Peacock’s latest true-crime documentary, *The Idaho Student Murders*, provides a new perspective on a criminal case that alarmed people nationwide. The 90-minute film, now ready for streaming, recounts the heartbreaking 2022 murders that unsettled the town of Moscow, Idaho — a horrific series of killings that continues to make news years later, particularly because a significant development in the case emerged just this week.
Directed by Catharine Park and produced in collaboration with the creators of the popular podcast *The Idaho Massacre* from KT Studios and iHeartMedia, the documentary aligns with a surprising courtroom event: On July 2, Bryan Kohberger — the individual accused of murdering four University of Idaho students — unexpectedly decided to plead guilty.
Kohberger, 30, had previously insisted on his innocence. However, in a Boise courtroom this week, he shocked everyone when he responded “yes” after a judge asked if he had taken the lives of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. This plea agreement allowed him to avoid the death penalty, concluding a case that had persisted for nearly three years.
The Peacock documentary serves as a narrative of the murders and features unprecedented interviews, including those with Kaylee’s brother and close friends of the victims. This means *The Idaho Student Murders* truly endeavors to present a human-focused perspective on the tragedy, while also exploring Kohberger’s background to offer a more comprehensive view of the individual at the heart of the murders.
Blending narrative storytelling with a journalistic approach to reporting, executive producers Catharine Park and Stephanie Lydecker guide viewers through the investigation and evidence, while revisiting the crime’s effects on families and the wider Moscow community. At its essence, this documentary is a tale of sorrow and the far-reaching consequences of a singular act of violence. And now, with Kohberger having formally confessed, it seems that the families of the victims may start to experience some long-awaited sense of closure.
