The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy, by James Patterson and Vicky Ward, was published July 14, 2025, by Little, Brown & Company. The book is a work of narrative non-fiction in the true crime genre. Patterson is one of America’s best-selling authors, known especially for his thrillers and crime writing. He joins forces with investigative journalist Vicky Ward, a New York Times best-selling author and reporter. Together, they examine the November 13, 2022, murders of four University of Idaho students: Kaylee Goncalves, Maddison (Maddie) Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. Drawing on more than 300 interviews, they reconstruct the events leading up to and following the murders. The book explores themes including The Importance of Community and the Dangers of Isolation, Online “Sleuthing” and the Commodification of Tragedy, and The Scarcity of Privacy in the Digital Age.

This guide uses the 2025 Kindle edition of the book.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of graphic violence, death, stalking, strong emotional trauma, and explicit discussion of misogyny, mental health, and social alienation.

Summary

The story opens on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho, in the fall of 2022. Students Kaylee Goncalves, Maddison (Maddie) Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin live vibrant, social lives while balancing studies, friendships, and plans for the future. Kaylee and Maddie, lifelong best friends, are graduating soon and preparing for the next steps in their lives. Xana and Ethan are a young couple in love.

On the night of November 12, 2022, the students are enjoying typical game-night activities. Kaylee and Madison go out to a local bar and then visit a food truck. Ethan and Xana attend a nearby fraternity party. By the early hours of November 13, all four return to 1122 King Road, the house where Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and their roommates Bethany and Dylan all lived. In the early morning hours, a masked intruder enters the house and fatally stabs Kaylee, Madison, Ethan, and Xana, leaving Dylan and Bethany in shock and fear. The suddenness and brutality of the crime ripples outward, shattering the small college town’s sense of safety and igniting a media frenzy.

The murders trigger tensions that unfold across the narrative. Law enforcement, under pressure to deliver answers, struggles to manage the investigation while keeping public panic at bay. The families of the victims demand accountability and justice. Surviving roommates and friends face paralyzing fear. Online communities begin to swarm the case, with amateur “sleuths” posting theories and pointing fingers at innocent people.

The days following the murders are marked by confusion, grief, and growing tension. Police provide few details, and speculation flourishes. At vigils and memorials, the community struggles to cope with both grief and fear. Investigators gather evidence, but progress seems slow. Surveillance footage, phone records, and forensic analysis become crucial leads. Frustration mounts as weeks pass without an arrest. Closer scrutiny falls on everyone involved. Kaylee’s ex-boyfriend, some fraternity members, and even the surviving roommates face online harassment as social media users fixate on limited public details.

The FBI and state police join the investigation, bringing increased resources. Media from all over the country descend on Moscow, amplifying both accurate reporting and baseless speculation. Tensions heighten between the desperate need for closure and the secrecy of the ongoing investigation.

In December 2022, police arrest Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old PhD student in nearby Washington State University’s criminology program. Kohberger is linked to the crime through a combination of DNA evidence, cellphone records, and surveillance footage of his white Hyundai Elantra near the crime scene on the night of the murders.

The revelation that Kohberger studied criminal justice and criminology, with a focus on the psychology of crime, heightens public interest. His background and reported social difficulties feed speculation about his motives. A history of manipulation, misogyny, anger, and stalking, along with his interest in mass murderer Elliot Rodger and the incel subculture, suggest that he may have targeted Maddie in particular, potentially for rejecting his romantic advances.

For families, the arrest provides a measure of closure but also raises new questions about why their children were targeted. Following the arrest, the book’s attention shifts to Kohberger’s court appearances and the legal process ahead. Kaylee’s father, Steve Goncalves, is particularly frustrated with the slow pace and lack of transparency in the justice system. Details from the investigation are released, including the knife sheath found at the crime scene that provided DNA evidence, cell phone records placing Kohberger near the house on a dozen occasions before the murders, and eyewitness testimony from Dylan, who saw a masked figure leaving the house that night.

The book concludes by reflecting on the aftermath of the murders and the broader social issues they reveal. While the legal process is ongoing, the arrest of Kohberger provides a partial sense of resolution. The families channel their grief into advocacy for their children’s memories, creating foundations that offer scholarships and establishing holidays that promote the importance of kindness. Although justice is still incomplete, the book’s ending emphasizes the enduring legacy of the victims’ lives and the resilience of the community.