The family of one of the four University of Idaho students killed in a stabbing attack in November 2022 has shared a poignant detail about the final communication from one of the victims, Ethan Chapin, shortly before his death.

According to the victim’s sister, Ethan sent her a text message hours before the fatal attack that she described as unusual and out of character. The message reportedly read “I love you”, which was surprising because the siblings say they rarely express those words to each other in texts. This detail was revealed as part of a new documentary series exploring the case.

Ethan and three other University of Idaho students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle — were found stabbed to death in a rental home near campus on November 13, 2022. Two roommates survived the attack.

Nearly two and a half years after the killings, Bryan Kohberger — a former criminology PhD student — signed a confession and accepted a plea deal in July 2025 in connection with the murders, which spared him the death penalty. He faces multiple life sentences.

The “weird” text has been highlighted in coverage and in the documentary as one of the last personal interactions Ethan had with his family before the tragic night. It underscores the sudden and devastating nature of the crime and has been shared by loved ones as they remember him.