48 Hours Podcast: "A Killer's Mind | Fifteen"

Date: January 2, 2026
Host: Erin Moriarty

Episode Overview

This episode of 48 Hours delves deeply into the disturbing murders committed by Daniel Marsh, an intelligent and seemingly unremarkable teenager in Davis, California, who killed elderly couple Claudia Maupin and Chip Northup. The episode unpacks the chilling confession, the reactions of victims’ families, debates over mental illness and legal insanity, and the complexities of prosecuting a juvenile for a crime of such brutality. Through interviews with family members, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense experts, and jurors, correspondent Erin Moriarty guides listeners through not only the forensic and psychological details of the crime but also the emotional impact and the resulting legal battle.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Mindset and Confession of Daniel Marsh

• Interrogation Highlights:

  • FBI Special Agent Chris Campion’s interrogation extract reveals Daniel Marsh not only confessed in detail but expressed intentions to kill again, describing alternative methods and expressing detachment.
    • Quote:

    “I was gonna basically do the same thing, only with a different mask and different gloves... Just find somebody alone at night and beat him to death with a baseball bat.” — Daniel Marsh (00:54)

    • Daniel admits having no remorse or empathy:

    “I don’t feel sorry for other people at all. Don’t feel empathy for them.” — Daniel Marsh (01:33)

    • When asked by Campion how he would kill him, Daniel immediately lists several gruesome methods with disturbing calmness.

    “Choking you to death with your tie... using the glass to cut your arteries, gouging your eyes out...” — Daniel Marsh (02:09)

    • Campion reflects:

    “I think he literally thinks about that with anybody he meets. That’s his fantasy life.” — Chris Campion (02:50)

• Evidence Collected:

  • Police recover incriminating writings, drawings, and physical evidence from Daniel’s homes, solidifying the case.

Family and Victim Impact

• Discovery and Initial Reactions:

  • Victoria Hurd, Claudia’s daughter, shares her emotional turbulence—from shock to her urgent need to see Daniel at his arraignment (04:44 - 06:20).

• Daniel’s Background:

  • Heroic story: At 12, Daniel saved his father during a medical emergency, earning accolades and public praise (07:00).
  • Duality emerges—his transformation from a well-behaved child into someone who later admitted to fantasizing about violence began around age 10, unknown to his father (09:03).

The Trial: Voices of Prosecution & Defense

• Prosecution Perspective:

  • Amanda Zambor, deputy district attorney, recounts Daniel’s lack of emotion and methodical intelligence, likening him only to fictional or notorious real-life psychopaths (11:05, 11:30).

    “Not in real life, only in books... Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez—all people he idolized and studied.” — Amanda Zambor (11:30)

  • Motive and planning are dissected; Zambor rejects trauma as a sufficient cause for Daniel’s acts:

    “There’s a lot of people who actually have severe trauma that don’t act like this.” (13:01)

  • Daniel’s premeditation and fantasies from age 10 paint a picture of intent (13:26).

• Details from the Case:

  • The extent of Daniel’s planning, chilling lack of remorse, and even attempted reconnaissance for additional victims is presented (14:07).
  • Harrowing court evidence detailed, including the resistance from victims and Daniel’s violent compulsion growing under their pleas.

• Family Testimony on Trial Impact:

  • Victoria describes the torment of witnessing Daniel’s confession in court:

    “I felt like I was watching the murder of my mother, and I couldn’t sit.” — Victoria Hurd (16:08)

  • She shares the agony and disbelief at Daniel attracting fans and teenage admirers in the courtroom:

    “He was reveling in his celebrity.” — Victoria Hurd (17:51)

Debating Daniel’s Sanity: Psychiatric Analysis

• Defense Perspective:

  • Dr. Matthew Soulier, child forensic psychiatrist, describes Daniel as emotionally cold, with obsessive-compulsive elements, but ultimately concludes Daniel was criminally responsible and not legally insane (18:23 - 24:50).

    “It’s my belief that Daniel wasn’t born a bad seed... Something was unlocked in him...” — Dr. Soulier (20:46, 21:03) “He knew what he was doing. Covering the bottom of his shoes with tape shows logical and linear behaviors.” — Dr. Soulier (24:36)

  • Dr. Soulier notes Daniel’s consuming homicidal ideation but also that Daniel himself found these thoughts disturbing—for a time (21:43, 22:34).

• Medication as a Defense:

  • The defense calls Dr. James Marikangas, who asserts Daniel’s antidepressant use (SSRIs) could have caused extreme restlessness and violence.

    “It turns your world upside down, turns your brain inside out... I do [think it's the only reason he killed].” — Bill Marsh (26:46, 26:53)

  • Both Zambor and Dr. Soulier reject this, pointing to earlier violent thoughts (28:38).

    “He was having these thoughts and fantasies before he was ever on Zoloft.” — Amanda Zambor (28:38)

Verdict, Sentencing, and Aftermath

• Jury Decisions:

  • Jury finds Daniel Marsh guilty on all counts with special enhancements after only two hours of deliberation (30:50).

    “The verdict was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of every single count. Of all the enhancements, of all the special circumstances.” — Amanda Zambor (30:50)

  • Juror Cheryl Gleason testifies to evidence and Daniel’s precision, and describes the lasting trauma of sitting on the jury (31:35, 32:24).

• Sanity Phase:

  • Jury quickly decides Daniel was sane, reinforcing the prosecution theory that he acted with full awareness (33:25, 34:25).

    “It was just really clear that he was not insane.” — Cheryl Gleason (34:25) “He’s a psychopathic killer... I think if he were let loose, he would be a serial killer. He has an urge to kill.” — Cheryl Gleason (34:34)

• Impact Statements and Sentencing:

  • Heartbreaking victim impact statements urge the court to ensure Daniel cannot harm anyone again.

    “If Daniel is free, people will die.” — Victoria Hurd (35:20)

  • Daniel is sentenced to 52 years to life, the maximum for his age (36:22).

    “It was the maximum that he could have done... so we were very happy with that.” — Amanda Zambor (36:22)

• Continuing Fears:

  • Despite the conviction, family members remain anxious due to legal reforms potentially reducing sentences.

    “If he’s out in four years, he knows us, he knows our names... That fear is overwhelming.” — Amanda Zambor and Victoria Hurd (37:42)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Daniel’s Lack of Empathy:

  “I don’t feel sorry for other people at all. Don’t feel empathy for them.” — Daniel Marsh (01:33)

• When Asked How He Would Kill the Interrogator:

  “Choking you to death with your tie... gouging your eyes out...” — Daniel Marsh (02:09)

• Parallels to Infamous Killers:

  “Not in real life, only in books... Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez—all people he idolized and studied.” — Amanda Zambor (11:30)

• On the Insanity Defense:

  “He knew what he was doing. Covering the bottom of his shoes with tape shows logical and linear behaviors.” — Dr. Soulier (24:36)

• Jury’s Experience:

  “To this day, I cannot fall asleep without sleeping my face towards the door... It had a long term effect that I wasn’t really thinking would happen.” — Cheryl Gleason (32:24)

• Family’s Message to the Court:

  “If Daniel is free, people will die.” — Victoria Hurd (35:20)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:20 | Campion asserts Marsh was a “serial killer in training” | | 01:33 | Marsh declares his lack of empathy | | 02:09 | Marsh describes hypothetical murder methods | | 07:00 | Daniel’s heroism as a child is recounted | | 11:05 | Daniel’s in-court demeanor noted by prosecutor | | 14:07 | Daniel’s wider victim plans revealed | | 16:08 | Victoria’s reaction to watching Marsh’s confession | | 18:23 | Dr. Soulier’s psychiatric evaluation overview | | 24:36 | Critical analysis of insanity defense | | 28:38 | Rebuttal of medication-based legal insanity claim | | 30:50 | Jury’s guilty verdict announced | | 32:24 | Juror Cheryl on long-term emotional impact | | 34:25 | Jury finds Daniel legally sane | | 36:22 | Daniel’s sentencing to 52 years | | 37:42 | Fears regarding new parole laws |

Conclusion & Episode Tone

This episode is unflinching and compassionate, with Erin Moriarty guiding listeners through not only legal and factual details but also the emotions and traumas affecting everyone connected to the case. The episode makes clear that the wounds caused by Daniel Marsh’s crimes are deep and lasting, but also explores the ambiguities and challenges of understanding—let alone prosecuting—such unusual and chilling criminal behavior in someone so young. The threat of early release due to changes in law leaves the narrative open-ended, emphasizing the continuing anxiety for the victims’ families.

For more episodes and further analysis, subscribe to 48 Hours or listen to the next episode in the “Inside the Daniel Marsh Murders” series.