Report: Kohberger wants to abandon guilty plea in the Idaho student murders case
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The New York Times is reporting that Bryan Kohberger is seeking to abandon his guilty plea and now go to trial, claiming he is innocent.
In an interview with the New York Times, Kohberger explained that "My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, must be withdrawn." Kohberger did not offer any insight into what false promises or disinformation he was referring to, instead offering that those details would need to come out at trial.
Bryan Kohberger pled guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, in their off-campus home.
The NYT article details the evidence brought against Kohberger in the lead-up to trial, including the fact that he owned a white Hyundai Elantra like the one seen on security footage driving around the victim's home, or that his cell phone showed him leaving home before being turned off during the time of the murders. Kohberger's Amazon account showed he purchased a K-Bar knife and sheath a few months prior to the murders, and a matching K-Bar knife sheath was found at the scene of the crime, with his DNA on it.
Related: The knife sheath that brought down a killer | Gem State: The Idaho Student Murders Podcast
As part of Kohberger's plea deal, which allowed him to avoid the death penalty, he had to agree that he could not later appeal the decision. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said, speaking at a press conference after the sentencing hearing, that he made the decisions he did believing it was the best way to get justice for the victims, while avoiding unnecessary heartache and revictimization of their families through a long and drawn-out death penalty trial and the subsequent appeals process.
The NYT article reports that Kohberger drafted the claim to abandon the plea agreement himself, and says that it has been filed with the courts. The Idaho cases of interest page does not show any official filings as of publication. It is not yet clear whether Kohberger will be given a hearing, though the part of his plea agreement preventing him from appealing will likely be a difficult hurdle to overcome in the court system.
Attorney General Raúl Labrador released the following statement today after convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger filed a petition for post-conviction relief, seeking to reopen the case in the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
“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,” said Attorney General Labrador. “My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out.”