Erin Moriarty

Thanks for listening.

Before we begin, just a trigger warning.

The following episode does include mentions of graphic physical violence and suicide, so please listen with care.

On June 17th, 2013, almost two months after Chip Northup and Claudia Maupin were found dead inside the safety of their bedroom, investigators asked the police officer who worked at Daniel Marsh's school to bring the teenager into the station.

Daniel would be questioned alone.

Even though he had just turned 16, California law states that minors can be questioned without parents present if law enforcement has reasonable belief that they were involved in a crime.

At no point did Daniel request his parents' presence.

When the officer read him his Miranda rights, Daniel waived his right to an attorney.

And then Detective Ariel Panetta began the interview.

Daniel was a little scruffy with long blonde hair, thin and wiry.

He looked like a regular teenager, a little jittery and awkward.

Officer Panetta told Daniel why they had asked him to come to the station.

But instead of questioning Daniel about the murders, Detective Panetta started with the basics.

School, friends, family.

Daniel told the detective that his life was stressful.

He was telling Detective Panetta about his parents' divorce.

Daniel told the detective that within a week after the murders, his father had moved out of the neighborhood.

That was the perfect opening for Panetta.

But as law enforcement officers questioned Daniel over the next five hours, they learned he knew quite a bit more than that.

I'm 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty, and this is 15 Inside the Daniel Marsh Murders.