Photo: Instagram / YouTube
She says there is a lesson to be learned.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Jan 03, 2023
Jack Showalter's sister is calling for an apology to her family after crime sleuths online accused him of being a suspect in the murder of four University of Idaho students.
Following the November 13 murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in their off-campus home, Showalter became the victim of online harassment.
Now that a suspect, Bryan Kohberger, has been arrested in connection with the murders, Showalter's sister is calling out those who refused to believe in her brother's innocence.
An online manhunt that targeted Showalter began after a young man, believed to be him, was seen in footage from outside a food truck where Gonclaves and Mogen ordered food before their deaths.
Who is Jack Showalter, the alleged 'hoodie guy' from the food truck video?
Showalter is suspected to be the man seen in the video taken outside Grub Truckers food truck with Kaylee and Madison — though officials have never confirmed the man's identity.
Despite Idaho police confirming that the unnamed man from the video had been ruled out, those following the case continued to search for evidence linking Showalter to the crime.
Countless internet users shared purported 'evidence' linking Showalter to the Idaho college murders.
Allegations that Showalter had recently been kicked out of a fraternity, claims that he owned a knife similar to the suspected murder weapon, and accusations that he fled the country after the murders all circulated online.
TikTok users compiled various unconfirmed reports. The video below, which has been viewed over 1 million times, claims without evidence that Showalter went to South Africa after the murders to prevent DNA evidence from being taken.
The user also claims Showalter's family was "politically connected" and says his uncle "may even be the State Attorney General" but tells viewers "you'll have to look into it yourself."
Kaylee Goncalves's father shared his own concerns about the 'food truck guy.'
During an exclusive interview with The New York Post, before any arrest was made in the case, Steve Goncalves revealed his opinion that the "food truck guy" was ruled out too quickly.
“Some people came to us and said that he’s out of the country. He didn’t take a DNA test,” he said, referring to the man many believed to be Showalter.
“So we would like [police] to tell us what his alibi was,” he said, saying he would be able to move on if they could confirm it was “solid.”
Jack Showalter's sister is now demanding an apology for her family.
In several now-deleted videos on her TikTok page, Annika Klein shares screenshots of the many hateful messages written about Showalter during the investigation into the murders.
In another video, she expresses gratitude about the arrest of Kohberger noting that not only does it give the families of the victims a chance to heal but it also provides, "all of the people who were falsely accused and dragged through the mud a chance to heal as well."
Klein is reacting to a now-deleted video shared by a true crime TikTok which includes images of the Showalter family and other relatives, their homes, and names of some of their workplaces.
"We have received threats and harassment and we didn't deserve that," Klein says, "Jack didn't deserve that."
In a second video, Klein addresses misinformation by insisting that neither Showalter nor his family left the country or the state.
She also states that Showalter was "fully cooperative" with investigators and claims he provided DNA evidence which allowed him to be cleared of any involvement.
In the latter part of her video, Klein seems to reference the rise of true crime fascination online — particularly on TikTok — which has seen users obsessively search for clues and evidence in real-life cases, often misidentifying suspects or sharing unfactual theories.
"I hope in the future we can take away from this that this isn't a game of Clue," Klein says in reference to the popular murder mystery board game.
"We shouldn't sensationalize murders like this because there were so many victims that were created through internet sleuth videos like this."
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Keep up with his rants about current events on his Twitter.