chapin and Mogen families supported the agreement, hoping it would bring closure and spare other students from testifying, the Goncalves family vocally opposed it, seeking a more punitive outcome. Despite these differences, all families expressed shock at the suddenness of the deal. Ethan’s father, Jim Chapin, said he felt relief, viewing the plea as a step forward after years of painful uncertainty.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Kohberger will serve four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 10 years. He has waived his right to appeal or seek any future reduction in sentence.
This outcome means the families, particularly those with children previously subpoenaed, can begin to move forward without the looming threat of a trial. Stacy Chapin acknowledged that, while the family initially hoped for the death penalty, they ultimately accepted the plea deal as the more pragmatic path to justice and peace.