A man sentenced to life in prison for the murder of four University of Idaho students has filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea.
In a letter to the court, Bryan Kohberger claimed he was “convinced to falsely confess” to the 2022 killings.
The 31-year-old told The New York Times his plea “MUST be withdrawn.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Bryan Kohberger was accused of breaking into the home of six University of Idaho students in November 2022.
Four people – Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – were murdered in the attack.
Two others survived.
Kohberger was charged with murder the following month.
In June 2023, prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty.
Kohberger pleaded guilty in 2025.
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He was handed four life sentences but spared from the death penalty in exchange for his plea.
Latest
This week, Kohberger filed a handwritten petition with an Idaho court, seeking to overturn his guilty plea.
In the filing, obtained by People, Kohberger said he was “convinced to falsely confess to capital murder, and felony burglary”.
He claims he was manipulated through “coercion, disinformation, false promises, and withholding of exculpatory discovery”.
Exculpatory evidence is evidence that could help prove a defendant's innocence.
“My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn,” Kohberger said in a statement sent to The New York Times.
Response
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador responded to the filing in a statement on social media, saying: “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.”
“My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out,” he added.
