More than a year after admitting in court that he was guilty of k#lling four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger is now attempting to undo the guilty plea that resulted in four consecutive life sentences.

Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the mu#ders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, who were k#lled in November 2022. The plea agreement removed the possibility of the d#ath penalty, and he was ultimately sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole, plus an additional sentence for burglary.

OHBERGER NOW CLAIMS HE WAS PRESSURED

In a handwritten post-conviction peтιтion filed this summer, Kohberger asked the court to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea and pursue a trial.

He now claims that his defense attorneys pressured or misled him into accepting the plea and that evidence potentially favorable to his defense was not properly disclosed or reviewed.

Kohberger has also ᴀsserted that he is actually innocent, writing that his “actual innocence is my truth.” Those are his current claims and have not been established as facts by a court.

That position stands in sharp contrast with what happened during his 2025 plea hearing.

When Judge Steven Hippler asked whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty, Kohberger answered “Yes.” He also confirmed that he was entering the plea freely and voluntarily.

HIS FAMILY SAYS THEY “SEEK ANSWERS”

Now Kohberger’s family has publicly addressed his legal challenge.

In a statement released through their attorney, the family said they fully support his decision to pursue post-conviction relief while stressing that their position is not intended to disregard the suffering experienced by the victims’ families.

The family said it wants the “complete and unvarnished truth” to emerge and added that, like everyone else, they are seeking answers to the questions raised by the case. They also said they continue to remember the victims, their families and the Moscow community.

THE GONCALVES FAMILY PUSHES BACK

The Goncalves family has responded sharply to Kohberger’s attempt to challenge his conviction.

Their position is that Kohberger previously accepted the plea agreement that removed the possibility of the d#ath penalty and chose not to take the case to a jury. They have questioned why he is now attempting to reverse that decision after receiving four consecutive life sentences.

Reports also indicate that the family has expressed confidence in confronting whatever comes next in the legal process.

THE CASE IS FAR FROM BEING OVERTURNED

Despite the renewed attention, Kohberger’s peтιтion does not automatically erase his conviction or return the case to trial.

Under Idaho law, withdrawing a guilty plea after sentencing requires the defendant to meet a demanding legal standard. The court must determine whether there was a serious legal problem, such as an involuntary plea or another consтιтutional error, sufficient to establish what Idaho law describes as “manifest injustice.”

An Idaho judge has already established a procedural timeline for reviewing Kohberger’s claims. A potential evidentiary hearing has been placed on the calendar for June 2027, although that hearing would depend on whether the court determines that one is warranted.

For now, Kohberger remains in custody serving four consecutive life sentences.

His attempt to withdraw the plea has reopened one of the most closely watched criminal cases in the United States — but whether his claims can actually overcome the guilty plea he entered in open court remains for the legal process to decide.

Source: ABC News — Bryan Kohberger’s family statement | AP News — Kohberger’s plea challenge | CBS News — Kohberger challenges conviction