Bryan Kohberger Files Post-Conviction Petition Seeking to Withdraw Guilty Plea in University of Idaho Murders

Boise, Idaho — One year after pleading guilty and receiving four consecutive life sentences for the 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger has formally moved to withdraw his plea and challenge his conviction.

Court records filed Monday, July 27, 2026, in Ada County District Court show Kohberger initiated a new post-conviction relief case (Case No. CV01-26-15094) under Idaho’s Uniform Post-Conviction Procedure Act. The petition lists Kohberger as the petitioner proceeding pro se (self-represented) against the State of Idaho. Judge Steven Hippler, who presided over the original criminal proceedings, is assigned to the case.Key Filings on July 27, 2026

• Petition for Post-Conviction Relief
• Motion and Affidavit in Support of Appointment of Counsel
• Motion for Permission to Proceed on Partial Payment of Court Fees (prisoner)
• Civil Case Information Sheet and Certificate of Mailing

The case status is listed as “Active - Pending.” Kohberger is seeking court-appointed counsel.Kohberger’s Full Public StatementIn his first public comments outside the courtroom, Kohberger provided the following statement to The New York Times (via family) and spoke by phone from prison. Dated July 26, 2026, it reads in full:

“Over a year later, it is self-evident that, in State v. Kohberger, justice was not served; unanswered questions seem to multiply with each piece of discovery unsealed, and the public demands the truth. Unfortunately, the truth shall never be derived from the State’s myopic narrative, a work of fiction which has yet to evolve since the PCA was released nearly 4 years ago, and its faulty premises were never challenged at trial. Circumnavigated by a broken plea, the trial never provided the public the clarity conducive to closure, and justice shall remain abjectly miscarried unless that plea is withdrawn. I hereby declare my intention to enter a not guilty plea, and welcome the State the opportunity to prove their case at trial, as well as to, again, file for the death penalty. My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn. Thank you for all who believe in my innocence and continue to critically analyze the case. I send my love to my family, who have never wavered in their belief in who I am, their belief in my innocence.”

Background on the Plea DealKohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, plus burglary. In exchange for avoiding the death penalty, he accepted four consecutive life sentences without parole and waived his direct appeal rights. He was sentenced on July 23, 2025.Legal Path ForwardUnder Idaho law, post-conviction relief remains available even after waiving direct appeals, often on grounds such as ineffective assistance of counsel, which sources say Kohberger intends to argue. Courts may set aside a conviction and allow plea withdrawal only to correct “manifest injustice.” Success is considered rare, especially after a plea entered more than a year ago.

If the petition succeeds, the original plea deal would likely be voided, potentially returning the death penalty to the table and requiring a full retrial. The Idaho Attorney General’s office has indicated it will vigorously defend the conviction.

The filings come just before the typical deadline for such petitions and mark a significant reversal for Kohberger, who remained largely silent during his sentencing.

This is a developing story. Further details from Kohberger’s petition are expected to emerge as the case proceeds.

© Written by: M. Weber

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