MOSCOW, Idaho. – It was a seemingly normal Sunday when four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered in an off-campus home; their lives cut short before they even had time to truly begin. One year later, their fellow Vandals continue to grieve, but they are finding ways to heal as they walk down the long road to recovery, together.“It has that sense of depth and somberness that’s still there in the area,” University of Idaho Senior Olivia Niemi said.From Nov. 2022 to Nov. 2023, time has allowed a lot to stay the same in Moscow, Idaho – a small, rural college town tucked in the Palouse. The rolling hills look the same, the colors of the trees have turned just as usual from summer to fall. The campus clock tower continues to tick.On the other hand, time has also made room for a lot of change. This time last year, four students were alive one minute, and dead the next. Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were murdered on Sunday November 13, 2022.The world they left behind forever changed.“It feels different, and there’s a sense of sadness that truly hasn’t left the community, and I don’t think it will for a while,” Niemi said.Olivia Niemi is still here. She is the first student NonStop Local KHQ spoke with after the news of the murders traveled door-to-door, campus quickly becoming a ghost town. Last fall, she described the horrific crime as shocking, unbelievable and heartbreaking:“No one would have ever imagined something like this could happen in Moscow, Idaho, in such a small town,” she said.As time continued to march on without fail, the Vandal family across the state and across the country started the impossible feat of healing. How could you, when such tragedy enveloped the town you always knew as safe, calm, and peaceful?The memories of Maddie, Kaylee, Ethan and Xana continue to flow through campus. Though, as students walk by on their way to class, they are trying to create a new chapter. Many of them did not want to talk about the murders anymore; understandably, it is just too hard; yet, they do say this is a tragedy you can never forget.“It’s kind of interesting, there’s those moments when you’re in the moment, having fun and you forget. And then, something happens, or someone says something, or you view a location, and it all comes rushing back,” Niemi said. “It’s never going to truly be the same again and there might be moments of bliss, but that’s just a moment – it’s not ever going to feel the same or look the same.”It is an undeniable fact that the University of Idaho and the town of Moscow will be written into history books after the murders of 2022. But the Vandals remain brave and bold through it all, finding a way through the unknown and unimaginable.Though, Niemi said there are moments that are more painful than others.“Homecoming, for example was really hard for a lot of people because that was a time that we all got together to celebrate and have fun, and a lot of us had to do that without four extra individuals,” she said. “That was a hard thing to grasp, figuring out how to do it in a new light.”The road to healing is a long one, facing a reality that does not include four distinct friends, family members and students. This time last year, you could drive into Moscow and instantly be hit with sorrow – public displays for the lives gone, students and residents of Moscow alike, praying for answers.Pictures of the four, posted across the country, even the world – their families, grieving openly.“It’s always hard, every time I see a photo of them or hear another story coming from a family, it hits and it’s a hard one to hear, but it’s one that I want to hear because I don’t want their memories to die, I don’t want the stories of their families to go away,” Niemi said. “I think it’s important to listen and be aware of what’s happening, and to continue to pay our respects because we don’t want their memories to go away – they need to live on as long as they possibly can.”And if it’s up to the Vandals, the memories of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan will never die. They will always be remembered as the beautiful, young and lively people they were – before they took their last breath.Exactly one year since they were killed, the University of Idaho will hold a vigil to honor their lives. It will be led by students, with friends of the victims speaking, as well as the student association president.The vigil will be open to all and will begin at six p.m. on the Administration Lawn on campus in Moscow. If you cannot make it, the university said the Vandal family across the state and beyond are encouraged to turn on their porch lights from six to seven.As for Niemi, she will be there.“It’s a moment to come together and have that true sense of community and be able to physically see it, instead of just feeling it internally,” she said. “We have a long journey ahead and it’s never going to be the same again. And I don’t want it to be the same, those four left an impact and we are meant to have a different campus, a different university, a different community after that.”
