Bryan Kohberger Now Claims He's Innocent, Seeks to Withdraw Plea
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty a little over a year ago to killing four University of Idaho students, is now claiming he's innocent and has filed a petition seeking to withdraw his plea and reopen the case.
Kohberger, 31, currently serving four consecutive life sentences at an Idaho prison, told The New York Times in an interview that he filed a "petition for post conviction relief" Monday in Ada County District Court. It marks the first time he has spoken publicly outside a courtroom since his arrest in December 2022.
"My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn," Kohberger said in a statement to the Times. "Circumnavigated by a broken plea, the trial never provided the public the clarity conducive to closure, and justice shall remain abjectly miscarried unless that plea is withdrawn."
Kohberger declined to discuss specific aspects of the case, the evidence against him, or why he originally agreed to a plea deal if he maintains he's innocent. According to court documents, he is representing himself in the filing.
What the Petition Claims
A petition for post-conviction relief is a legal avenue used to challenge a conviction outside the standard appeals process. In his handwritten filing, Kohberger cited "ineffective assistance of counsel during criminal proceedings," alleging his defense team failed to disclose or review exculpatory evidence. He also claimed he was given a "gross misrepresentation" of what a life sentence and death row in Idaho would actually look like, and said he was influenced by "threats," "false promises" and incorrect information.
Kohberger even said in his statement that he would welcome prosecutors seeking the death penalty again if his plea were withdrawn. He closed his statement by writing, "Thank you to all who believe in my innocence and continue to critically analyze the case."
The office of Anne Taylor, one of Kohberger's attorneys at the time of his plea deal, declined to comment.
A Reversal From His Sentencing
Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in the November 2022 killings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, who were found stabbed to death inside a home in Moscow, Idaho. The plea deal spared him the death penalty.
During his change-of-plea hearing, Judge Steven Hippler asked Kohberger directly, "Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?" Kohberger answered, "Yes." He also told the court under oath that no one had coerced or promised him anything in exchange for the plea.
On July 23, 2025, Hippler sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with 10 years for the burglary charge and $270,000 in fines and civil penalties. As part of the plea agreement, Kohberger waived his right to appeal, though that waiver does not prevent him from filing a separate petition challenging the validity of the plea agreement itself.
Legal experts note that petitions like Kohberger's rarely succeed, and even fewer result in a conviction being vacated or overturned without new evidence being introduced.
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