Idaho murders victim: Who is Xana Kernodle?

SEATTLE — Xana Kernodle, who was killed in an off-campus home near the University of Idaho in November, is remembered by her family for being “positive, funny, and universally loved.”

Jazzmin Kernodle, Kernodle’s older sister, said Kernodle, 20, is loved by many people and surrounded by best friends.

“You rarely come across someone like Xana,” Jazzmin Kernodle said in a statement to KING 5’s sister station in Spokane. “She was very positive, funny and loved by everyone who met her. She was dizzy, picking up a room. She made me a proud sister, and I wish I could have spent more time with her. She has a lot of life left to live.”

Kernodle was found stabbed to death on November 13 along with University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Ethan Chapin. Bryan Kohberger, 28 years old, PhD, Washington State University. students, charged with their murder.

Kernodle was originally from Avondale, Ariz., but moved to Post Falls, Idaho, about 25 miles east of Spokane.

She is a senior at the University of Idaho majoring in marketing at the College of Business and Economics. She is also a member of the sorority Pi Beta Phi.

Before going to the University of Idaho, Kernodle attended Post Falls High School. Kernodle played volleyball, track and field and football until graduation, according to the obituary in the Bonner County Daily Bee. For her graduation in 2020, she decorated her stucco board with flower and butterfly cuts and the words “For the lives I will change.”

Kernodle worked as a waiter at the Mad Greek restaurant in Moscow for several years with Mogen.

Kernodle loves her dog, Shoeshine, electronic dance music, and travels with her family with her sister and father, according to her obituary.

In December, Jazzmin Kernodle said at a memorial service that her sister loves living in Moscow with her friends. Kernodle shared a rented house with Mogen, Goncalves, and two other roommates who survived the attack.

“Losing her was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through and it broke my heart,” Jazzmin said. “I know she loves living in her house in Moscow with her friends. I’ve heard a lot of stories about her and her roommates and I’m glad to know she has great friendships. such great.”

Kernodle is dating Chapin, 20, of Conway, Wash., a freshman at the University of Idaho. Kernodle and Chapin were friends before they became a couple, Chapin’s mother told The Associated Press. This summer, Kernodle spends time with the entire Chapin family.

In December, the Kernodle family began a memorial donation in the Kernodle name to fund scholarships for University of Idaho students. In a Facebook post, Kernodle’s family said they hope to honor Kernodle’s memory and keep her legacy alive. People can donate online here.

On November 12, Kernodle and Chapin attended a Sigma Chi party together. They returned to Kernodle’s rental house on King Street at about 1:45 a.m

Kernodle received the DoorDash delivery around 4 a.m., according to an affidavit of probable cause. Phone records show Kernodle using TikTok on her cell phone at 4:12 am

Investigators believe four students were killed between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m.

Later that day, Kernodle and Chapin were found dead in the same room on the second floor of the house.