The mother of Xana Kernodle, who was tragically killed by University of Idaho murderer Brian Kohberger, told Kohberger that she had forgiven him completely thanks to Jesus, going on to celebrate her daughter’s life in a moving display of faith and grace in the midst of horrific circumstances.
For background, on July 23, 2025, Brian Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the murder of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Speaking at Kohberger’s sentencing, Cara Northington, mother of victim Xana Kernodle, said that she had forgiven Kohberger for taking the life of her daughter and urged him to pray to God for forgiveness.
Speaking directly to Kohberger in the courtroom, Northington said that she had forgiven him for the murder of her daughter with help from Christ. She told the murderer, “Jesus has allowed me to forgive you for murdering my daughter without you even being sorry or asking for this.”
Continuing, Northington said to Kohberger, “I do not fear you or even let you rent space in my head anymore. This forgiveness has released me from any and all evil you have inflicted on me and my family.” She added that she prays for Kohberger actively, telling him, “I pray that, before this life is over, that you ask our Lord and Savior in your heart and to forgive you.”
Moreover, Northington described her daughter, Xana, as “beautiful both inside and out” during the hearing, adding, “She had a light so bright it will live on forever in our hearts. She brought joy and laughter to her friends, her family, and anyone in her presence.” Northington also reiterated to Kohberger, “It is Christ who lives in me that has given me the strength to forgive you,” she said. “It was of no power of my own.”
Prior to the sentencing, Nortington told CBN News that God had offered her peace in the wake of the horrific loss, saying, “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.”
Continuing, Northington said she may “never know” why her daughter was tragically taken from her, clarifying, “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?”
Furthermore, following the sentencing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed her sympathy to Northington and the others who lost loved ones to Kohberger, saying in a press briefing, “We are so sorry for the grief and the pain you have experienced at the hands of such a vicious and evil killer. Our nation grieves with you, and we will never forget the precious souls who were lost in this horrific act of evil.” She added, “If it were up to the president, he would have forced this monster to publicly explain why he chose to steal these innocent souls.”
Watch Northington’s moving testimony:
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