Bryan Kohberger petitions to withdraw guilty plea in U of I murders

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Bryan Kohberger, the man serving a life sentence for the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, is now pushing to withdraw his guilty plea and reopen the case.

In an interview and exclusive statement provided to The New York Times, 31-year-old Kohberger maintained his innocence, saying the guilty plea "hinged on false promises and blatant disinformation" and "must be withdrawn."

"I hereby declare my intention to enter a not guilty plea, and welcome to the state the opportunity to prove their case at trial, as well as to, again, file the death penalty," wrote Kohberger. "My actual innocence is my truth..."

Kohberger was charged in the November 2022 early-morning home invasion that claimed the lives of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The brutal killings in Moscow, Idaho, sent shockwaves through the small college town and captured national attention.

At the time of the killings, Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, located just a short drive from Moscow. Authorities arrested Kohberger over a month after the murders, on December 30, 2022, in his home state of Pennsylvania.

In June 2025, Kohberger pleaded guilty in a bid to avoid the death penalty.

His statement to the Times comes less than a year after reports detailed his difficult transition to prison life. In August 2025, just one day after arriving at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Kohberger petitioned the Idaho Department of Correction for a transfer, claiming harassment by fellow inmates.

The high-profile prosecution has already carried a steep price tag. According to reports by the Idaho Statesman, the case has cost taxpayers over $8 million, with nearly $5.5 million spent on Kohberger's public defense team.

Attorney General Raúl Labrador Responds

Following Kohberger's petition for post-conviction relief, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador issued a statement addressing the developments.

“My heart goes out to the families of Madison, Kaylee, Xana, and Ethan, who have already endured unimaginable loss and now must face today’s deeply painful news,” Labrador said. “My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out.”