In 2020, Ashlin Couch moved in with her best friends, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen on King Road in Moscow, Idaho.
She never expected that home to become the scene of four gruesome murders and a story known nationwide.Â
In an emotional interview, Ashlin explained the moment she found out her best friends were killed.
"Are you okay?": the last text Ashlin sent to Madison the morning she found out the news.Â
Ashlin said it's not easy to talk about, but agreed to share her story with 4 News Now because she said she could have been in that house on the night of November 13, 2022.Â
But years before that unthinkable night, six U of I students moved into their first-off campus home; one of those six was Ashlin.
Ashlin moved out just six months before the murders.Â
"So I actually moved out in May of 2022 and then Xana did take over my lease."Â
Fast forward to November 13, 2022; Ashlin received a message now burned into her memory. The text was from the University of Idaho, alerting her of a suspected homicide on King Road.
"Then I remember, I think, getting a second alert or I had been driving home and I texted like our group of friends, and I just had said, Has anyone heard from Maddie? And I remember, like my last text message to her was like, Are you okay? And I felt it like right then and there, I kind of just knew that something was wrong," said Ashlin.
The reality still haunts her. A horrible tragedy took place in her old bedroom.
"It crosses my mind more that, that could have happened while I was there. And, you know, you never know like how long someone is watching your house."
The vibrant, once full-of-life house, gone.Â
It has taken time for Ashlin and her mom to process their grief. More than a year after the four deaths; the mother and daughter are now making a promise to the roommates.Â
"I want to, you know, spread some kind of message and start something, help people, you know, just do something more with this life that we are grateful to still be living," said Ashlin.Â
Ashlin has a large part in a new foundation for Maddie and Kaylee. As the co-founder of the Made With Kindness foundation, Ashlin helped create The Maddie Kaylee Scholarship fund to help support the lives of college students while spreading kindness and compassion.Â
The first charity gala is on June 15th in Post Falls.Â
Ashlin plans to raise awareness and educate students on social media safety. Even when college seems care-free, She said everyone should still be cautious.Â
"I couldn't even walk to my car in the dark for months after, you know, it happened. Like, you just want to at least feel a little bit safer. And if we can help college students do that and just create more awareness of that and just help them feel a little bit safer knowing that something like this had happened, I think is helpful in any way," said Ashlin.
Ashlin lost her closest friends, in a home that held some of her favorite memories. Yet, one wish will go forever unfulfilled.Â
"I just wish that I could do at least one more time is like, you know, just give her one last hug just to be able to say goodbye."
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