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Bryan Kohberger, who was convicted of killing four University of Idaho students, has submitted a sexual harassment complaint and asked to be moved from J-Block at Idaho Maximum Security Institution, citing threats and harassment from other inmates. Kohberger, sentenced last month to four consecutive life terms without parole for the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, made the request in handwritten notes dated July 30 and August 4.
In the documents obtained by People, Kohberger described facing "minute-by-minute verbal threats/harassment" and said he wished to leave J-Block "not engaging in any of the recent flooding/striking as well as being subject to minute-by-minute verbal threats/harassment and on that and other bases [sic] Unit 2 of J-Block is an environment that I wish to transfer from."
Kohberger's complaints detail inmates directing crude sexual taunts at him, including one who allegedly threatened, "I'll b*** f*** you," and another remarking, "The only a– we'll be eating is Kohberger's." A guard corroborated that vulgar language had been used toward Kohberger but could not identify the responsible inmates. Despite these reports, prison officials denied his transfer request, describing J-Block as a "generally calm unit" and stating that Kohberger "feels safe to remain on tier 2."
J-Block, which accommodates up to 128 inmates, houses a mix of general population prisoners, individuals in protective custody, those in long-term restrictive isolation, and inmates on death row. Long-term prisoners are typically kept in separate cells, moved in restraints, allowed only one hour of outdoor time daily, and can shower only every other day.
Kohberger's complaints extend to disruptions through cell vents, with some inmates reportedly shouting through them for extended periods. Chris McDonough, a retired homicide detective, said, "It's driving him crazy. The inmates are tormenting him at night and almost all hours of the day — taunting him through the vents in his cell." McDonough added that Kohberger's high-profile case makes him a target for inmates seeking notoriety.
Kohberger, who had been pursuing a criminology Ph.D. at Washington State University, was taken into custody weeks following the November 2022 killings at his parents' residence in Pennsylvania. Investigators connected him to the murders using DNA evidence, surveillance video, and cell phone data. His guilty plea spared him from the death penalty, despite objections from some victims' family members who had pushed for capital punishment.
