Donations sought for another victim’s family to travel to University of Idaho murder trial in Boise
A GoFundMe page has been established for Benjamin Mogen, the father of one of the four University of Idaho student homicide victims, so he can travel to Boise next summer to attend the murder trial of the man charged with killing his daughter.
The donation drive is the second such fundraiser set up for families of victims who died in the attack in Moscow in November 2022. The funding goal for Mogen has been set at $15,000 so he and his wife, Korie Hatrock, who live in Coeur d’Alene, can make the trip for a portion of the trial of defendant Bryan Kohberger.
Mogen’s daughter, U I senior Madison Mogen, 21, was among the four students killed at an off-campus rental house where three of them lived. The other three victims were Mogen’s best friend since childhood, fellow senior Kaylee Goncalves, 21; junior Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodle’s boyfriend, freshman Ethan Chapin, also 20, who was staying over for the night .
Last month, a similar GoFundMe fundraiser for travel to Boise was established on behalf of the Goncalves family, who live in the city of Rathdrum. That effort sought $50,000, and surpassed its initial goal and since has been increased to $75,000.
The Goncalveses have stated they intend to be in the courtroom for the entirety of the trial – and already have attended most previous hearings held in Latah County, before a change of venue was granted and the case was moved to Boise. The high-profile murder trial is scheduled to start on July 30 with jury selection, followed by the trial beginning on Aug. 11.
Benjamin Mogen, meanwhile, told the Idaho Statesman by email that he and a couple of family members would plan to attend the trial in Boise in person only for the victims’ impact portion and sentencing, should a jury convict Kohberger.
Kohberger, 29, faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if a jury convicts him.
The Goncalves family indicated in a post on their dedicated Facebook page that they’ve faced some backlash online for “cashing in” on television interviews, during which they speak about their daughter and the case. They dismissed the allegation and said the donation drive would go strictly toward their family’s continued attendance at court hearings and the trial, which is hundreds of miles south in Ada County.
“I hope everyone understands the need for the GoFundMe. There are 10 of us going,” the Goncalveses wrote. “We are not looking for anything fancy, just a (rental) home that we can all maintain some normalcy while we are spending long days at our daughter’s murder trial, fighting for justice. Please try to understand and put yourself in our shoes.”
The Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program does not provide reimbursements for travel to relatives of victims for the situation in which the U I families find themselves, according to Darci Anderson, the statewide program’s bureau chief. Kohberger’s murder trial was moved to Boise after his defense argued that local juror bias in Moscow would prevent him from receiving a fair trial.
The Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association also does not offer funds for such purposes to families, an organization representative said in an email to the Statesman.
The Goncalveses posted an email from a victims’ advocate provided to them by the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office that there is no such financial assistance for travel to an out-of-county trial. The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment to the Statesman, citing the case’s gag order against any statements about the closely watched case outside of the court record.
Past GoFundMe fundraisers have also raised tens of thousands of dollars for the families of the two other victims in the incident.
A donation drive for Kernodle’s father raised more than $50,000 to help with funeral expenses for his daughter, who split her time between Post Falls, and Avondale, Arizona, where her dad lives. In addition, the Sigma Chi fraternity to which Chapin belonged started a GoFundMe page toward a memorial fund in his name to support college scholarships, and it raised nearly $60,000.
Chapin was from Mount Vernon, Washington, and his family also has a home in Priest Lake, Idaho. A foundation called Ethan’s Smile established in his honor continues to accept donations at ethanssmile.org.