Mom of Idaho Murders Victim Madison Mogen Speaks Out on Delayed Trial: 'Legal System Is Not About Victims'

Two years after the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, a parent of one of the victims is speaking out for the first time.

Karen Laramie, the mother of Madison Mogen, appeared on the Today show on Wednesday, Dec. 18, speaking with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie about her daughter’s legacy and the delayed trial for Bryan Kohberger — the man accused of her daughter’s murder.

After Kotb, 60, asked Laramie for her thoughts on the pushed-back trial date, which is still eight months away, Laramie replied, “I don’t have a lot of comments on that. I would say that the legal system is not about the victims, and I’ll leave it at that.”

And though two years have passed since her daughter’s killing, Laramie said that Madison, who was 21 at the time of her death, remains a staple in her life. 

“Sometimes I see her in dreams when she’s a toddler, in those days when they still hug you,” Laramie said. “And sometimes I see her in dreams where she’s more of an adult. It’s always about hugs and appreciation. It’s beautiful.”

However, there is one painful part of the dreams — waking up. 

“It’s hard,” Laramie admitted. “Because you have to say goodbye again.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.  

The grieving mother keeps her daughter’s memory alive by speaking about her in the present tense. 

“I’m not gonna say ‘was,’ ” she explained. “Madison is absolutely amazing and always has been.”

Now Laramie is continuing Madison’s legacy with her friend Angela Navejas, the mother of another of Madison’s friends. They have started the Made With Kindness foundation to promote the way Madison lived her life. 

“We’re missing our kids,” Laramie said, “and to have something to put your heart into positively, it’s… there are no words.”

Madison was one of four students, including Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20, who were murdered in November 2022. The students were stabbed to death in their off-campus home. On Dec. 30, 2022, Kohberger was arrested in connection with the students’ deaths. 

Kohberger was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of the four students in May 2023. He waived his right to a speedy trial and the prosecution requested a March or summer 2025 trial date. The trial is currently set to begin Aug. 11, 2025. Though he remained silent when asked for his plea, a judge entered a “not guilty” plea for Kohberger in 2023.