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Bryan Kohberger, serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of four University of Idaho students, now says he wants his guilty plea thrown out and the case reopened.
In a statement to The New York Times from prison, Kohberger declared: "My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn." He added that he welcomes prosecutors to pursue the death penalty again if the case goes to trial.
The reversal comes a year after Kohberger admitted in court to killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in a November 2022 home invasion. At the time, he told the judge he was pleading guilty "because I am guilty."
Kohberger now argues that his plea was the product of bad counsel and misinformation. He has filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which under Idaho law allows a plea to be withdrawn to "correct manifest injustice." He says he prepared the petition himself and will seek a court-appointed attorney.
The evidence presented against him included DNA on a knife sheath, surveillance footage of his car near the crime scene, and cellphone data tracking his movements the night of the killings. Prosecutors also used genetic genealogy to identify him as a suspect before his arrest in December 2022.
As part of his plea deal in July 2025, Kohberger waived his right to appeal. He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole, plus an additional 10 years.
In his new statement, Kohberger called the authorities' version of events "a work of fiction" and said justice had been "circumnavigated by a broken plea." He insists only a trial can provide closure.
The case may now face another chapter if the court agrees to reopen proceedings.
