Court hearings set for Bryan Kohberger’s bid to withdraw guilty plea

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Bryan Kohberger will get two court hearings next year as he seeks an effort to withdraw his guilty plea. The plea led to his conviction in the University of Idaho student murders.

Judge Steven Hippler has scheduled a status conference for June 3, 2027, and an evidentiary hearing for June 17, 2027. Prosecutors had asked the court to dismiss Kohberger's post-conviction relief petition without holding a hearing, according to a report from Fox News.

Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the killings of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. The plea agreement spared him from a possible death sentence and resulted in four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 10 years.

Kohberger filed a handwritten petition in July 2026 seeking post-conviction relief and claiming he was persuaded to falsely confess to the crimes. He also alleged that his former attorneys failed to inform him about potentially exculpatory evidence related to hair recovered at the crime scene.

Investigators previously said DNA recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene linked Kohberger to the killings. Authorities also cited cellphone and vehicle evidence they said connected him to the area around the time of the November 2022 murders.

Fox News reported that Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said after the petition was filed that his office was "ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out."

Although Kohberger waived his right to appeal as part of his plea agreement, Idaho law still allows him to pursue post-conviction relief, a process that could potentially lead to additional court proceedings.