ABC News announced today the new narrative podcast series from ABC Audio, “The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery,” will launch Wednesday, June 7, with new episodes dropping weekly.
- The five-episode series hosted by ABC News correspondent Kayna Whitworth covers the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students who were stabbed to death in their off-campus house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho.
- Whitworth brings listeners behind the scenes as she investigates the savage murders that captivated and horrified the nation in the winter of 2022-2023.
- The immersive, deeply reported podcast series will detail the night of the murders and profile the victims — Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves — taking a close look at why these students might have been targeted and how fear can grip a town especially when little information comes from law enforcement.
- The final two episodes will include real-time updates from investigators revealed in the preliminary hearing for the accused murderer scheduled for this summer.
- Whitworth spent six weeks on the ground in Moscow, Idaho, reporting on the murders. Her commitment earned her a deep level of trust with those who knew the victims and law enforcement, leading to her booking the first interview with Moscow’s chief of police, who led the investigation.
- 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, is developing the podcast as a limited series. Development on this project follows the highly successful run of the Hulu Original limited series “The Dropout,” from Searchlight Television and 20th Television based on the award-winning ABC Audio podcast produced and hosted by Rebecca Jarvis.
- The award-winning limited series from Liz Meriwether received multiple Emmy nominations, including a win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for star Amanda Seyfried.
- ABC News’ “20/20″ will continue to cover the ongoing developments in the case. Previous coverage includes the two-hour January special “Horror in Idaho: The Student Murders,” with reporting from Whitworth providing a comprehensive look at the case and exclusive interviews with parents and loved ones of the victims, along with interviews with those who knew the accused murder suspect.
- “The King Road Killings” trailer is now available for free on all major listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Stitcher, TuneIn, Audacy and the ABC News app.
- “The King Road Killings” is produced by ABC Audio. Laura Mayer is executive producer.
- The podcast was previously announced in April under the working title “The Idaho Murders.”
What they’re saying:
- Laura Mayer, executive producer of podcast programming for ABC Audio: “Kayna was in Idaho as soon as the news broke and stayed long after the murders happened, so she could truly understand the community and the affected families. While this series will delve into the details of the murders and the potential motivations of the alleged suspect, using never-before-heard reporting, this won’t be your typical true-crime podcast. Kayna will tell this story through a personal and uniquely human lens.”