Plot Synopsis

Across the country, high school football unites small-town communities. But when a heinous murder shatters that Friday night dream world, the crime ripples beyond those immediately impacted, and the community will never be the same again. Each one-hour episode of MURDER UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS chronicles a different crime, including:

"The Cheerleader Murder" Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): In a small Texas town, a serial rapist stalks and attacks multiple high school cheerleaders, before graduating to murder. Detectives discover that the monster behind these horrific crimes is much closer to home than anyone could have possibly guessed.

"Where is Tom Brown?" (Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): Conspiracy theories rock a small Texas town after a beloved high school football player mysteriously vanishes. Baffling clues and community pressure pit the local sheriff against a brash private investigator until some very unusual suspects emerge.

"Killer in the Field" (Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): A beloved high school teacher's mutilated body lies in a field near her home, leaving behind a baffling trail of evidence. One suspect tells a story that makes no sense, but the real killer's motives are as confusing as they are terrifying.

"Game of Privileges" (Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): In a struggling Pennsylvania coal town, where high school football is king, the killing of a Mexican immigrant splits the community. When star players emerge as suspects, some locals engage in a coverup that is almost as shocking as the murder.

"Do It For Juan" (Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): As a quarterback and then as coach, Jaun Josephs led his Louisiana high school football team to multiple victories. When he's inexplicably gunned down, his community unites to bring his killer to justice.

"Mr. Untouchable" (Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): A cold-blooded murderer takes the life of local football hero TK Kelly. The high school standout had carried the dreams of his small California city on his shoulders, but for someone close to TK, jealousy of the star was motivation enough to kill.



The sophomore season of MURDER UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS premiered on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. The new season continues to explore the question: What happens when football is the lifeblood of a community ... and real blood is spilled? Episodes include:

"A Killer's Secret Play" (Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): When a beloved high school football coach is found shot 11 times in his Texas home, no one can imagine who would possibly want him dead -- until investigators discover a secret world of women and underground parties.

"Homecoming Nightmare" (Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): The abduction and murder of a popular high school cheerleader shocks a tight-knit suburban town. A second, eerily similar murder just two weeks later terrifies the community, which now suspects they have a serial killer in their midst.

"Who Shot Darrent Williams?" (Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): When the Broncos draft Texas high school football star Darrent Williams, he stays loyal to his hometown. On New Year's, he flies five school friends to Denver for a party. Soon after midnight, Darrent dies, and no one knows who killed him, or why.

"When Danger Is No Stranger" (Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): A 7-year-old cheerleader vanishes from plain sight at a small Kentucky town's biggest youth football game of the year. When she's found murdered, panic takes over, and every parent fears the worst kind of predator is among them.

"The Muck Bowl Murder" (Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): In 2008, someone guns down Pahokee High School's star football player, Norman "Pooh" Griffith, outside a homecoming dance in Belle Glade, Florida, home to Pahokee's biggest football rivals. The investigation reveals the ultimate betrayal.

"When Rules Don't Apply" (Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT): As coach Joe Paterno turns Penn State into a football powerhouse, a serial rapist from the team's ranks preys on multiple co-eds. When the justice system fails to put an end to his attacks, many wonder if Paterno's football machine protected him.

"A Killer's Bet" (Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT): A beloved high school football coach vanishes, baffling police. Then, they learn he ran a secret football betting ring among his friends, and a chain of clues leads cops to one of the gamblers who couldn't pay up.

"Devil Came to Dance" (Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT): When a popular teenage dancer suddenly disappears one day after practice, police have few leads until one of the dance team members reveals a man stalked her just days before her best friend's disappearance.



Season 3 of MURDER UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS debuted on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. Episodes for the new season include:

"Delaying Charges" (Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): When police find a former cheerleader burned to ashes in her car, they launch an investigation filled with rumors of town corruption and cover-ups; decades later, loved ones are still searching for an answer.

"A Homecoming Murder" (Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): The family of a high school cheerleader finds her murdered in her room the night after the homecoming dance; detectives surmise that she knew her killer, and because so many people are back in town for the big football game, everybody is a suspect.

"Winning at All Cost" (Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): The shooting of an East Texas football coach inside the high school fieldhouse triggers a lockdown in the middle of a school day. As police race to identify and track down an active shooter, they discover a community deeply divided by the coach's past.

"Twisted Teammate" (Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): The stabbing of a star punter coming home from class devastates the University of Northern Colorado football team; what seems like a random tragedy unfolds as a calculated takedown after the investigation exposes jealousy within the team.

"Killing a Champion" (Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): Drum major Robert Champion suddenly dies in the back of the Florida A&M marching band bus, mystifying authorities; an autopsy points to foul play, leading to an investigation that exposes a secret inside one of America's premiere marching bands.

"Stolen Cheers" (Wednesday, February 14, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): Teen Alicia DeBolt goes missing shortly after making the cheer squad; police question members of the football team and fellow cheerleaders, but the truth behind this mystery is more sinister than anyone in her small Kansas town could have imagined.

"Breaking Bonds" (Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): The Ybarra family wake to find their son Jacob and his best friend, Sabion, shot to death; as star football players for their high schools, the murders shatter two small Texas towns; the tragedy worsens when the community learns who the killer is.

"Final Whistle" (Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT): On Thanksgiving weekend, a gunshot kills a former high school football star turned referee on his doorstep in broad daylight; in the world of Texas football, police focus on the possibility that a disgruntled parent or fan followed him home.
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MURDER UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS returned for its fourth season on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. New episodes include:

"Guilt Will Get You" (Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT): Two football coaches, Paul Reagor and Jerry Bailey, vanish in a small Oklahoma town; their disappearance exposes racial tensions and reveals the high stakes surrounding high school football in the community.

"A Cheerleader's Reject" (Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT): Former cheerleader Valerie Zavala is invited to a party with high school football players and cheerleaders; she is found dead; investigators collect home video from the party to find clues to identify her killer.

"Monster Among Trolls" (Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT): Middle school cheer captain Tristyn Bailey is the future of Friday night lights at Creekside High; police investigating her disappearance have to navigate teenage rumors and gossip in their small Florida town to identify a monster in their midst.