Journalist Howard Blum, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, details the murders of four students of the University of Idaho in the fall of 2022 in a new book titled "When the Night Comes Falling." It delves into the police investigation, resulting in the arrest of Bryan Christopher Kohberger. It will be available starting June 25.
An excerpt obtained by People Magazine details the gruesome murder. In the early morning of November 13, 2022, a white car creeps along King Road, hesitant and unsure. The driver, struggling with inner turmoil, repeatedly circles the area before finally stopping. He exits the car carrying a Ka-Bar knife and enters the house through an unlocked sliding door. Once inside, he systematically goes up to the third floor, where he savagely kills two of the students, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
The killer's actions rouse the dog, Murphy, and another resident, Dylan, who hears unsettling noises but remains unaware of the ongoing horror. As the killer moves downstairs, he encounters and kills Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. Dylan sees the masked intruder but retreats to her room in shock and confusion. The killer exits the house, having completed his grim mission in under 10 minutes, and drives away as dawn begins to break.
Village Roadshow Television has acquired the rights to Blum's upcoming book and the rights to Blum's seven-part AirMail Weekly series that inspired the book. Blum, who has covered the Idaho student murder case from the beginning, delves into the police investigation and the broader implications of the tragedy.
The project will be overseen by Bri Hennessey for Village Roadshow Television, with Blum, Sherryl Clark, and Bob Bookman as executive producers. No writer is currently attached. Blum, known for books like "Dark Invasion," "American Lightning," and "The Gold Exodus," is represented by CAA, Lynn Nesbit, and Scott Oranburg. The series is part of Village Roadshow Television's slate under the leadership of former Sony TV executive Steve Mosko.
A three-part docuseries, "#Cybersleuths: The Idaho Murders," also premiered on Paramount+ on February 6, offering further insight into the murder.
Kohberger, a criminology graduate student from Washington State University, was arrested a month after the murder, coinciding with a memorial for two of the victims. He pleaded not guilty and intends to provide an alibi.
Latah County Judge John Judge called for monthly hearings to streamline the proceedings. Key hearings focused on the defense's access to evidence, particularly the use of investigative genetic genealogy, Kohberger's proposed alibi, and a gag order limiting public statements about the case.
After an early May pre-trial hearing in Kohberger's quadruple murder trial, the family of victim Goncalves criticized the slow pace of the proceedings. They expressed frustration, describing the case as a "hamster wheel of motions, hearings, and delayed decisions."
The prosecution is seeking out the death penalty. Numerous pre-trial motions and hearings have impeded the progress of the case. No trial date is set at this time.
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