The man sentenced to serve four consecutive terms of life in prison for the killing of four University of Idaho students wants to take back his guilty plea.
Bryan Kohberger told the New York Times that he was misled and offered "false promises" before agreeing to plead guilty to the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle.
A petition filed in Ada County Court on Monday confirmed Kohberger's effort to withdraw his guilty plea.
The New York Times said Kohberger told them of his efforts over the phone and provided a statement that he has an "absolutely claim of innocence."
Kohberger spoke by phone from the maximum-security prison in Kuna, Idaho where he has been serving his prison sentences.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to the killings in July of 2025, more than two years after the killings. His guilty plea and the terms of his agreement with prosecutors were considered in a public hearing by Ada County Judge Steven Hippler. Hippler signed off on the agreement after Kohberger confirmed that he was guilty of the crime and that he was properly represented.
Those statements by Kohberger after his attorneys reached the agreement with prosecutors pose an obstacle for his new efforts to retract his plea, but a reversal is possible if he can prove he was improperly represented or present new evidence.
A reversal of his guilty plea wouldn't guarantee him a better outcome. At the time when his plea agreement was announced, members of at least one of the families of the victims were outraged that the Latah County Prosecutor's Office accepted the deal that took the death penalty off the table.
This is a breaking news story. This article will be updated as we learn more