Netflix is adding another true crime documentary to its library with The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare. The three-part series looks back at the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students. The case grabbed worldwide attention and left a small college town in shock. The documentary arrives on July 29, 2026, and promises a full look at the crime, the investigation, and the lives that were lost.
The series comes from director Skye Borgman, known for Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, and executive producer Joe Berlinger, who worked on Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey. It features never-before-seen police footage, interviews with family members, and access to forensic evidence.
What Is The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare About
The documentary covers the events of November 13, 2022, when four University of Idaho students were found dead in their off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho. The victims were Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. They were all stabbed to death in bedrooms on the second and third floors of the house.
The case shook the quiet college town. For weeks, the killer remained unknown. The documentary traces every step from that night to the arrest that followed. It also asks a question that still haunts many people: How do you make sense of something so senseless?
The series includes unprecedented access to the victims’ families and police footage. It also features archival materials and firsthand accounts from loved ones. The goal is to honor the four young people while telling the complete story of what happened.
Who Was Responsible for the Murders
The suspect was Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University. He was arrested more than a month after the killings in Pennsylvania. DNA evidence left on a knife sheath at the crime scene pointed to him.
According to prosecutors, Kohberger entered the home just after 4 a.m.. He walked from the second-floor entry to the third floor, where Mogen and Goncalves were sleeping. Goncalves had already moved out but came back that weekend to visit her best friend. She tried to fight him off but was overpowered.
After stabbing the two women, Kohberger tried to leave. But he ran into Xana Kernodle on his way downstairs. He then stabbed her and her sleeping boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, to death. Two other roommates in the house at the time survived.
Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025. He is now serving four life sentences without parole. He never offered a clear explanation for why he targeted the four students.
What the Director and Producer Say
Director Skye Borgman said the project became deeply personal. She felt a strong duty to keep the victims at the center of every decision.
“When I first came to this story, I kept coming back to one simple thought: four young people lost their lives, and they deserved to be remembered for far more than the tragedy that took them.”
Borgman added that at a time when so much attention has been on the case itself, it was important to create something that brings the focus back to who the victims were, the lives they lived, and the love that still surrounds them.
Executive producer Joe Berlinger said the case hit him hard as a father of two daughters who had great college experiences.
“As a father of two daughters who had great college experiences, this case struck a nerve with me unlike many stories I’ve covered.”
Berlinger stressed that telling the full, accurate story was the best way to honor the victims. He described the documentary as the definitive account, with access to key family members, bodycam footage, police interviews, and forensic evidence.
Where to Watch The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare
The documentary will stream exclusively on Netflix. All three episodes will be available starting July 29, 2026. Viewers can watch it on the Netflix app or website with a subscription.
The official trailer is already available on Netflix’s YouTube channel and social media pages. The series is produced by RadicalMedia and Third Eye Motion Picture Company. Gina Scarlata, Jon Kamen, and Jen Isaacson also serve as executive producers.
This is not the first documentary about the Idaho murders. Peacock released The Idaho Student Murders on July 3, 2025. Amazon Prime Video delivered One Night in Idaho: The College Murders a week later. Netflix’s version arrives nearly a year after those releases.
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What to Expect from the Series
The documentary promises to peel back the layers of a case that forever changed Moscow, Idaho. It includes police footage that has never been seen before. Viewers will also hear from family members sharing their firsthand accounts.
The series does not just focus on the crime. It also looks at the impact on the college town and the people left behind. The filmmakers wanted to tell the full story while keeping the victims’ memories alive.
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare runs for three episodes. Each episode covers different parts of the case, from the night of the killings to the investigation and the arrest.
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