True Confession

This segment introduces the tragic 1996 murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge in Idaho Falls. It highlights her mother Carol Dodge's relentless fight for justice and the wrongful conviction of Christopher Tapp, setting the stage for a complex investigation.

The segment details the immediate aftermath and investigation of the brutal 1996 murder of Angie Dodge in Idaho Falls. Rookie officer Bill Squires and veteran investigator Jeff Pratt describe the horrific crime scene and the collection of DNA evidence, which was a relatively new technology at the time. Detectives Ken Brown and Jared Fureman discuss their initial theories and the elimination of early suspects through DNA testing.

Following the tragic murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge in 1996, her mother Carol embarks on a relentless quest for justice. As police struggle for leads, suspicion falls on local river kids, leading to the interrogation of Christopher Tapp and the arrest of Benjamin Hobbs in Nevada.

The segment details the police investigation into the murder of Angie Dodge, focusing on the interrogation of Christopher Tapp. Despite Tapp's confession implicating himself and Ben Hobbs, DNA results cleared both men, leading detectives to search for a hypothetical third attacker. This theory led police to target other local youth, including Jeremy Sargis, George Podjes, and Russ Baldwin, who was ultimately cleared by an alibi.

The investigation into the murder of Angie Dodge intensifies as Chris Tapp implicates himself and others, including Jeremy Sargis and Ben Hobbs. Despite the lack of matching DNA evidence, prosecutors move forward with charging Tapp based on his detailed confessions and witness testimony.

Carol Dodge continues her relentless search for her daughter Angie's killer, refusing to accept the partial resolution of Kris Tapp's conviction. Her quest leads her to investigate Tapp's associates and eventually seek the help of DNA expert Dr. Greg Hampikian.

Carol Dodge partners with DNA expert Dr. Greg Hampikian to re-examine the evidence in her daughter Angie's murder case. The DNA results reveal that only a single, unknown perpetrator was at the crime scene, proving Christopher Tapp's confession was false. Carol then reviews the interrogation tapes to understand how detectives coerced Tapp into a false confession.

Carole Dodge reviews the interrogation tapes of Christopher Tapp, the man convicted of murdering her daughter Angie. Shocked by the apparent coaching and manipulation by detectives, Carole makes the decision to fight for Tapp's release.

Keith Morrison explores the controversial conviction of Christopher Tapp in the murder of Angie Dodge. Despite police insistence on his guilt, Angie's mother, Carole Dodge, campaigns for Tapp's release, believing his confession was coerced.

In this segment, Keith Morrison interviews Christopher Tapp, who spent over a decade in prison for a murder he claims he did not commit. Tapp explains how intense police interrogation and false promises of help led him to make a coerced, hypothetical confession. Despite his changing stories at the time, Tapp is now fighting to clear his name with the support of the Idaho Innocence Project and Carol Dodge, the victim's mother.

Carol Dodge, convinced of Chris Tapp's innocence, seeks out Chicago-based false confession expert Steve Drizin of Northwestern University. Drizin reviews the interrogation tapes and describes them as the worst example of police contamination and fact-feeding he has ever seen.

After spending 20 years in prison, Christopher Tapp is released after accepting a plea deal for time served, supported by the victim's mother, Carol Dodge. Key witness Destiny Osborne recants her testimony, revealing police coercion, while the new Idaho Falls Police Chief shifts the focus to finding the actual killer using DNA evidence.

Following Christopher Tapp's release from prison, the Idaho Falls Police Department reinvigorates the investigation into Angie Dodge's murder. Captain Bill Squires partners with Parabon Labs and genetic genealogist CeCe Moore, who uses degraded DNA to build family trees and search for the suspect.

Investigators and genetic genealogist CeCe Moore focus on the Usry family tree to find a DNA match for their suspect. After a clandestine DNA collection in Twin Falls, Idaho, results in a mismatch, Moore goes back to the drawing board to search for a missing link in the family history.

Genetic genealogist CeCe Moore helps police identify Brian Dripps as the suspect in the 1996 murder of Angie Dodge. After tracking him to Caldwell, Idaho, detectives collect his DNA from a discarded cigarette, confirming a match and leading to his arrest.

Brian Dripps confesses to the rape and murder of Angie Dodge, detailing how he acted alone. This confession finally exonerates Christopher Tapp, who spent over two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Christopher Tapp is officially exonerated of the rape and murder of Angie Dodge, becoming the first person in the world cleared using genetic genealogy. Meanwhile, the actual killer, Brian Dripps, is sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty, bringing a tragic and long-awaited resolution to the Dodge family.

Following his exoneration and a multi-million dollar settlement from the city of Idaho Falls, Christopher Tapp's life took a tragic turn. Shortly after vowing to move past his wrongful conviction, Tapp died under suspicious circumstances in Las Vegas. Authorities subsequently ruled his death a homicide and charged former professional wrestler Daniel Rodimer with his murder.

Keith Morrison introduces the story of Christopher Tapp, also known as the River Kid, whose conviction a grieving mother fought to overturn. Lester Holt concludes the segment with a brief sign-off.