A sibling of one of the Idaho victims has shared news of his engagement to someone intricately involved in the case.
In November 2022, the tragic murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, occurred in their shared student residence.
Bryan Kohberger was identified as the perpetrator and was recently sentenced to four consecutive life terms for each count of first-degree murder.
He narrowly avoided the death penalty by negotiating a plea deal with the prosecution.
This agreement not only spared him from execution but also eliminated the need for a trial.
As Kohberger serves his sentence, lingering questions remain about his motives for killing the students.
Bill Thompson, the lead prosecutor, speculates that Kohberger’s primary target was either Mogen or Goncalves on that tragic evening.
Kohberger has withheld details, leaving both families without closure about specific targets in the deadly attack.
In the midst of their ongoing heartache, the Goncalves family recently received uplifting news.
Kaylee’s brother, Steven Goncalves, declared his engagement to an unexpected partner.
He plans to wed Olivia Vitale, an independent journalist who had been covering the murder case.
The couple reportedly crossed paths while Vitale was reporting on the murders and started dating about a year later during the production of a documentary, according to NewsNation.
“I wanted Steven to be a part of it, and it was on set where we bonded. We were skipping rocks, you can see in the documentary, and that was really when we first really met, and we just became best friends after that,” Vitale expressed to Banfield.
In an interview with NewsNation, she confirmed their engagement and shared their desire for a simple and cozy life together.
“Eventually, we would like to homestead, get some chickens, raise a family together, so I probably won’t have as much time to be on the road, and I’ll be, kind of, more working from home,” she mentioned.
“We’ll do some stories together and help other families, because that’s really what it boils down to, is helping other people and giving them a voice.”
Vitale revealed that before her untimely death, Kaylee was a follower and fan of her work, having shared some of Vitale’s content on her social media.
“She shared it with her family a few days before her passing; that really hit me hard,” Vitale shared. “And so from the beginning, this case has been a bit different than the others, because of the personal connection with the victim.
“The world works in weird ways. I never saw this coming. I never thought that I would fall in love with her brother. But life is weird.”
Despite the tragic circumstances of their meeting, Steven has found solace in his relationship with Olivia.
“We were really willing to go to bat for Kaylee to whatever extent that meant, and I truly believe we did try. We ended up losing, and that sucks socks to lose, it really does,” he reflected.
“But there’s a bright spot. I did meet Olivia. I do have my partner for the rest of my life, and I’ll hold on to that.”