Latest / Beyond The Horizon / Murder In Moscow: Ethan Chapin's Fraternity Brothers And Their Plan To Honor Ethan

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Murder In Moscow: Ethan Chapin's Fraternity Brothers And Their Plan To Honor Ethan · Beyond The Horizon

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up everyone and welcome back to the program. In
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: today's episode, we're going to hear from Ethan Chapin's fraternity
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: brothers about how they're getting on after their fraternity brother
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: and friend Ethan was murdered. And they're also discussing how
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: they plan on remembering his legacy. We've talked a little
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: bit about Sigma Chi in the past and about the fraternity,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: but this article goes into context and talks a little
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: bit deeper about what they have going on. So, let's
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: dive into this article from KVB Channel 7, and let's
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: see what Ethan Chapin's fraternity brothers had to say. Like
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: I said, this article was published by KTVB, and the headline,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: University of Idaho Fraternity Brothers Talk About Ethan Chapin's Murder
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: One Year Later. This article was authored by Maggie O'Mara
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: and Cara Valentine. In this final segment of a four-part series,
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: four Sigma Chi fraternity brothers banded together to share their
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: memories of Ethan, one of the four University of Idaho
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  Speaker 1: students stabbed to death in the early morning hours of
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: November 13, 2022. Chapin and his girlfriend, Zanna Kernodle, along
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: with Madison Mogan and her best friend, Kaylee Gonsalves, were
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  Speaker 1: brutally murdered in their off-campus rental home one year ago.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: so universally loved. I have never met someone who was
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: so universally loved, said Kyle Free of Grangerville, Idaho. Everyone
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: liked him. There was not a person that didn't like him.
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  Speaker 1: He was just the happiest person to be around. Everyone
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  Speaker 1: wanted to be around him. For Chapin's fraternity brothers, the
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  Speaker 1: wounds are still fresh, even a year later. Oh, there's
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  Speaker 1: no doubt. You lose a friend, a good friend, and
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  Speaker 1: it doesn't matter if it's a year, two years, five years,
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  Speaker 1: That wound feels fresh. Never mind if somebody was murdered
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  Speaker 1: in such a brutal fashion. Right after it happened, it
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: was a madhouse in Moscow. There were news people everywhere
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: and no one knew what was going on because stuff
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  Speaker 1: like that doesn't really happen in a town like this,
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: said fraternity president Gus Elwell from Meridian. As a house,
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  Speaker 1: we all banded together. It was hard because a lot
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: of people went home right away after it all happened. Honestly,
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: when I was home, that was not what I needed
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: to be doing. I think a lot of people can agree,
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  Speaker 1: Elwell continued. I felt way better when I was here
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  Speaker 1: with my brothers rather than being at home. I needed
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: to be around these guys, talking about what I was feeling,
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: talking about Ethan, what captivated the country, built even more
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  Speaker 1: camaraderie at Sigma Chi. Look, when you have something like
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: this happen to your friend group or your fraternity, It's
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: going to build some bonds between those brothers who are
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: going through this kind of issue, right? It's no different
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  Speaker 1: than being in the military or whatever and you lose
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  Speaker 1: a squad mate. All of those bonds that you built
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: going through basic training, going through all of the other
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  Speaker 1: training you go through, you become very close to these people.
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  Speaker 1: And then if they're gone just like that in an instant,
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  Speaker 1: it becomes very, very difficult. But it can also help
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  Speaker 1: build the ties and the bonds between that friend group.
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  Speaker 1: and a lot of times it brings people closer. This
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  Speaker 1: fraternity is very special to me. The brotherhood is there.
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  Speaker 1: Elwell said as he reflected on the grief the brothers share.
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  Speaker 1: All of us knew that no one was going to
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  Speaker 1: look down on them for sharing their emotions or anything
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  Speaker 1: like that, said Joshua Howell of Eagle. Elwell explained that
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  Speaker 1: the ability to be vulnerable is undoubtedly what helped Ethan's
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  Speaker 1: fellow fraternity brothers get through the loss. And when you're
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  Speaker 1: around people who are suffering through the same tragedy as you,
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  Speaker 1: it's a lot easier to be open, right? You're all
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  Speaker 1: sharing the same grief. You're all sharing the same kinds
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: of feelings of loss. And when you're around other people
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  Speaker 1: who are going through it with you, sometimes it helps
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  Speaker 1: your process of grieving. I think that was a big
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  Speaker 1: factor in last year, how we handled that as a fraternity.
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  Speaker 1: It wasn't one person handling it. We handled that as
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  Speaker 1: a brotherhood. Everyone is here to support each other. And look,
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  Speaker 1: whenever you have loss, as you all well know, you
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  Speaker 1: have to have that support system, right? Makes things a
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  Speaker 1: whole hell of a lot easier as you try to
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  Speaker 1: climb out of that hole of grief or loathing or
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  Speaker 1: whatever it is. Whenever you have people who are going
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  Speaker 1: through the same thing that you're going through, well, it
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  Speaker 1: helps out. And that's why you see so many of
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  Speaker 1: these kinds of support groups for different issues, whether it's,
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  Speaker 1: you know, you lost somebody to cancer or you're going
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  Speaker 1: through grief for this, that, or the other thing, when
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  Speaker 1: you have groups of people who are experiencing the same thing,
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  Speaker 1: you can speak a little more openly about it because
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  Speaker 1: other people can relate. When you're with people who might
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  Speaker 1: not be going through the same issues that you're going through,
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  Speaker 1: you might not be so candid when you're speaking about
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  Speaker 1: your feelings, especially for men. And that's a whole different topic,
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  Speaker 1: but we all know that men don't like to get
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  Speaker 1: in their feelings, especially around other men. So the fact
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  Speaker 1: that they were able to grieve together, they were able
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  Speaker 1: to work through their emotions together, that's a big plus.
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  Speaker 1: The past year has been painful for everyone at the university.
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  Speaker 1: For the Sigma Chi brothers, they are comforted by the
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  Speaker 1: happy memories they have of Ethan. They say they try
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  Speaker 1: to focus on those and not what happened that terrible
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  Speaker 1: November night. He was just the coolest guy you'll ever meet.
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  Speaker 1: That's about it right there, said Howell. Emotionally, always there
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  Speaker 1: for people. Just a really great guy. And this is
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  Speaker 1: a common theme at this point. Everybody who knew Ethan
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  Speaker 1: has the same thing to say about this kid. He
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  Speaker 1: was the life of the party. Always had a big
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  Speaker 1: smile on his face. Was always happy. Was always there
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  Speaker 1: for his friends. Always there to pick people up when
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  Speaker 1: they were feeling down. And all of that was taken.
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  Speaker 1: Not just from his parents. Not just from his friends.
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  Speaker 1: But from the world. and the universe knows we could
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  Speaker 1: use more good people on this spinning rock. He was
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: just a really big, happy guy. He was always so
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  Speaker 1: kind in anything that he did, and he was always
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  Speaker 1: so funny, said Conrad Harrison from Eagle. I lived with
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  Speaker 1: him for a semester, and that was really something. He
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  Speaker 1: was really such a funny guy. When I think of Ethan,
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: I think about walking into a room and he'd always
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: call me Gussy Gus, said Elwell. He was just so
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: kind and welcoming to all. When you would walk into
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  Speaker 1: the room, not just to me, anybody, he would just
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  Speaker 1: welcome you into the room. Memories of Ethan Chapin are
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  Speaker 1: everywhere at the Sigma Chi house on the Moscow campus.
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  Speaker 1: From the photos still up on the walls to the
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  Speaker 1: Memorial Scholarship Award plaque with Ethan's face engraved on it,
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  Speaker 1: Ethan will forever be remembered here. In October, the first
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  Speaker 1: Sigma Chi Ethan Chapin Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Hunter Chapin,
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  Speaker 1: Ethan's triplet brother. The ceremony took place at the Sigma
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  Speaker 1: Chi Fraternity House in Moscow. Both Ethan and Hunter are
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  Speaker 1: members of the fraternity. It means a lot that Sigma
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  Speaker 1: Chi took the bull by the horns and made this
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  Speaker 1: scholarship a thing. The world raised $ 125, 000 for this scholarship
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  Speaker 1: through donations, which is absolutely insane, Elwell continued. I don't
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  Speaker 1: think there is a better way to honor Ethan. He
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  Speaker 1: gave his whole life that day, so let's keep on
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  Speaker 1: giving in the name of Ethan. Sounds like a good
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  Speaker 1: plan to me. And again, a tip of the cap
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  Speaker 1: to these kids in Sigma Chi. They catch enough bullshit
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  Speaker 1: for the way they get down and party, all the
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  Speaker 1: other stuff. So we should give them a tip of
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  Speaker 1: the cap here when they step up. and act like
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  Speaker 1: responsible members of the community. And their parents should be proud, too.
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  Speaker 1: They obviously raised good young men. Donors from around the
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  Speaker 1: world raised more than $ 125, 000 to honor the late Ethan Chapin.
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  Speaker 1: The total funds raised will go towards the University of
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  Speaker 1: Idaho chapter of Sigma Chi through an annual gift of $ 5, 000
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  Speaker 1: in perpetuity, according to Jeff Burnside, Sigma Chi Director of
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  Speaker 1: Development for the Northwest Region. I think it obviously means
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  Speaker 1: a lot of that is going to Hunter, said Conrad Harrison.
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  Speaker 1: We're all talking about Ethan right now, but Hunter is
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  Speaker 1: right there with him. They are very similar people. When
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  Speaker 1: you think of what Hunter has been going through and
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  Speaker 1: the way he's come out on the other end, the
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  Speaker 1: person he is now, I don't think I could be
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  Speaker 1: that strong. Look, I've said that from the jump. There
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  Speaker 1: is no way. If I was going through this, I'd
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  Speaker 1: be a blubbering mess. I would not be able to function.
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  Speaker 1: Never mind stand up straight the way the Chapins, the
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  Speaker 1: Gonsalves family are and keep on keeping on. So I
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  Speaker 1: have a lot of respect for the way that these
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  Speaker 1: families have handled themselves in the aftermath of this great tragedy.
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  Speaker 1: It was kind of tough because it was a subject
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  Speaker 1: that he didn't want to talk about for a while,
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  Speaker 1: said Howell. He still doesn't love talking about it, but
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  Speaker 1: just letting him know that we are there if he
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  Speaker 1: ever does want to talk is important to us. There
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  Speaker 1: have been certain points where where he will talk to me,
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  Speaker 1: and just knowing that is open to him, if he
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  Speaker 1: ever does need a release, he can let his emotions
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  Speaker 1: out to us. The Chapin family was there for the
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  Speaker 1: special scholarship event. Ethan and Hunter's mom and dad, Stacy
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  Speaker 1: and Jim Chapin, and his sister Maisie. Hunter received a
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  Speaker 1: standing ovation from the fraternity brothers that night. The fraternity
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  Speaker 1: brothers said Ethan was happiest when he was with Zanna Kernodle,
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  Speaker 1: his college sweetheart and fellow University of Idaho student. Zanna
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  Speaker 1: lived at the King Road house. She was one of
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  Speaker 1: the four victims killed on November 13th of 2022. The
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  Speaker 1: brothers are not only mourning the loss of Ethan, they
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  Speaker 1: lost Zanna as well. Him and Zanna were just the
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: most perfect couple you can imagine, said Frey. I have
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  Speaker 1: so many memories with both of them. And think about it.
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  Speaker 1: How many times growing up, especially, did you have your
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: girlfriend's friends all around you or vice versa, your boyfriend's friends?
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  Speaker 1: And you become close with them, right? And God forbid
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  Speaker 1: something ever happened, it would be a gigantic loss. And
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  Speaker 1: I think we need to talk about that more often.
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  Speaker 1: And that is the monumental amount of collateral damage that
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  Speaker 1: was caused by these murders. We're not just talking about
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  Speaker 1: the families losing their loved ones, which is obviously the
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  Speaker 1: most important thing here. But we're talking about so many friends,
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  Speaker 1: so many different groups of people who were affected by this.
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  Speaker 1: She was just able to come here and hang out
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  Speaker 1: with all the dudes and it wasn't weird at all,
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  Speaker 1: Elwell added. We all have said that Ethan was the
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  Speaker 1: most universally loved person on the campus. I think Zanna
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  Speaker 1: was right up there with Ethan. Everyone loved Zanna. Everyone
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  Speaker 1: loved Ethan. Both of them were just living life and
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: flourishing and flourishing. That's how it should be, said Elwell.
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  Speaker 1: We're all wearing these blue bracelets. We got these at
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: the memorial last year. They say live life like Ethan
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: on them. I haven't taken mine off since. Every morning
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  Speaker 1: when I see it, I'm reminded that I should live
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  Speaker 1: like Ethan that day. For these Sigma Chi brothers, life
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: will go on, but Ethan will always be carried in
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: their hearts. I think the story of Ethan will go
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: from generation to generation, from pledge class to pledge class.
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  Speaker 1: His story will be shared with everyone, and hopefully everyone
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  Speaker 1: can live life like Ethan. All right, everybody, that's going
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: to do it for this one. All of the information
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: that goes with this episode can be found in the
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  Speaker 1: description box.