Idaho Murder Victim's Mom Breaks Silence, Forgives after Finding Jesus in a Jail Cell

Billy Hallowell : Jul 18, 2025
Faithwire

"The Lord asks us to forgive, and He does that so that we don't have to hold onto that bitterness, and that anger, and that hate. Because it will destroy you, and it truly was destroying me." -Cara Kernodle

[Faithwire.com] Cara Kernodle faced every mother's worst nightmare on Nov. 13, 2022, when her daughter, Xana, was one of four University of Idaho students murdered in an off-campus home. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

The case immediately garnered national attention as the accused, Bryan Kohberger—a 30-year-old former criminal justice doctoral candidate—initially maintained his innocence; he has since accepted a plea deal, admitting guilt to avoid the death penalty.

The deal sparked various reactions among the victims' family members. As for Kernodle, she told CBN News she was initially "shocked." She was on a camping trip with her church when the news of Kohberger's plea broke. Despite not having cell service, someone who went to check messages found a signal and came back, telling her what was unfolding.

"I was just very shocked and confused, because here we had this man who was proclaiming his innocence this whole time," she said. "So, there's been a lot of questions surrounding the case this whole time— a lot of unanswered questions."

All of this has sparked confusion, which Kernodle said she believes is "not of the Lord." With the grieving mom embracing the Christian faith after her daughter's murder, she has wanted to keep focus on God. So, her perspective on the deal has changed.

"My initial reaction was a little bit angry, because I just felt like it was just too easy for him to just admit that he did it and not have to give an explanation or answer our questions," she said. "And here we have been planning on going to this trial, and that's not something you look forward to, but I think that all of us were wanting answers."

Kernodle continued, "The Lord is just so good in helping me to understand that it's OK that I don't know everything, and that likely is for my protection. I may never know all the answers that I want. I may never know, and I know now that that is God's protection, and that, even if I were to know why he did it or all the details, what is it going to change? Is it going to make me feel better?"

Ultimately, she knows the crime was a "senseless" act and that the more information that comes in, the more questions emerge.

"There's never gonna be a good enough reason for why it happened," Kernodle said. "So, I believe that, if we are supposed to know, we will know."... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Continue reading, and watch the video Here.