MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / REALITY TV

Dateline kicks off Season 34 with Colorado mom’s stalking murder case that turned ‘everything upside down’

Months of stalking, chilling texts, and a Colorado mom’s shocking end set the stage for ‘Dateline’s’ 3,000th episode.

NBC’s ‘Dateline’ has launched its 34th season with a story as unsettling as it is heartbreaking. The long-running true-crime series dedicated its milestone 3,000th episode to the disturbing case of Colorado mother Kristil Krug. She endured months of terrifying harassment before her tragic murder in 2023, according to NBC4. The two-hour special, titled ‘The Phantom,’ premiered Friday, September 26, at 9/8c on NBC. Veteran correspondent Josh Mankiewicz leads viewers through the investigation that began with an apparent straightforward suspect. But, it soon unraveled into a far more twisted and elaborate scheme that turned “everything upside down.”

Kristil, an engineer and mother from Broomfield, Colorado, had her life upended in early 2023 when she began receiving vulgar text messages and explicit images from an unknown sender. According to footage featured in the episode, she confided to police that the harassment felt unlike anything she had ever faced. “I have never dealt with, like, this kind of level, adding like a, online version,” she told a Broomfield detective during her initial report. Determined to fight back, Kristil used her analytical skills to document every message in what she called her “stalker log.” The log, later reviewed by investigators, meticulously recorded times, dates, and potential leads.

But the situation escalated quickly. The anonymous messages began referencing her husband, Dan Krug, and hinted at a dangerous obsession. One chilling text read: “I’ll get rid of him and then we can be together. So easy.” Both Kristil and Dan were rattled, with Martinez noting that Dan appeared “just as spooked as his wife” while the harassment intensified. In December 2023, Kristil’s nightmare reached its devastating conclusion when she was found dead. What followed was an investigation filled with unexpected twists, shocking revelations, and a hunt for the truth that challenged even seasoned detectives.

“Someone was watching this family,” Mankiewicz teases in the preview. “The investigation that followed would confound everyone.” For viewers who missed the network premiere, ‘Dateline: The Phantom’ will also be available to stream on Peacock Premium. Now in its 34th season, ‘Dateline’ remains NBC’s longest-running primetime newsmagazine, as per Oxygen True Crime. Anchored by Lester Holt, the series continues to feature some of television’s most respected correspondents, including Andrea Canning, Blayne Alexander, Keith Morrison, Dennis Murphy, and Mankiewicz himself.