Netflix has released The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, a three-part documentary revisiting one of the most shocking crimes in recent US history. The series premiered on July 29, nearly a year after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students in November 2022.
The documentary features interviews with victims’ families, friends, investigators and people who knew Kohberger as authorities investigated the murder.
The documentary arrives as Kohberger continues to challenge his conviction despite pleading guilty.
In July 2025, Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole after admitting to fatally stabbing Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen. The murder took place at an off-campus home near the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.
However, in a recent phone interview with The New York Times, Kohberger said he has filed a petition challenging his conviction and claimed he is innocent, arguing that “a lot went wrong” during plea negotiations.
Also read: The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare: Netflix documentary to explore brutal student killings; release date & more
Who were the four victims?
The documentary places the victims at the centre of the story, focusing on their full college and student lives rather than only the investigation.
Ethan Chapin
The only male victim of the Idaho college murders, Ethan Chapin, 20, was a freshman from Conway, Washington. He studied recreation, sport and tourism management and was known for his outgoing personality, his parents told NBC News.
According to his IMDB profile, Ethan was a triplet and shared a close bond with his siblings. Friends described him as someone who made people laugh and quickly formed friendships.
At the time of his passing, Ethan was in a relationship with another victim, Xana Kernodle. According to Chapin’s mother, Stacy Chapin, Kernodle and Chapin were friends before they started dating, and Kernodle spent time with the whole Chapin family.
Xana Kernodle
Xana Kernodle, 20, studied marketing at the university. She worked while attending college and was remembered by loved ones for her resilience and kindness. Her father, Jeff Kernodle, and sister, Jazzmin Kernodle, both appear in the documentary, sharing their perspectives on the plea deal and its emotional impact.
Xana used cutouts of flowers and butterflies along with the words “For The Lives That I Will Change” to decorate her mortarboard for her high school graduation in 2020.
In the documentary, Jeff talked about Kohberger and said, “He should have to tell them why he did it, tell all of us parents why he did it.”
However, Xana’s sister said that she was “dreading the trial” that could last months. “I think the plea deal did save us a lot of emotional trauma that we would have dealt with going through a trial. I am grateful to get it over with and slowly start to heal.”
Kaylee Goncalves
Kaylee Goncalves, 21, was a senior majoring in general studies at the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. She had accepted a job in Texas after graduation in December and had recently purchased a new vehicle, according to the New York Times.
Family members said she was excited about beginning the next chapter of her life.
Her father, Steve Goncalves, has remained one of the most vocal advocates for justice throughout the case.
In an Instagram post commemorating another victim, Maddison Mogen’s 21st birthday in May 2022, Kaylee Goncalves recalled a portion of their past.
She wrote, “I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to be the main character in all my childhood stories.”
Also read: Bryan Kohberger ‘tried reaching out to’ notorious serial killers from Idaho prison: ‘Sees himself above everyone’
Madison Mogen
Madison Mogen, 21, majored in marketing and was one of Kaylee Goncalves’ closest friends and grew up together in northern Idaho. Steve said, “They went to high school together, then they started looking at colleges, they came here together. They eventually got into the same apartment together. And in the end, they died together, in the same room, in the same bed.”
She worked with Kernodle at a Greek restaurant in Moscow. She also ran a social media campaign for the restaurant.
She was Ben Mogen’s only child. In a 2022 vigil held for the victims in Idaho, Ben said, “When I would meet people ever since she was first born, and they would say, ‘Tell me about yourself,’ the first thing I would say is, ‘I have this daughter — here’s a picture of her, she’s on the dean’s list at college, she works hard, she has all these friends at her sorority.”