While Idaho Slept

The Hunt for Answers in the Murders of Four College Students

By: J. Reuben Appelman

Narrated by: Gary Bennett

The author of the acclaimed true-crime memoir, The Kill Jar, tells the inside story of the “University of Idaho Murders,” offering a memorable, thoughtful dive into our societal fascination with true crime, the media’s seeming blood-frenzy, and the future of homicide investigations, while cultivating an intimate look into the minds and hearts of the victims and their suspected killer alike.

Just after 4:00 am on November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were viciously stabbed to death in an off-campus house. The killings would shake the small blue-collar college town of Moscow, Idaho, dominate mainstream news coverage, and become a social media obsession, drawing millions of clicks and views. While a reticent Moscow Police Department, the FBI, and the Idaho State Police searched for the killer, unending conjecture and countless theories blazed online, in chatrooms and platforms from Reddit and YouTube to Facebook and TikTok. For more than a month, the clash of armchair investigators and law enforcement professionals raged, until a suspect—a 28-year-old Ph.D. candidate studying criminology—was arrested at his family home 2,500 miles away in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania on the day before New Year’s Eve.

Blood from the Heartland is a thought-provoking, literary chronicle of a small-town murder investigation blistering beneath the unceasing light of international interest, as traditional investigators, citizen sleuths, and the true-crime media acted—sometimes together, often in conflict—to uncover the truth. As J. Reuben Appelman brings this terrible crime into focus, he humanizes the four victims, examining the richness of their lives, dissects the mind and motivations of their presumed killer, and explores the world of northern Idaho, a rugged, deeply conservative stronghold steeped in Christian values and American patriotism.

Going deep inside the case, Appelman addresses a crucial question: With so many millions of citizens armed by access and hungry to take part in a true crime hunt of their own, has the nature of homicide investigations permanently changed? Rising above the sensational, Blood from the Heartland illuminates the intrinsic connection between today’s media, citizen sleuths, our societal mania for murder tales, and an impatient public’s insatiable appetite for spectacle as never before. Running beneath, the pulse of the story is a heartbreaking narrative of the people we love, the dreams we all share, and the uncertain time left for sharing them.

©2023 J. Reuben Appelman (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

A good synopsis of the case all in one story

I thought this book painted a good picture of the victims, a thorough look at the background of the accused, and a general life in Moscow and the other mentioned cities in the book. Now we just wait for the trial and outcome.

Non bias, lots of facts I didn't know about the suspect and the victims.

The book was very well laid laid out, easy listen and I hope that the facts are as black and white to the jury when laid out by the prosecution. I pray the families heal and that each student lives on with great memories and not remembered for the last minutes of their young lives.

Not as Engaging a Listen as I’d Hoped

I’m not sure if it was the narrator or the piece of the story but I was so interested in learning more about this senseless tragedy and understanding more about the killer. But it was slow, dragging and at times, boring. Very disappointed.

Bland and unexciting

I started out hopeful but the book never got overly interesting. I’m sure it followed the facts so the problem may have been the story itself.

Not much new information.

Author wrapped it all up but didn't say much we haven't already heard fron other sources.

Detailed and Wonderful Victimology

I completed this book in a couple of sittings. The details regarding Zana, Ethan, Maddie, and Kylie were priceless. I feel that I got to know and connect with them since I have a young daughter who will be entering college. I really appreciated the details of the suspect as well and could visually imagine the layout of the scene. I have watched many true crime shows that have dissected this case and this book is a must to get acquainted with the details of the crime, a possible motive, and an intimate deep dive into the lives of the victims and the impact this crime has had on the community.

Good Summary of Moscow, ID Murders

It was a good summary of what is known and verifiable about the murders. It also includes a background sketch of the victims and the accused. I listened to another audiobook on the same subject and thought this was more comprehensive.

Respectfully written and focused on the victims

The stories shared by those who grew up with the kids moved me to tears. I liked that the author chose to focus on the victims and what we lost instead of making a circus of the crime like a YT channel going for clicks.

Lays Out the Moscow Murders Case

Note: This book will be too repetitive for those who have followed every twist and turn but lays out the overall story of the tragic murders of the Four University of Idaho students and the suspect who is awaiting trial for the crime.

Humanized the victims

While Idaho Slept - J Reuben Appelman

My Review:
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audio
Time: 6 Hours 26 Minutes

I’m not sure why I decided to listen to this audiobook, but I’m glad that I did. I live in Texas and knew none of the victims or the person awaiting trial for their murder.

This audiobook humanized them. Made them real people not just cute young people in photographs. It also told of behind the scene journey law enforcement went on that ended in the arrest.

I highly recommend that you read the book or listen to the audiobook. It brings Madison, Kaylee, Xana and Ethan to life. It also tells of the horrible deaths they endured and that they suffered. It will take you step by step through the months before and time afterwards of what Bryan Kohberger did in planning, carrying out and covering for this crime.

Read or listen and form your own opinions.

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