Content Warning: This section of the guide depicts substance use disorders, alcohol misuse, mental health conditions, and sexual assault and the emotional and psychological impact on survivors.

The first chapter opens with a detailed account of a pivotal event on January 6, 2012, during a belated Christmas party at a Missoula office products company. The party is interrupted when two police detectives arrive, drawing the attention of the partygoers. The lead detective, Guy Baker, takes partygoer Allison Huguet aside and informs her that Beau Donaldson, her childhood friend, has confessed to raping her. This revelation shocks Huguet’s father, Kevin Huguet, who struggles to comprehend how someone they trusted could commit such a heinous act.

Krakauer then provides background on the close relationship between Huguet and Donaldson, noting how they grew up together and how the Huguet family welcomed him into their home. He also describes Missoula, Montana, highlighting its reputation as a charming, predominantly white college town deeply connected to the University of Montana and particularly to its revered football team, the Grizzlies. However, there is an alarming pattern of sexual assaults at the university, many of which have gone unreported or unprosecuted.