POST FALLS, Idaho — A memorial service was held in Post Falls, Idaho, on Friday to honor the lives of four University of Idaho students murdered near campus on Nov. 13.
Real Life Ministries hosted the service for Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen.
During the service, family and friends of the four students took the stand to shared memories of their loved ones.
Madison's boyfriend, Jake Schriger, took the stand to share some memories during their relationship.
"Maddie was my best friend. She was the first person I talked to every morning and the last person I talked to before bed," Schriger said. "I was lucky enough to be able to explore life with Maddie for about two years."
Kaylee's mom, Kristi Goncalves, also took the stand to share some memories of her daughter and said her daughter was a huge part of the family.
"Kaylee was our middle child out of five," Kristi said. "Kaylee was a huge part of our family, the dynamics of our family will never be the same."
She also said Maddie became part of the family as they were always together.
"They were sisters, she was one of ours," Kristi said. "We are just heartbroken, and we know it, it just going to take time for everybody to heal, if that's possible. I just pray that it is."
Madison's father, Ben Mogen, also shared some stories about his daughter and Kaylee.
"She was the world to us," Ben Mogen said. "They were both in love with life and exploring. When they met, they were inseparable from the sixth grade on. They were true sisters, and our families grew bigger and better from that."
Xana's family also took the stand. Her sister, Jazzmin, shared some memories with Xana and how Xana loved living in Moscow with her friends.
"Losing her is the hardest thing I ever have to go through and has left me heartbroken," Jazzy said. "I know she loved living in her house in Moscow with her friends. I hear so many stories of her and her roommates and made me so happy to know she had such great friendships."
During the memorial, Xana's aunt also took the stand to share some memories with Xana. She said the family hopes to see the light at the end of the tunnel and pray that one day they have justice.
Ethan's family couldn't make it to the memorial, but one of his friends, Hunter Johnson, shared some memories with him during the memorial.
"Me and Ethan became best friends over the last year and a half we spent at the U of I. And since we became such good friends. I feel honored and privileged to even be able to share who he was to everyone here," Johnson said.
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