MOSCOW, Idaho – Reflecting on the tragic loss of her friends in a horrifying incident in an off-campus house, Ashlin Couch expresses her deep sense of longing for a proper goodbye. More than a year after the untimely deaths of her former roommates, Couch still grapples with the lingering shadows of that fateful day.
Having resided in the sixth bedroom of the now infamous house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho until May 2022, Couch vividly recalls the chilling thought that the unfathomable tragedy could have befallen her while she was still living there. The nightmare unfolded in November 2022 when four University of Idaho students, including Couch’s friends Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, lost their lives in the same house she once called home.
The alleged perpetrator, Bryan Kohberger, a graduate student at Washington State University, was apprehended by authorities in December 2022. Subsequent charges of first-degree murder and burglary were brought against Kohberger, who pled not guilty in a court appearance in May 2023. The ongoing legal proceedings have left the community and the victims’ loved ones searching for closure and justice in the wake of such a heinous crime.
For Couch, the heartache of losing her friends remains palpable. Despite having moved out in December 2021, the bond she shared with Mogen and Goncalves endured. Devastated by the news of the suspected homicides on King Road, Couch frantically reached out to her roommates, desperately hoping for their safety. The tragic reality began to sink in as she realized that something was amiss, signaling the start of an agonizing journey through grief and loss.
The demolition of the three-story house in December 2023 marked a symbolic end to a chapter tainted by tragedy, but for Couch, the wounds of the past still linger. The inability to bid her friends a proper farewell weighs heavily on her heart, as she yearns for one last chance to embrace them and say goodbye. The memories of her time spent in that house, once filled with joy and laughter, now serve as a poignant reminder of the precious lives lost too soon.
As Couch navigates through her grief, the scars left by the indescribable loss serve as a constant reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring power of friendship. Despite the passage of time, the pain of that tragic day continues to shape her journey towards healing and closure, a journey she walks with the cherished memories of her departed friends by her side.