Netflix viewers heartbroken over ‘very disturbing’ Idaho Murders documentary

Netflix boasts an ever-growing catalogue of true-crime documentaries. Over the years, the streaming giant has brought some of the most unsettling real-life investigations to our screens, from a twisted animal killer in Don’t F*** With Cats to a bizarre kidnapping explored in American Nightmare – and their latest release is shaping up to be another harrowing watch. 

The new three-part documentary, The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, tells of the tragic murders of four University of Idaho students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle.

The housemates were stabbed to death in their off-campus home by Bryan Kohberger, who walked free for two months before he was caught. 

From director Skye Borgman (Unknown Number: The High School Catfish) and Academy Award–nominated executive producer Joe Berlinger (Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey), the series features unprecedented access to police footage and texts and interviews with the victims’ families to investigate a horrifying case that rocked the tight-knit college town of Moscow, Idaho.

Keep reading to find out more about the three-parter, including the verdict from viewers. 

What have viewers said about the documentary? 

The documentary sparked an emotional response from audiences, who described the series as “heartbreaking” and “chilling”.

Taking to social media, one person wrote: “Just watched all 3 episodes, absolutely heartbreaking,” while another added: “Cried the whole time. This is so devastating.”

© Courtesy of Netflix

A third person penned: “Families will never move forward with all these documentaries. So horrific and heartbreaking,” while others described the case as “very disturbing” and one of the “most chilling and tragic cases of this decade”.

Where is Bryan Kohberger now?

On 23 July last year, after pleading guilty to the murders of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan, Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole and an additional ten years.

He is currently serving his sentence at Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, where he’s confined to his cell 23 hours a day.

© Getty Images

The convicted killer made headlines once again in July 2026, when he told the New York Times that he was taking back his guilty plea, which was made to avoid the death penalty. 

“My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn,” he said in a statement.

In response, the family of Kaylee Goncalves said that Kohberger was a “narcissist” and likened him to a “mosquito you just can’t seem to swat”.

© Courtesy of Netflix

“He chose not to leave his fate – or the facts of the case – to a jury,” the Goncalves family said.

“He never cried foul, never claimed he was uninformed or pressured, and never suggested there were problems with the discovery materials he and his counsel had reviewed for two years that should have been challenged.”

The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare is available to stream on Netflix now.