The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

Dylan wakes in the morning and remembers fragments of the night before. She remembers the others coming home, Kaylee and Maddie talking about Jack, someone saying, “There’s someone here,” and Xana crying. She remembers a male voice saying “It’s okay. I’m going to help you.” She remembers the dog, Murphy, barking. She remembers seeing the firefighter. Their gazes locked, but he left without trying to enter her bedroom. After these events—and being unable to get ahold of the other roommates—Dylan had gone to Bethany’s room, where she told herself that the others were sleeping and fell asleep herself. She has been known to have “crazy thoughts” while drunk, so she doubts her own accounting of the night.

At 10:23, she texts Maddie again but gets no answer. There is no noise from upstairs. An hour later, she texts Kaylee but gets no answer. She starts to wonder if what she saw was real. Bethany calls their friend, Jenna McClure, to come over. Dylan calls her Big, Emily.

Emily is having breakfast with Hunter Johnson, Josie, and Linden when Dylan calls and says she thinks there was a man in the house. Emily, knowing how Dylan can be when she’s drunk, is not worried.