Streamed: One Night in Idaho: The College Murders

It’s been three years since four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered in their off-campus residence. Since then, four families and the peaceful community of Moscow, Idaho, have been publicly forgotten as the media cycle moved on to its next target topic. However, for those closest to the crime, the trauma remains. The four-part docuseries returns viewers to that fateful night. And highlights these survivors’ journey to a new normal.

The morning of November 14, 2022, a group of friends descended on their classmates’ home at 1122 King Road. Feeling something was off, a male friend bravely entered the building, making a grisly discovery. Soon, the names Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves were known nationwide; victims of an unprovoked act of violence, with no suspects.

Nearly a month later, Bryan Kohberger, a Washington State University graduate student, was arrested in his native Pennsylvania as the alleged suspect in the quadruple murder. As of now, the trial has been postponed as his defense team maintains his innocence.

The series hits familiar touchpoints from the victims’ humble beginnings to the tragic moments when their loss became known. It strategically discusses Kohberger and his possible motives; however, much cannot be said as an active gag order remains. UPDATE: Kohberger has pleaded guilty to all four murders to avoid the death penalty.

It also takes time to examine the double-edged sword of social media. The great tool, connecting future friends and community, also opens one up to anonymous scrutiny. An ugly truth these young people learned the hard way.

While there is nothing spectacularly unique about the series, it ultimately allows those surviving without those four a chance to honor their loved ones and decide how their narrative is told.

All four episodes of One Night in Idaho: The College Murders arrive on Prime Video on July 11.