Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty last year to the murders of four University of Idaho students, is seeking to overturn his conviction and withdraw his plea, according to court documents filed on Monday. Kohberger filed a petition for post-conviction relief with the Ada County District Court and is currently representing himself on the docket.
Bryan Kohberger Files Post-Conviction Petition to Withdraw Guilty Plea
In statements sent from prison to bbc.co.uk, Kohberger protested his innocence and blamed his earlier decision on false promises and blatant disinformation
. His statement declared, My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn,
while offering prosecutors another chance to pursue the death penalty if they choose (BBC News, WCVB).
Background on the 2022 Murders and 2025 Plea Deal
The case stems from the November 13, 2022, stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students—roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin—at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho (BBC News, abc7news.com, WCVB). The shocking crime made national headlines for nearly two months before the arrest of Kohberger, who was a criminology doctorate student at nearby Washington State University (BBC News).
Investigators presented compelling evidence placing Kohberger at the scene, including DNA from a knife sheath left at the crime scene that was a statistical match, and cell phone records showing his phone near the victims’ house late at night or early in the morning on at least 12 occasions prior to the killings.
Weeks before his trial was set to start, Kohberger entered a guilty plea in July 2025 to take the death penalty off the table. He received four consecutive terms of life in prison for the first-degree murder counts, plus an additional 10 years for a burglary count (BBC News, abc7news.com). A motive was never shared with the court (BBC News).
Victims’ Families and Legal Experts Respond
The family of victim Kaylee Goncalves strongly criticized Kohberger’s new legal maneuver in a public statement, calling him a “narcissist” who chose to avoid a jury trial (BBC News).
We would have preferred a death-penalty trial; we believe fully in the evidence,
the Goncalves family said in their statement. Instead, [Kohberger] received exactly what he asked for: a deal that spared his life. Know this — he hates that life. He wants another chance to roll the dice.
The family added that a court hearing would grant Kohberger a welcome break from solitary confinement and put the spotlight back on him.
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador also addressed the development, stating that his office stands ready to ensure justice is fully carried out while offering support to the victims’ families as they face deeply painful news (BBC News, abc7news.com). Meanwhile, legal experts note that overturning the plea presents a major hurdle (BBC News). Sam Newton, an associate professor at the University of Idaho College of Law, noted that Kohberger stated under oath during his plea hearing that he understood the agreement, acted voluntarily, and pleaded guilty because he was guilty (BBC News).
That’s a real problem, since courts don’t take kindly to walking a voluntary plea back without hard proof that something went seriously wrong behind the scenes,
Newton told BBC News.
Legal representatives for Kohberger, including the office of attorney Anne Taylor, declined to comment, while the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office cited pending litigation in declining to comment.
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