America's Crime Lab: The Idaho Student Murders – DNA in Real Time Part 1

Podcast by iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
Episode Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Aylin Lance Lesser
Notable Contributors: Glen Washington, Captain Dustin Blaker, Ashley Jennings, Bill Thompson, Stacey Chapin

Overview

This episode of America’s Crime Lab explores the harrowing 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho—a crime that devastated the community and left investigators with few leads. The episode traces the immediate aftermath of the murders, the initial law enforcement response, and the painstaking early work to identify the perpetrator, with a focus on the critical role of DNA forensics in real time. Personal testimonies from detectives, prosecutors, and the victims’ families highlight the devastation and the desperate search for answers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Life in Moscow, Idaho & The King Road House

• Setting the Scene:
  • Moscow is described as a typical, safe, outdoorsy college town. The University of Idaho is central to its identity, and Greek Row is a social hub.
  • The King Road house, where the murders happened, was a typical, lived-in student home, but architecturally confusing (“hodgepodgey”) with multiple entrances and floors.
  • [04:44–07:50]: Glen Washington paints a vivid picture of the college town atmosphere and details of the house’s structure.

The Crime Unfolds

• Timeline of the Discovery:

  • On November 13, 2022, a 911 call reports an “unresponsive person” at the house; police arrive to confusion and panic among the roommates and friends.
  • The town’s police, unused to serious crime ("Moscow hadn't seen a homicide in about seven years" – 11:42, Glen Washington), are in shock and scrambling for information.
  • First responders were confused, not initially understanding the horror that had occurred.

• Victim Profiles:

  • Zanna Kernoodle: Described as down-to-earth, “no makeup” and "sweatshirt kind of girl." Found with defensive wounds, likely fought the attacker [17:01–18:45].
  • Ethan Chapin: Triplet, popular, and the "dominant" sibling, remembered for his "robust personality" (20:17, Stacey Chapin).
  • Kaylee Goncalves: Outgoing prankster, "middle child," close to Maddie.
  • Madison “Maddie” Mogen: Described as a real-life “Disney princess,” inseparable from Kaylee.
  • [20:26–22:20]: Emotional family perspectives and character sketches.

The Investigation Begins

• Crime Scene & Evidence:

  • Police and prosecutors, like Ashley Jennings, enter a disheveled but typical student home.
  • The key piece of evidence: a leather KA-BAR knife sheath found partly under Maddie Mogen (23:12, Captain Dustin Blaker). The knife itself is missing; the sheath is stamped with "USMC."
  • [23:54]: Discuss why the military-style knife sheath was striking and unique in the context of the house.

• Absence of Clear Leads:

  • Very little physical evidence or suspect traces; the killer appeared careful.
  • Interviews mainly involved circling friends and survivors, trying to reconstruct the previous night (31:40–32:46, Bill Thompson).

Emotional Fallout: Family and Friends

• Breakdown of Events for Survivors:

  • The surviving roommates, Dylan and Bethany, are described as young, easily frightened, and in total shock, initially unable to process or describe the scene.
  • The confusion and terror are palpable—friends found the victims, not realizing at first what they’d seen and defaulting to reporting an “unconscious person” (37:40, Glen Washington).
  • The Chapin family’s anguish in learning of Ethan's death is recounted in detail, with Stacey Chapin struggling to comprehend the loss on the phone with her children (41:45–44:29).

• Quote – Trauma in Real Time:

  • “I was talking to a friend in the produce department...it was Hunter calling from her phone. And he just kept saying, ethan’s not here...they are no longer here on this earth, on this planet. And I was like, what? And that takes a very long time to process.”
    – Stacey Chapin [41:45–44:29]
  • “This is not one that ever plays out in your head.” — Stacey Chapin [44:29]

Forensics & The DNA Challenge

• Initial Forensic Work:

  • Police collect blood, fingerprints, and the knife sheath. They prioritize the sheath for DNA analysis.
  • Captain Blaker:
    • "The very first object that we knew that we needed to get to the state lab as fast as we could was a knife sheath that was located in Maddie's bedroom..." [46:38]
    • The Idaho State Crime Lab quickly produces a "single source DNA profile," called "the cleanest sample that you could find." [47:25]
      "It was almost like you putting your finger on something and then instantly doing a swab of it and pulling the DNA off." — Captain Dustin Blaker [47:25]

• Frustration When DNA Finds No Match:

  • No match found in CODIS (the national criminal DNA database)—the perpetrator had no previous record or DNA on file.
  • “So that made everything harder, knowing that we had to figure out another way to be able to try and figure out who this is.”
    — Captain Dustin Blaker [48:05]

The Social & Psychological Aftershocks

• Rumors, Gag Orders, and Social Media:

  • Gag order initially restricted information, leading to rumors and speculation.
  • The episode closes with hints at the overwhelming pressure on families and detectives:
    • “The media had gotten all of our contact information. Our phones were ringing non stop. Our kids phones were ringing non stop.” — Stacey Chapin [48:52]
    • "Social media made it so much worse. I was getting flooded with death threats." — Aylin Lance Lesser [49:00]

• Law Enforcement’s Determination & Anxiety:

  • "I was extremely nervous that I was going to do something to screw the whole thing up." — Captain Dustin Blaker [49:04]
  • "We tested ex boyfriends, you name it. We were testing anybody we could that would provide us with a DNA swab." — Captain Blaker [49:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This is not one that ever plays out in your head."
  — Stacey Chapin, mother of Ethan Chapin [44:29]

• “Knowing that my kids could have been potentially one of the victims, and how would I feel and what would I want done gave me the focus that I needed to continue on every single day. Especially when we had nothing.” — Captain Dustin Blaker [12:12]

• “[The knife sheath] was the only piece of evidence that stood out as being something unique and that would likely lead to whoever was responsible for the murders.” — Bill Thompson, Prosecutor [24:57]

• “They got a single source DNA profile. They said it was the cleanest sample that you could find.” — Captain Dustin Blaker [47:25]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:20] — Stacey Chapin’s first, raw account of learning Ethan is gone.
• [04:44–07:50] — Scene-setting: description of Moscow, the house, and King Road.
• [11:42–12:12] — Police and community shock, small-town trauma.
• [17:01–18:45] — First walkthrough of crime scene; signs of a fight.
• [20:17–22:20] — Family perspectives, victim biographies.
• [23:12–24:11] — Discovery and significance of the KA-BAR knife sheath.
• [31:40–32:46] — Reconstruction of victims’ final day; “viral photo” discussed.
• [37:40–39:36] — Explaining roommate and friends’ confusion upon discovery.
• [41:45–44:29] — Stacey Chapin retells receiving the news about her son.
• [46:38–48:05] — Processing the knife sheath for DNA and the setback when there’s no match.

Closing

This first part of the "DNA in Real Time" series sets the emotional, investigative, and forensic groundwork for one of the nation's most devastating campus crimes. The episode immerses listeners in the grief, confusion, and determination of the community and authorities as they struggle to find answers—ending on the critical scientific cliffhanger: DNA evidence in hand, but still no suspect in sight.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where the investigation pivots and the lab plays its pivotal role.