Bryan Kohberger, convicted for the November 13, 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, has filed to withdraw his guilty plea and seek post-conviction relief in Ada County District Court as of July 27, 2026 [1].
Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole plus 10 years after pleading guilty in July 2025. As part of that plea deal, he waived his right to appeal [1, 2]. He now claims the plea was secured under "false promises and blatant disinformation" and that he received poor legal advice. "My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn," Kohberger said [1].
The victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen—were found stabbed multiple times in their off-campus University of Idaho residence. Goncalves also showed signs of asphyxiation and blunt force trauma [1]. No clear motive was presented by Kohberger at trial or since [3, 1].
The prosecution presented strong evidence linking Kohberger, a criminology doctoral student at Washington State University, to the crime. This included DNA evidence on a knife sheath and surveillance footage showing a vehicle matching his at the scene [3, 1].
The family of victim Kaylee Goncalves criticized Kohberger's attempt to withdraw his plea, calling him a "narcissist" who waited until after pleading guilty to claim innocence. They noted, "He chose not to leave his fate—or the facts of the case—to a jury. He never cried foul, never claimed he was uninformed or pressured, and never suggested there were problems with the discovery materials he and his counsel had reviewed for two years that should have been challenged" [3].
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador expressed sympathy for the victims' families, pledging his office will take all necessary steps to ensure justice is served. "My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out," he said [3].
Kohberger currently represents himself in his effort to challenge the guilty plea and the convictions [1]. The court must now review his request to determine whether his plea withdrawal will be allowed.
