30 Years Later, a New Search in the Kristin Smart Case | True Crime News

Summary

Crime House 24/7
Episode: "30 Years Later, a New Search in the Kristin Smart Case"
Host: Vanessa Richardson
Date: May 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode provides in-depth, up-to-the-minute coverage of two high-profile missing persons cases: the 30-year search for Kristin Smart, including breaking news of a new forensic search at the home of her convicted killer’s mother, and a decade-old disappearance of Kiana Galvin in Illinois, which has also prompted a renewed forensic excavation. Host Vanessa Richardson delivers the latest developments, highlights the impact on the victims’ loved ones, and places these ongoing investigations in broader legal and social context.

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1. Kristin Smart Case: New Developments After 30 Years

Segment Start: [00:51]

🔎 Key Points and Timeline

• Kristin Smart vanished in 1996 at age 19 after attending an off-campus party at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ([03:51]).
• Paul Flores, a fellow student, was the last person seen with Kristin ([05:41]).
• Long Stalled Case: Though a suspect early on (cadaver dogs alerted on his mattress), Paul Flores wasn't charged for over two decades ([06:42]).
• Investigative Breakthrough: The 2019 podcast ‘Your Own Backyard’ by Chris Lambert renewed public interest, leading to Paul Flores' arrest in 2021 ([07:21]).
• Conviction: Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2022; his father Reuben was tried separately and acquitted ([09:01]).
• Continued Search: Kristin’s body has never been found. On May 6, 2026, investigators executed a new search warrant at Susan Flores’ (Paul’s mother) home after forensic testing indicated signs of human remains ([02:38], [07:57]).
• Forensic Advances: Soil vapors consistent with decomposition were previously detected at the property. Notable experts believe Kristin was once buried there, but the evidence was too experimental for previous trials ([11:09]).
• Family Grief and Persistence: The Smarts remain outspoken, exchanging public pleas for answers even after the conviction ([02:09], [10:44]).

🗣️ Notable Quotes & Testimonies

• Stan Smart (Kristin’s father, 2023):

  “We’re not happy because we don’t have our daughter. We don’t know where her remains are.” ([02:09])

• Denise Smart (Kristin’s mother, 2023):

  “Today is not really a day of joy. It’s a day of relief that Kristen’s voice was heard.” ([02:29])

• Chris Lambert (podcaster):

  “From what I’ve seen, it appears to be the same ground penetrating radar team and geologists that testified in the trial in 2022…The time that Susan’s house was searched with ground penetrating radar I believe was in 2000. So it’s been 26 years.” ([11:29])
  “Kristen’s mom turned 80 just a few days ago, and her parents are still waiting for answers…The hope is that this is going to be the time they finally find her.” ([12:13])

• San Luis Obispo County DA Dan Dow:

  “Since the jury convicted Paul Flores for the murder of Kristen Smart, the district attorney’s office has continued working…to fulfill our shared commitment…to bring Kristen home. While those responsible for Kristen’s death and those with knowledge of her whereabouts could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available…” ([12:32])

📌 Important Timestamps

• [00:51] — Vanessa introduces the Kristin Smart breaking news.
• [02:09] — Family reaction at Flores’ sentencing.
• [02:38] — Details of latest forensic search at Susan Flores’s property.
• [07:21] — Impact of the 'Your Own Backyard' podcast.
• [09:01] — Flores’ conviction and sentencing.
• [11:09] — Forensic and environmental science developments.
• [11:29] — Chris Lambert on renewed investigation and emotional stakes.
• [12:32] — DA’s statement on ongoing commitment.

💡 Insights

• The search for Kristin Smart persists decades after her disappearance, reflecting law enforcement’s and her family’s resilience.
• Media—particularly podcasts—can significantly influence cold cases and prompt new avenues for investigation, as exemplified by Chris Lambert’s work.
• Innovative but experimental forensic science is being increasingly leveraged in old cases.
• The emotional toll on families is central; even after convictions, not knowing the fate of loved ones is a lasting wound.

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2. Kiana Galvin Disappearance: A Decade without Answers

Segment Start: [13:48]

🔎 Key Points and Timeline

• Kiana Galvin, age 17, went missing on May 6, 2016 in South Elgin, Illinois, after texting about meeting an unidentified man ([13:48]).
• Initial clues and evidence:
  • Last phone activity at 1:10 pm, no further contact.
  • Blood matching Kiana’s was found on a neighbor’s garbage can near the suspect’s home ([15:49]).
  • Police searched the property in Nov 2016 but never disclosed results; the suspect was later convicted in an unrelated assault ([16:51]).
• A new search: On the 10th anniversary, ground-penetrating radar revealed “anomalies” beneath the surface of the same property, prompting forensic excavation ([14:24]).
• Impacts:
  • Kiana’s case led to the creation of the “Kiana Alert”—an expanded missing persons notification system in Illinois, not restricted by age ([17:40]).
  • Family activism: Kiana’s mother, Fiona, organized vigils and called for charges against the primary suspect ([18:31]).

🗣️ Notable Quotes

• Fiona Galvin (Kiana’s mother, 2020):

  “My whole mission in this vigil is to light a candle to keep focus on this case that’s still ongoing, that’s not solved, and to pressure the police to get more evidence to charge [the] person who’s the primary suspect…” ([18:31])

• Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser (2026):

  “Ten years have passed since Kiana disappeared, and the weight of that loss is still deeply felt by her family, her friends and this entire community…We have not forgotten Kiana and we remain steadfast in our commitment to seek the truth. It is my hope that renewed efforts will finally bring the answers her family deserves.” ([18:56])

📌 Important Timestamps

• [13:48] — Segment introduction; background on Kiana’s disappearance.
• [15:49] — Discovery of blood evidence and first police search.
• [16:51] — Status of the initial suspect, and property ownership.
• [17:40] — Introduction of the “Kiana Alert.”
• [18:31] — Mother’s activism and quotes.
• [18:56] — State Attorney’s statement.

💡 Insights

• Even in the absence of new suspects or charges, active forensic techniques and public pressure can revive cases long considered cold.
• Legislative change can arise from tragedy; the Kiana Alert closed gaps in Illinois’s missing person protocols that Amber Alert left open.
• Continuous family advocacy is vital in keeping cases on law enforcement and public radar.

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3. Additional Content & Memorable Moments

• Kristin Smart’s case is recapped with careful empathy and respect for the family’s ordeal, using their words to highlight the cost of unresolved disappearances.
• Chris Lambert, who reignited the Smart case, is on the scene and provides both technical and personal context ([11:29]).
• Podcast features and cross-promotions: The episode closes with a segment on the Idaho murders (Moscow, 2022) as a teaser, demonstrating how certain cases can shape campus life, vigilance, and justice efforts ([20:40]).
• Emotional undercurrent: Listeners repeatedly get the sense that the quest for the missing is, at its heart, about restoring truth and dignity for families, with justice sometimes arriving in incomplete forms.

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4. Summary Table: Key Case Milestones and Quotes

| Time | Case | Event/Quote | Speaker | |---------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | 02:09 | Kristin Smart | “We’re not happy because we don’t have our daughter…” | Stan Smart | | 02:29 | Kristin Smart | “Today is not really a day of joy. It’s a day of relief that Kristen’s voice was heard.” | Denise Smart | | 11:29 | Kristin Smart | “It appears to be the same ground penetrating radar team and geologists…” | Chris Lambert (podcatser) | | 12:13 | Kristin Smart | “Kristen’s mom turned 80... her parents are still waiting for answers…” | Chris Lambert | | 12:32 | Kristin Smart | “We remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available…” | DA Dan Dow | | 18:31 | Kiana Galvin | “My whole mission in this vigil is to light a candle... to pressure the police to get more…” | Fiona Galvin | | 18:56 | Kiana Galvin | “We have not forgotten Kiana and we remain steadfast in our commitment to seek the truth.” | State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser |

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5. Episode Tone and Closing

Vanessa Richardson delivers the news with urgency, precision, and compassion, keeping the language close to the original while emphasizing the families' ongoing quest for both truth and closure. The tone is empathetic, never sensationalistic, with due gravity given to the subject matter—a hallmark of true crime journalism at its best.

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This episode of Crime House 24/7 offers an exhaustive, timely update on two major cold cases, illuminating the role of forensic science, legal perseverance, and sustained public interest in the pursuit of justice.

Transcript

[Vanessa Richardson]

Hi listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. Real quick, before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week Katie takes on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that that change the way we think about justice. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Crime House Announcer]

This is Crime House.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about. And we're starting with the biggest one. Kristen Smart disappeared 30 years ago. Her killer has been convicted and is behind bars, but her family still doesn't know where she is. And on Wednesday, investigators served a search warrant at the home of the killer's mother after forensic testing detected signs that human remains had been buried there. This is crime house 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know. Lately I've been trying to take the stress out of getting dressed. Just focusing on pieces that feel easy, comfortable and still put together without a lot of effort. That's really what's been pulling me toward Quince. Their stuff just fits that effortless everyday vibe. 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Quince.com crimehouse24 7 When Kristen Smart's killer was sentenced to prison in 2023, her father Stan, stood outside the courthouse and told reporters, quote, we're not happy because we don't have our daughter. We don't know where her remains are. We end quote. Her mother Denise said, quote, today is not really a day of joy. It's a day of relief that Kristen's voice was heard, end quote. 30 years is a long time to wait. And that is exactly what the Smart family has done and continues to do. Because even though Kristen Smart's killer has been convicted and sentenced to prison, her parents still don't know where their daughter is. Her body has never been found. And on Wednesday, May 6, with no advance notice, investigators indicated that this case is far from over. Serving a search warrant at the home of the killer's mother and excavating her backyard for the first time. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday morning that it had served a search warrant at a property on the 500 block of East Branch street in Arroyo Grande, California, the home of 80 year old Susan Flores, the mother of the man convicted of killing Kristen Smart in 1996. Paul Flores, investigators, forensic specialists and a team using ground penetrating radar were seen on the property Wednesday. Detectives were also observed taking soil samples from the neighboring home. The search was still ongoing Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff's office said it would not release additional details because the investigation remains active. The statement the sheriff's office did release was brief but pointed. Quote, this investigation is related to the Kristen Smart disappearance. The sheriff's office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family. For anyone who needs a reminder of how this case began and why it's gripped the country for three decades, here's the story. Kristin Smart was 19 years old, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, when she attended an off campus party on the night of Friday, May 24, 1996. She went alone that night. A friend had decided to stay back at the dorms rather than go to the party. It was her first year at Cal Poly and before arriving on campus she had worked as a lifeguard and a camp counselor in Hawaii. She was, by every account, someone who was just getting started. In the early hours of May 25, Memorial Day weekend, she was found passed out on a neighbor's lawn by two fellow students who began walking her back to her dormitory. A third student, Paul Flores, joined the group. When the other two students peeled off to go their own way, Flores assured them he would get Kristen back to her dorm safely. That was the last time anyone other than Paul Flores saw Kristen Smart alive. She was declared legally dead in 2002, the sixth anniversary of her disappearance. Even before that, investigators had their suspicions about Flores. Cadaver dogs brought in during early searches flagged his dorm room bed as significant. But suspicion is not evidence, and for nearly two decades, the case stalled. Paul Flores remained a suspect but was never charged. Then, in 2019, a true crime podcast called you'd Own Backyard, created by documentary podcaster Chris Lambert, began bringing the case to a massive new audience, surfacing new witnesses, revisiting old evidence, and putting sustained public pressure on investigators to take another look. It worked. In April 2021, Paul Flores was arrested. His father, Reuben Flores, was arrested the same day, charges of being an accessory after the fact. Prosecutors alleged Reuben had helped conceal Kristen's body. For years. Prosecutors argued that Flores killed Smart during an attempted rape in his dorm room that night. The case was built without a body, but the evidence was significant. Cadaver dogs had alerted def Flores's dorm room bed in the days after Kristen disappeared. Prosecutors also presented testimony from two women who said Flores had drugged and sexually assaulted them in the years after Kristen and vanished, arguing it established a pattern of predatory behavior. And they alleged her body was initially buried beneath the back deck of Reuben Flores's home in Arroyo Grande, a separate property from his ex wife Susan's, about a mile away in the same town. During the 2021 investigation of Ruben's property, archaeologists found a section of soil beneath that deck that appeared to have been recently disturbed, roughly the size of a casket, along with the presence of human blood too degraded to extract a DNA. Prof. Prosecutors argued the body had been buried there and later moved. Wednesday's search warrant at Susan Flores's property suggests investigators may believe they know where it went. On October 18, 2022, a jury found Paul Flores guilty of first degree murder. On March 10, 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. His father, Reuben Flores, was tried separately and acquitted of the accessory charge. Paul Flores has maintained his innocence. In a gesture that speaks to the depth of their grief, the Smart family offered to forego all restitution if Flores would simply tell them where Kristen is. He has not. His attorney said in 2024 that the defense does not know where her remains are. Paul Flores filed an appeal in October 2024, claiming there were a series of constitutional errors during his trial. But the Second District Court of Appeal disagreed and affir conviction in October 2025. He then petitioned the California Supreme Court, which denied review in January 2026, exhausting his direct appeals, it appeared the legal chapter in this case was finally closed. Wednesday's search warrant suggested otherwise, but Kristen Smart has never been found, and that is why investigators were in Susan Flores's backyard on Wednesday. The connection between Susan Flores's property and the search for Kristen's remains goes back years. In 2023, two environmental scientists extracted soil from an area near the fence line of Susan Flores's yard and detected soil vapors consistent with human decomposition. Three forensic experts, environmental engineer Timothy Nelligan, retired FBI forensic scientist Brian Ekenroad, and environmental scientist Steve Hoyt, concluded at that point that Smart's body had at been buried in the backyard of Susan Flores's home. The technology they used was considered experimental and was not presented in the criminal trial, but it was enough to prompt continued investigation. Lambert, whose podcast first broke the case open, was on the scene Wednesday, speaking to reporters about what he witnessed. He said, quote, from what I've seen, it appears to be the same ground penetrating radar team and geologists that testified in the trial in 2022 are now here at Susan's house. The time that Susan's house was searched with ground penetrating radar I believe was in 2000. So it's been 26 years, end quote. Lambert also noted longstanding claims he had previously reported from a former tenant of Susan's property who said she found a turquoise earring in the yard in the months after Smart disappeared, an earring that was collected by investigators but later misplaced and never properly booked into evidence. That same tenant reportedly told investigators she heard what sounded like a digital watch alarm beeping from a freshly poured planter area in the backyard every morning around 4:20am Lambert noted what the timing of this search means for Kristen's family. He said, quote, Kristen's mom turned 80 just a few days ago, and her parents are still waiting for answers every time they do a search for her. The hope is that this is going to be the time they finally find her. End quote Civil lawsuit filed by Smart's parents in 2021 alleged that Susan Flores and her boyfriend Mike McConville, helped Reuben Flores relocate Smart's remains following a search warrant in February 2020. Susan Flores and McConville have not been charged with any crime. Susan Flores could not be reached for comment Wednesday. San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow released a statement alongside the search. He said, quote, since the jury convicted Paul Flores for the murder of Kristen Smart, the district attorney's office has continued working in coordination with the Sheriff's Office to fulfill our shared commitment to the Smart family and this community to bring Kristen home. While those responsible for Kristen's death and those with knowledge of her whereabouts could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available to locate Kristen's remains and to support her family until she is brought home. End Quote May 25, 2026 will mark 30 years since Kristen Smart was last seen alive. She would be 49 years old. From the Central coast of California, we go to the suburbs of Chicago where a forensic excavation was underway Thursday at a South Elgin home in connection with the disappearance of a 17 year old girl who vanished a decade ago almost to the the day.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 marked exactly 10 years since 17 year old Kiana Galvin disappeared from South Elgin, Illinois. She was last seen on the afternoon of that same date in 2016. She told her sister she was going to Jim Hansen Park a few blocks from her home. She never came back. And Thursday morning investigators were in the yard of a home near that park with shovels and ground penetrating radar. The South Elgin Police Department and the Fox Valley Major Crimes Task Force began a forensic excavation at a home on the 800 block of Revere Road not far from that park. The excavation was prompted by ground penetrating radar scans of the property which revealed what authorities described described as quote, anomalies beneath the surface that detectives determined warranted further investigation. End quote. Large blue tents were erected around the home early Thursday. A portion of Revere Road has been closed. To understand why investigators are digging there, you have to go back to the days right after Kiana disappeared. Kiana Galvin was 17 years old and had recently earned her GED. The day before she disappeared, she lost her full time job as a housekeeper at a rehabilitation center for the elderly in South Elgin. On the afternoon of May 6, 2016, she texted that she was heading to Jim Hansen Park. What investigators later pieced together from her cell phone records told a different story. At 12:35pm Kiana sent a text to an unidentified man telling him she was on her way to his home. Her phone stopped communicating with cell towers at 1:10. No further texts or calls were ever made from the device. She left home without her purse, wallet or cell phone charger. She had no bank account, no car and no access to credit cards. Investigators do not believe she left of her own accord. When she wasn't heard from for a couple of days, her parents reported her missing. They said at the time they'd waited because she was 17 and did not qualify for an Amber Alert, which in Illinois requires the missing person to be under 16 or have a disability. Six days after Kiana disappeared, a neighbor living next door to an unidentified man contacted police after discovering what appeared to be blood on the lid of a garbage can outside the home. Testing confirmed the blood belonged to Kiana. The same neighbor told police they had seen Kiana entering that man's home either the day she disappeared or the day before. In November 2016, police executed a search warrant at that residence, the same property being excavated this week. Authorities never publicly disclosed what, if anything, was found. The home has since changed ownership and the man's identity has never been publicly released by authorities. He was later convicted of assaulting another woman and sentenced to 15 years in prison and remains a person of interest in Kiana's case. No one has ever been charged in connection with her disappearance. What Kiana's disappearance did produce, in addition to a decade of grief for her family and community, was a change in Illinois law. In 2008, 2018, the state launched a new missing persons alert system named in her honor, the Kiana Alert. Unlike the Amber Alert, the Kiana Alert does not require the missing person to be in danger, to be activated, and it does not have an age restriction like the Amber Alert. It does require a missing persons report to be filed with police first. It was the first alert system of its kind in Illinois, a legacy Kiana's family never wanted to have her Mother Fiona Galvin has spent 10 years fighting for her daughter. In 2020, she organized a rally in front of the South Elgin Police Department when Kiana had been missing for four years, calling on investigators to charge what she described as the primary suspect in the case. Fiona said at the time, quote, my whole mission in this vigil is to light a candle to keep focus on this case that's still ongoing, that's not solved, and to pressure the police to get more evidence to charge person who's the primary suspect with the circumstantial and probable cause evidence that they have, end quote. Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser released a statement Thursday that captured the weight of the moment. Quote, 10 years have passed since Kiana disappeared, and the weight of that loss is still deeply felt by her family, her friends and this entire community. My heart remains with all who continue to carry that pain. We have not forgotten Kiana and we remain steadfast in our commitment to seek the truth. It is my hope that renewed efforts will finally bring the answers her family deserves. I urge anyone with information, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and contact the police. The excavation is ongoing. As of this recording, no results have been announced, and authorities say additional updates will be released as they become available. Stay with us on crime house 24 7. We'll bring you updates on both of these searches as they develop up. What they did to your family. You're lucky to make it out alive.

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Looks like a family was running drugs. Execution style killing.

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In the suburbs of D.C. a woman fails to show up for work and is found brutally murdered.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Emergency.

[Crime House Announcer]

We just walked in the door and there's blood in the foyer.

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For the next two decades, the case remains remained unsolved until new technology allowed investigators to do what had Once Been Impossible, a new series from ABC Audio in 2020 blood and water. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Okay, before I let you go, you know we can't end without giving you a little something extra. Over on Murder True Crime Stories Today, Carter Roy is diving into the case of the Idaho murders. In November 2022, four University of Idaho students, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death inside their off campus home in Moscow, Idaho. After a night out with friends for weeks, the case gripped the nation as investigators traced a circling white Hyundai Elantra and a lone DNA clue to criminology PhD student Brian Kohberger. We grabbed a clip from today's episode. Take a listen and if you like what you here, don't forget to follow Murder True Crime Stories.

[Crime House Announcer]

Before the crime scene tape and the flashing lights appeared on King Road, there were four college students just trying to figure out who they were going to be. They laughed too loudly and stayed up too late. They had favorite coffee orders, inside jokes and weekend plans. This is where their story really began. And this is how they should be remembered. For Madison Mogan, or Maddie, as her friends called her, the University of Idaho was an important stepping stone. She was raised in Coeur d', Alene, just 90 minutes north of the university. Her parents, Karen and Scott, said she was the kind of girl who made friends the second she walked into a room. She was funny, bright, and endlessly loyal. When Maddie graduated high school in 2019, she moved to Moscow for college with plans to major in marketing. She was a little nervous, but excited to be on her own. Most of all, she was excited to join a sorority on campus. Maddie's first choice was Alpha Phi. Her second choice was PI Beta Phi. After a week of meeting all the girls in the different sorority houses, it was time for Maddie to learn where she'd spend the next four years. She ripped open her envelope envelope and looked inside. It said PI Beta Phi, otherwise known as PI Phi. Maddie was disappointed. Alpha Phi was considered a top house on campus. PI Phi was not. But she didn't let her true emotions show. She ran to the PI Beta Phi house with her new sisters, all smiles. And once she was there, she threw herself into sorority life. She even used her marketing skills to help promote PI Phi on social she wanted them to be a top house too. She was so good at it, the sorority asked her to manage their official Instagram account. It was impressive, but the rejection still stung. Especially because Maddie's best friend, Kaylee Gonzalez had come to the University of Idaho and gone through the sorority recruitment process with her. But Kaylee had gotten into Alpha Phi. It was the first time since sixth grade that they'd ever done anything apart. For most of their lives, where you saw one, you saw the other. Kaylee had the bigger personality. She was a bit of a jokester, always recording funny videos of herself for social media. Maddie was quieter, but just as confident. Together they balanced each other out perfectly. Their families joked that they were like sisters who just happened to have different last names. Real sisters, not sorority one ones. But when they joined separate houses, Kaylee and Maddie had to make new friends on their own for the first time. But then Covid hit their sophomore year and everything changed. The girls moved back home to Northern Idaho, where they were both from. By the time they got back to campus, things felt different. They weren't as jazzed about sorority life as they used to be. They didn't like the rules and restrictions. And they didn't want to live in their sorority houses anymore. So the summer before senior year in 2022, they moved in together. By then, 21 year old Kaylee was about to graduate a semester early. She'd just landed a job with an IT company in Texas. Maddie, also 21, was still finishing her degree in marketing. But she was incredibly proud of her best friend for already getting her foot in the door. And she would soon follow in her footsteps and strike out on her own. According to Maddie's boyfriend, she wanted to explore the world. But Maddie knew that no matter what they did or how many miles were between them, nothing would ever separate her and Kaylee. And in the meantime, they were determined to have a great senior year year. Especially now that they lived off campus. Their house at 1122 King Road was a rental with five bedrooms. The entrance was on the ground floor, which had two bedrooms. There was another bedroom in the basement below and two more upstairs. And that's where Maddie and Kaylee lived. Kaylee also brought along her Golden Doodle Murphy, who she shared with her ex boyfriend. Besides that, there were three other women who lived there. Bethany Funk was in the basement while Dylan Mortensen and Zanna Kernodle were on the ground floor. 20 year old Zanna was majoring in marketing and working part time at a local restaurant. She was also one of Maddie's sorority sisters in PI Phi. Friends described her as funny, sharp and refreshingly herself. She was the group's de facto dj and she didn't care much for appearances. She'd show up to a party at an oversized sweatshirt, hair and a messy bun. No makeup and still steal the show. Unlike the other women in the house, Zanna didn't have any specific plans for the future when she came to the University of Idaho. But things had been slowly shifting for her. She was dating a guy named Ethan Chapin. The 20 year old was majoring in recreation, sport and Tourism management. They'd met at a frat party the year before. It wasn't instant fireworks, but they ran in the same circles, were always hanging out together, and their connection just grew naturally. Zanna had just spent the summer with his family, and now he was spending almost every night at the King Road house with her. Ethan was a triplet, born just minutes apart from his brother Hunter and his sister Maisie. They'd grown up in Mount Vernon in Washington State and had been incredibly close their entire lives. So when it came time for college, they all decided to go to the University of Idaho together. Ethan and Hunter joined Sigma Chi. And that's actually how Ethan met Zanna at a party hosted by his frat. And while he and his brother were both tall, athletic and easygoing, Ethan stood out as the kind of guy who could make anyone feel welcome. Welcome. His siblings said he was magnetic and a natural leader. When his parents, Jim and Stacy came to visit for parents weekend in early November 2022, they were thrilled to see how well their kids had adjusted to college life. They tailgated at the football game, met their kids friends and spent time with Zanna. It was clear that she and Ethan were getting serious. As they left Moscow to drive back home, Stacy turned to Jim and said she felt proud. Like they'd made it through the hardest part of raising their kids and now they were all thriving. But just one week later, all of that would change and four young lives full of promise and plans would come to to a devastating end.

[Vanessa Richardson]

That's Carter Roy on murder True crime stories. And that's just a taste. The full episode on the Idaho murders is out right now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Just search Murder True crime stories and make sure you follow so you don't miss any episodes. You've been listening to crime house 247 bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

thanks for listening to today's episode. Not sure what to listen to next? Check out America's Most Infamous Crimes hosted by Katie Ring. From serial killers to unsolved mysteries and game changing investigations, each week Katie takes on a notorious criminal case in American history history. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes now wherever you listen to podcasts

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