James Patterson, Vicky Ward to Write Book Based on University of Idaho Murders, Skydance Plans to Option for TV
variety.comSophia Scorziello editor James Patterson and investigative journalist Vicky Ward are working to turn the tragic deaths of students Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves into a non-fiction title.
In November 2022, the four students at the University of Idaho were violently killed in their homes. Dubbed the “Moscow Murders,” the infamous attack gained a rapid following online as internet sleuths on Reddit, Twitter and other platforms gathered to try and find the killer and his motive.
The book will recount the violence that rattled the college town and the subsequent investigation and arrest of suspect Bryan Kohberger.
Skydance Television is seeking to option the rights of the book as part of their first-look deal with Patterson. Story Syndicate (“Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence,” “Harry and Meghan”) is in final negotiations to be the production partner with Skydance on the docuseries Through exclusive interviews, shoe-leather reporting and court transcripts, Patterson and Ward will delve into the details of the crime, while “honoring the victims in a compassionate portrait of the lives the four lived before being tragically cut short,” they said. “The last time a true crime story haunted me this deeply was when I covered Jeffrey Epstein in ‘Filthy Rich,’” said Patterson. “The Idaho murders have captured imaginations all around the world and I’m as caught up in it as anyone else.
Read more on variety.com
