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In July of 2025, Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students.
The move enabled Kohberger to avoid the death penalty, but according to court documents filed on Monday, the 31-year-old former PhD student is now attempting to withdraw his plea.
Kohberger filed a handwritten petition seeking post-conviction relief, claiming he is innocent and alleging he was pressured into accepting a plea deal through “false promises and blatant disinformation.”
He argues his attorneys misled him about the strength of the evidence against him and the consequences of going to trial.
The filing comes one year after Kohberger pleaded guilty to the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, as well as one count of burglary.
He was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
According to legal experts interviewed by CNN, overturning that plea will be an uphill battle.
Under Idaho law, defendants seeking to withdraw a guilty plea after sentencing generally must show that allowing the conviction to stand would result in a “manifest injustice,” a high legal standard that is rarely met.
Claims of innocence or second thoughts alone are typically insufficient.
Experts also note that judges carefully question defendants before accepting guilty pleas, asking whether anyone has threatened or coerced them and confirming they understand the agreement. Kohberger told the court his plea was voluntary, making it more difficult to argue otherwise now.
In his petition, Kohberger also alleges his attorneys withheld information that could have helped his defense, including evidence involving unidentified hair recovered during the investigation. He further claims he was told that whether he was actually guilty was irrelevant so long as he accepted the plea deal.
Those allegations have not been substantiated in court, and prosecutors have not yet publicly responded to the filing.
The latest challenge has reopened painful memories for the victims’ families, many of whom believed the case had reached its conclusion after Kohberger’s sentencing.
For now, Kohberger remains in prison serving four life sentences without parole while the court decides whether his petition raises sufficient legal grounds to move forward. Although post-conviction challenges are common, experts say successfully overturning a guilty plea after sentencing is exceptionally rare.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
