Megan Stalter Discusses Relationships and Intercourse Scenes

In a startling turn of events just days before the highly anticipated July 11 premiere of the gripping docuseries “One Night in Idaho: The College Murders” on Prime Video, the final segment of this four-part series was unexpectedly rewritten. The initial closing card conveyed that Bryan Kohberger, the individual charged with the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, was scheduled to stand trial in 2025. However, on June 30, Kohberger shocked observers by accepting a plea deal that spared him from the death penalty under the condition that he plead guilty to the murders and waive his right to appeal. Consequently, he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars, with no possibility of parole.

This news ignited a mix of emotions among the victims’ families, with some expressing outrage while others supported the prosecutors’ decision. Among those in favor were the families of Ethan Chapin and Maddie Mogen, both of whom are prominently featured in the docuseries, which is co-directed by Liz Garbus and Matthew Galkin. Galkin, who attended Kohberger’s plea hearing on July 2, described the surreal gathering of everyone involved in the case. The families had less than 36 hours’ notice to travel to Boise for the hearing. Galkin remarked that he took the first flight available to ensure he could be present.

“The atmosphere in the courtroom was harrowing,” Galkin recounted in an interview with Variety. “It was a blend of intense emotions and palpable drama, as nearly every key participant in this tragic saga was present in one room, finally confronting one another due to the courtroom’s layout. All the families and prosecutors were looking one way, while the defendant and his legal team were off to the side, facing the families. This resulted in numerous intense eye exchanges, making it a profoundly emotional experience to witness.”

Galkin and Garbus embarked on documenting this harrowing case just months after the tragic murders, initiating contact with the Chapin family—Ethan’s triplet siblings, Hunter and Maizie, were also involved—in April 2023, and later reaching out to the Laramies, who are Maddie’s parents. The families of the other two victims, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves, were approached to participate in the series but ultimately declined. Garbus confirmed their outreach efforts. While the Chapins and Laramies largely avoided media interactions regarding their losses and the horrific circumstances of their children’s deaths, Garbus and Galkin proposed a victim-centric approach to filmmaking. In the wake of the murders, public fascination surrounding Kohberger has only been rivaled by the online sleuths who believed they could crack a case filled with numerous unanswered questions. Throughout this period, the victims were often overshadowed in their own narratives.

“Our intention was to reclaim their stories from the chaotic whirlwind of social media,” Garbus explains. “I want to acknowledge that many individuals on social media mean well. However, there exists a fervor surrounding this case that can cause the victims to become lost in the narrative.”

Garbus, one of the co-founders of the production company Story Syndicate, adopted a similar approach earlier this year with Netflix’s “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer,” which chronicled the decades-long killing spree of sex workers around the Gilgo Beach area of Long Island. In that instance, the victims were largely neglected by the institutions designed to protect them, while their families struggled for years to gain attention for their unsolved cases.

Conversely, for Maddie, Kaylee, Xana, and Ethan, the world was drawn to their story following the shocking news of their murders in an off-campus home on a Saturday night.

“In this situation, the entire world was eager to solve the case, casting suspicion on boyfriends and generating conspiracy theories that overshadowed those who were enduring the depths of this tragedy,” Garbus reflects. “What brings me pride is that we were able to not only portray them as victims but also allow audiences to understand them as individuals—who they were, what their aspirations were, and how they enjoyed life within their remarkable friend group.”

The documentary also highlights members of their friend group, including Hunter Johnson, Emily Alandt, and Josie Lauteren, who were among the first to discover the bodies on November 13, 2022. Johnson and Alandt especially became the subjects of cruel and targeted conspiracy theories online questioning their involvement, which took an emotional toll that they confront head-on within the series.

However, the abrupt conclusion to the two-year legal battle for justice for the families and friends leaves a profound question unanswered—why? What compelled Kohberger—who was arrested in Pennsylvania on December 30, 2022—to stalk and invade the off-campus residence at 1122 King Street in Moscow, Idaho, brutally stabbing four friends he did not personally know while sparing two others in the same dwelling? Why did he target this particular close-knit group of friends, and who among them was his intended victim?

None of these pressing questions can be addressed by the docuseries, especially since law enforcement and the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, have been under a gag order since the murders and will remain so until a verdict is reached (the next scheduled date is now the July 23 sentencing hearing). Nonetheless, Galkin mentions that the answers many outside observers hoped the trial would provide were never the primary concern for the families.

“I believe anyone involved in this case would naturally seek to understand why this tragedy occurred,” Galkin states. “While I don’t wish to speak on behalf of the Chapins or the Laramies, it’s important to note that they were never focused on the investigative details of this case. Their priority was their own grief and healing. I’ve had discussions with Stacy Chapin, and she expressed, ‘Well, who cares? It’s not going to bring Ethan back.’ Thus, the question of why was not at the forefront of her thoughts.”

Lacking insights from law enforcement and eyewitness accounts from Dylan and Bethany, Galkin and Garbus leaned heavily into telling the stories of the victims. To support their narrative, they meticulously sifted through years of social media posts that inadvertently preserved a record of a friend group that was constantly online.

“People are inherently selective with what they share on social media, which creates a curated image that everyone wishes to present,” Galkin notes. “We aimed to delve deeper, exploring their true selves with the access we had to their family and friends. It’s a fascinating aspect of this story, as their lives were so thoroughly documented that it led millions to feel as if they truly knew these young people.”

The extensive collection of visuals also provided the filmmakers with the opportunity to accurately reconstruct elements of the home at 1122 King Street, which was demolished in December 2023 after becoming a grotesque tourist attraction. Utilizing social media posts, insights from their friends, and even blueprints of the original house, the creative team of the series meticulously rebuilt the main entryway, staircase, living room, Xana’s bedroom, Maddie’s bedroom, and a portion of Dylan’s bedroom to scale on a soundstage in Brooklyn.

To immerse the viewer in the recreated house, the team sourced all the furnishings and wall treatments for each room from the original suppliers. The set construction and shooting took about a week, but the entire process—including research, drafting, and preparation—spanned several months.

“We took this task extremely seriously,” Galkin asserts. “It was so eerily accurate that when we screened the series for the Chapin and Laramie families, they both turned to me and asked, ‘How did you manage to get inside the house?’ This was a home they were intimately familiar with.”

“We had the capability to execute this with remarkable precision,” Galkin continues, “and we chose to capitalize on this opportunity—because getting the details right is crucial.”

Even with extensive research, the directors encountered unexpected revelations while interviewing the families. In the final episode, Ethan’s father, Jim, unexpectedly reveals what happened to his son’s cremated remains. The family struggled to decide where he should be buried, ultimately choosing to bring him home. As Jim explains, they visit him daily and, when one of them passes, he will be buried with them. Until then, they did not want him to be alone.

The Chapin family had informed Galkin that nothing was off-limits during their interviews—“If they were going to participate, they wanted to do it fully,” he recalls. However, even he was taken aback by this revelation.

“I had no idea that Ethan’s remains were in the house at all,” he admits. “This topic had never surfaced in any of our preliminary interviews or earlier conversations. So when Jim mentioned that to me, I found myself becoming emotional during the interview. His storytelling is profoundly impactful. I’m grateful we were able to capture that moment on camera. It’s truly a beautiful moment. While the sense of loss permeates the entire series, that moment crystallized the emotional weight for me during filming. It’s genuinely heart-wrenching.”

Both the Chapins and the Laramies had the opportunity to view the series with Galkin and Garbus prior to its release and before Kohberger’s plea deal was announced. “As filmmakers, this was an experience you hope for,” Galkin reflects. “Karen Laramie shared that she felt a sense of lightness she hadn’t experienced since the murders. This indicates a significant therapeutic aspect.”

When news of the plea deal emerged, speculation arose about the fate of the docuseries. Should it be shelved out of respect? Does it even matter now that the ending is already written? However, Galkin firmly believes that since the focus was always on the victims, Kohberger’s plea deal only altered one aspect.

“It changes the ending,” he states. “We modified the final card. However, I don’t believe knowing the ending entirely alters the way one should view these four hours.”

The filmmakers had initially intended to cover the trial and potentially revisit the story with a second installment of the documentary. However, with the trial no longer occurring, Galkin expresses uncertainty about the next steps. He remains close with the Chapin family, having attended the July 2 hearing with them. Regarding potential new interview subjects, he mentions an interest in speaking with law enforcement about the investigation and may reach out to survivors to tell their story, which has only been revealed through legal documents. Yet, as of now, there is no formal plan for a follow-up.

“If there is interest, if there is more story to tell, we are absolutely open to that,” Galkin assures. “However, until then, we will not impose media attention on those individuals, as reaching out to someone going through such a traumatic experience requires sensitivity. If we were to proceed, we would want to approach it as gently and delicately as possible. Without a specific production plan, there’s little reason to contact them. So we will wait and see what unfolds.”

As of now, Galkin will be present in the courtroom on July 23 for Kohberger’s final appearance for sentencing. This will mark the last opportunity for families to deliver victim impact statements and address the individual who confirmed to a judge on July 2 that he accepted the plea deal because he, in fact, killed Xana, Ethan, Maddie, and Kaylee. It remains uncertain whether Kohberger will choose to speak during the sentencing to explain his motives or clarify what truly transpired in the King Street residence. However, Galkin mentions that decisions are being made regarding which members of the Chapin or Laramie families may take the opportunity to speak.

“I am grateful I could be there for the families,” Galkin reflects on the July 2 hearing. “Both families displayed tremendous courage by attending and confronting all of this publicly, despite the fact that other families may not share the same sentiment. Their path to finding peace through this resolution brings me comfort. Ultimately, that’s all that matters to me—if it’s right for them, then it’s right for me.”