48 Hours – “A Strange Tip | Fifteen”

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Erin Moriarty (CBS News)

OVERVIEW

In this episode of “48 Hours,” correspondent Erin Moriarty delves into the mysterious break in the case of Chip Northup and Claudia Maupin’s brutal 2013 double homicide. The episode focuses on the unexpected and harrowing tip that cracked the investigation open: a call made by a teenager, Alvaro Garibe, implicating his former friend, 15-year-old Daniel Marsh. Through interviews, recorded calls, and firsthand testimony, the episode explores the chilling circumstances, the psychological landscape of Marsh, and the immense burden carried by the tipster.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

The Case’s Stalemate & The Anonymous Tip

• Background: For two months, Davis, CA police struggled to solve the murders of Chip Northup and Claudia Maupin, interviewing family and leads with no luck. (00:23)
• Breakthrough: On the night of June 15, 2013, police receive an anonymous call giving detailed, inside knowledge of the crime.
  • Corporal Scott Allen: “The person who did it, he told me everything. He told me everything he did, step by step.” (01:26)
• The caller, later identified as Alvaro Garibe, describes the killer as “psychotic… the kind of person that likes to see something hurt.” (02:53)
• The revelation: The alleged killer is Daniel Marsh, only 15 years old.

Alvaro Garibe Comes Forward

• Interview Room: Alvaro, nervous and visibly shaken, comes to the police station for questioning.
  • Described as “skinny, with long black hair… rubbing his hands and tapping on the table.” (04:19)
• He is initially treated as a potential suspect due to insider knowledge and “read his rights.” (04:52)

Notable Quote:

“I mean, I retrospect, I totally get it. I mean I’m like some random kid saying that this person committed a crime… I was kind of freaked out.”
– Alvaro Garibe (05:29)

Alvaro & Daniel Marsh: A Troubling Friendship

• Early Connection: Met in junior high as mutual “outcasts” bonding over music and YouTube videos.
  • “Just like play video games and then just like watch music videos and go on YouTube… those can’t breathe kind of laughing [sessions].” – Alvaro (06:20)
• Family Turmoil & Growing Darkness: Daniel’s parents’ divorce and his mother’s subsequent relationship breed deep resentment.
  • “He hated her… I just want to, like, strangle her to death.” – Alvaro recalling Daniel’s words (07:10)
• Alvaro didn’t believe Daniel was serious, dismissing the violent talk as venting.

Disturbing Behavior Escalates

• Daniel’s interests increasingly turn to violent imagery—watching videos of torture and beheadings.
  • “[He] just sat there… fascinated by it.” – Alvaro (08:48)
• Daniel’s apparent descent into darkness coupled with mental health struggles:
  • Extreme weight loss; “He looks like bones.” (09:46)
  • Self-starvation and ongoing suicidal ideation
  • Antidepressant medication and repeated therapy interventions
• Red Flag: In 2012, Daniel tells a counselor about fantasies of killing—resulting in hospitalization. (10:16)

The Journal and Ominous Writings

• Erin shares disturbing pages from Daniel’s journals with Alvaro.
  • Filled with “random streams of consciousness,” skulls, “kill, kill, kill,” and references to serial killers Bundy and Dahmer (11:26, 12:19)

Notable Quote:

“It blows my mind that I… didn’t even think about what… could happen.”
– Alvaro Garibe, reflecting years later (11:59)

The Confession: Daniel Marsh’s Chilling Reveal

• On the weekend of the murders—Alvaro’s 17th birthday—Daniel skips the celebration and later confides in Alvaro:
  • “He started off by telling me that he killed two people… and I told him, I don't want to hear about it.” (14:34)
• Over the following days, Daniel presses Alvaro to listen, even referencing having “made the news.” (15:02)
• Finally, Daniel details how he dressed in black, wore a ski mask, took his mother’s hunting knife, covered his boots in duct tape, and murdered the couple.
  • “He gave me basically, I’d say, a rundown of what he did... step by step, like, every move.” (16:34)

Notable Quote:

“He seemed very, like, content and… it sounded like he took a lot of pleasure out of it.”
– Alvaro Garibe (18:00)

“He was chuckling… laughing about putting inanimate objects in their body.”
– Alvaro Garibe (18:13)

The Emotional Fallout & Delay in Reporting

• Despite the confession, Alvaro does NOT immediately go to police out of fear, shock, and uncertainty.
  • “I felt like throwing up. I felt like I couldn’t feel anything. Felt very numb, and I just walked out.” (18:31)
• Erin challenges Alvaro on his inaction:
  • “You knew he might hurt somebody else… Why didn’t you tell anybody?”
  • “It was just like one of those things… I just wasn’t facing it.” (19:50-19:55)
  • Alvaro: “Okay, you’re in high school. How do you approach this?” (20:08)
  • Erin: “You call the police.”
  • Alvaro: “Obviously, that’s easier said than done.” (20:14)

Reaching Out & Final Breakdown

• Alvaro distances himself from Daniel, eventually telling Daniel’s father of his suspicions. The father refuses to believe it.
  • “He didn’t believe you.” – Erin
  • “It’s his son… Of course he didn’t believe me.” – Alvaro (21:51)
• Daniel, expelled for carrying a knife (prompted by Alvaro’s tip to a counselor), returns to threaten Alvaro and breaks into his girlfriend’s house, entering through the doggie door. (23:34)
• Alvaro, panicking, finally calls 911 and gives his anonymous tip. (24:01)
  • “Officer KB [Kerith Bresnik]… she was very nice... I’m gonna come over to your house, and we’re gonna talk about this.” (24:32)

Breaking the Case Open

• Alvaro’s information matches closely-guarded forensic details, verifying his credibility. (25:22)
• Police ask Alvaro to wear a wire/make a call to Daniel, but Daniel doesn’t answer. They decide to bring Daniel in for questioning. The episode closes on this cliffhanger.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES

• Alvaro on Daniel’s demeanor:

  “He seemed proud of what he had done? … Oh, yeah. He seemed very, like, content and, you know, took a lot of… pleasure out of it.” (18:00)

• Alvaro on the confrontation with police:

  “I mean, I retrospect, I totally get it. I mean, I’m like some random kid saying that this person committed a crime… I was kind of freaked out at the time.” (05:29)

• Alvaro’s numbness:

  “I felt like throwing up. I felt like I couldn’t feel anything. Felt very numb, and I just walked out.” (18:31)

• Host Erin Moriarty challenging Alvaro:

  “You knew he might hurt somebody else… Why didn’t you tell anybody?” (19:50)

IMPORTANT SEGMENT TIMESTAMPS

• 00:23 – Police receive the crucial anonymous call.
• 01:26 – Caller reveals the killer’s identity and motivation.
• 05:29 – Alvaro discusses why police suspected him.
• 06:15–07:25 – Early friendship with Daniel and first concerning statements.
• 08:22–09:12 – Daniel’s obsession with violent videos.
• 11:26–12:19 – Discussion of Daniel’s violent journals.
• 14:34–18:13 – Daniel's confession to Alvaro and chilling emotional response.
• 19:50–20:14 – Erin and Alvaro on the difficulty of coming forward.
• 23:34–24:01 – Daniel breaks into his girlfriend’s house, forcing Alvaro to tip the police.
• 25:22–26:19 – Police leverage Alvaro’s information, deciding to bring in Daniel Marsh.

CONCLUSION

“A Strange Tip | Fifteen” offers a chilling and intimate look at the unraveling of a horrific case from inside the personal world of a teenage tipster. The episode thoughtfully navigates the emotional and psychological turmoil experienced by both Daniel Marsh and Alvaro Garibe, exposing the complexities of friendship, mental health, and moral responsibility. Through candid interviews and a careful reconstruction of events, “48 Hours” shines a light on how one hard decision can crack the darkness surrounding even the most confounding crimes.