The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

After a day of drinking, Xana falls over and chips her tooth. She’s upset. She tells Emily that she doesn’t want to be the “free-spirited” one anymore (44). She wants to be someone who is taken seriously. She wants to fit in with the more respectable Chapin family.

As Maddie and Kaylee begin their senior year of college, they finally live together at 1122 King Road. The older Pi Phis have graduated and moved out. Maddie has taken over the lease and invited Kaylee, Xana, and two Pi Phi sophomores: Dylan Mortenson (Emily’s Little) and Bethany Funke (Maddie’s Little). Maddie has already been living in the house. The roommates all take a picture together, and Maddie posts it to her social media with the caption “Meet the Roommates.”

After the murders, Emily has a recurring nightmare in which Maddie is working at the Mad Greek, a vegan-friendly restaurant in town. An unusual-looking man seated at one of the tables raises his hand for her attention. She goes to serve him; he orders a vegan pizza and introduces himself, asking for her name in return. He asks her out. She turns him down, laughing awkwardly. He leaves and goes to his car, where he searches for her on social media. When he finds her, he starts liking all of her photos.

Kaylee goes on a terrible date after breaking up with her middle-school boyfriend, Jack. She ended the relationship not because she didn’t love or care for him, but because she plans to move to Austin, Texas, after graduation and wants a fresh start. Kaylee makes use of her network to ensure she is working to a high standard early in her career. She leaves the terrible date, thinking she might phone Jack when she gets home. She knows her friends are going to tease her for always being surrounded by drama.

Emily’s mother, Karen, comes to visit. Xana picks her up at the airport, excited to show Karen her new bedroom at 1122 King Road, including her new bedding, which she bought after getting a job at the Mad Greek. She’s making money and even opened a bank account, something her friends had teased that she would never do. The move means that she is not living with Emily for the first time in three years, but they still see each other every day. At the end of the day, Xana and Ethan come over to Emily’s to visit. Karen watches them and thinks they are very in love.

The 1122 King Road house becomes a fixture on campus. It doesn’t match the Shark Tank’s reputation as a party house, but it’s still a popular place to hang out. The roommates make a video in which they pretend to be each other to highlight each person’s character and traits. They post it to social media.

The Chapin triplets turn 20. Their parents, Stacy and Jim, visit for family weekend. Stacy understands that her kids are growing up and becoming independent. She tells her husband, “Our job is done!” and they high-five in the car (58).

The 1122 King Road roommates get ready for the Pi Phi formal. They start drinking around noon. They do not plan to go to the official formal—partially due to the location that requires a bus ride and the prohibition against drinking in the sorority house. There is also tension between the house and the roommates because Dylan and Bethany “prematurely” moved out of the house.

The next day there is a football game against the visiting University of California, Davis, team. The roommates are not attending the game, but they plan to celebrate and party on campus.

On the day of the game, Emily gets to the Kibbie Dome early. She works with the University of Idaho football team in recruiting. It annoys her that this separates her from her friends. In the group chat, Xana is encouraging everyone to come to 1122 King Road to get ready.

By noon, the group has gathered at the King Road house: Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, Ethan, Dylan, Bethany, Peter, Hunter Chapin, Hunter Johnson, Josie, and Linden. The party soon moves to The Whites, where Emily and Josie live and other APhis have an apartment.

The King Road roommates take pictures together and with Ethan, their “honorary roommate” (61). Kaylee forwards her favorite to the group chat. Emily smiles when she sees it, already missing her friends who will be moving away after graduation.

Later, Maddie and Dylan temporarily steal Hunter Johnson’s phone and “take dozens of selfies, imagining Hunter’s surprise when he discovers them an hour or two later” (62).

Hunter Johnson asks if Ethan and Xana want to join him at the game, where he’ll be picking Emily up. Ethan jokingly pretends to be distressed and crying, claiming he can’t because he has to attend his sister’s formal that evening. Hunter Johnson affectionately calls Ethan an “asshole.” He doesn’t realize that this is the last time he will see Ethan alive.

Theta’s formal is held at a local brewery. Ethan attends with Maizie; Hunter goes with Maizie’s roommate. Their mother, Stacy, requests photos.

Later that night, the Chapin brothers meet Xana at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, which is across a field from 1122 King Road. Ethan texts Hunter Johnson and Emily, wanting them to join him at the Sigma Chi party. Emily is in bed asleep, so Hunter says he’ll come over to the party when she wakes up.

Kaylee and Maddie are together at the Corner Club, a popular bar. The owner and staff take care of the customers, keeping an eye out for anyone too intoxicated or needing help to get home. One of these employees is Adam Lauda, a friend of Kaylee’s ex-boyfriend, Jack.

Maddie and Kaylee leave the bar after 1:00 am, tired, hungry, and inebriated. Maddie tells Kaylee that she told Adam “everything” about “Kaylee’s quandary with Jack” (64). Kaylee is concerned that Maddie has overshared. They head to the main street Grub Truck, where they order a meal to share. A man in a hoodie waits behind them. They recognize him as Jack Showalter, who has visited the house before and who they think is a good guy. They ask if he’s interested in going to another party with them, but he says he’s tired. The girls agree and call for a sober driver to get them home. Xana and Ethan return home after 2:00 am.

Kaylee and Maddie stay up a little later talking, then go up to Maddie’s bedroom together. Kaylee’s dog, Murphy, is in her bedroom. Kaylee tells Maddie of her uncertainty about Jack DuCoeur. Kaylee misses him and wants him to come over, so they start texting and calling him, but he is asleep.

At The Whites, Emily, Josie, and Linden wake up around 3:00 am. Josie goes to the car to get her phone. When she returns, Hunter Johnson locks the door to the apartment—something he’s never done before. They assume everyone is sleeping and don’t text Ethan or Xana.

Shortly after 4:00 am, Dylan drifts in and out of sleep. Her bedroom walls are thin, and she has heard the others talking and going upstairs. She hears someone “frantically” say, “There’s someone here” (67). This isn’t unusual for 1122 King Road. She cracks her door open but sees nothing. She hears someone crying and opens the door again. She hears a male voice say, “It’s okay. I’m going to help you” (67). Dylan opens the door a third time and sees someone she assumes is a firefighter. Dylan closes her door and looks for her Taser, but the battery is dead. She calls Bethany, who initially doesn’t answer but who quickly calls her back.

Dylan explains that she saw a black-clad man in the house. She calls Xana, but there’s no answer. She tries Kaylee, but gets no answer. She calls Bethany again. Bethany calls Xana but gets no answer. Dylan calls Maddie but gets no answer. Bethany and Dylan text each other, with Dylan explaining that the man was wearing something that looked like a ski mask. Dylan’s phone battery is about to die, so Bethany tells her to run to her (Bethany’s) room. Dylan tries calling Ethan, but gets no response.

Dylan calls Kaylee and then Xana again. She decides to run to Bethany’s room. Together, the women keep trying to reach the roommates, and even go on social media looking for “clues.” At 4:37 am, the girls fall asleep.

Bethany wakes at 7:30 am and calls her parents to tell them about the strange events. She is hoping that Dylan just had a very bad dream. Dylan, when she wakes, agrees with this assessment.

Around 10:23 am the women start texting the roommates again. No one answers. Dylan starts to panic again, worrying that the events of the previous night were not a dream. She calls a friend and Pi Phi sister (Jenna McClure) to come over. She then phones Emily, her Big, and asks her to come over, explaining that she thinks there was a man in the house the night before. Emily knows that Dylan can get “really, really drunk” and does not assume anything serious has happened (70).

Hunter Johnson is the first person to enter the house. He finds Xana and Ethan dead, goes downstairs, and tells Dylan and Bethany to call 911 and stay outside. He gets a knife from the kitchen and meets Emily on the stairs. He tells her “I don’t think Xana’s going to wake up” (70). He takes Xana and Ethan’s pulses and confirms they are dead. He checks the closets for signs of a murderer but finds nothing. He goes downstairs to wait for the police. He doesn’t know if Kaylee or Maddie are alright, but he worries they are also dead.