Bryan Kohberger files petition to withdraw guilty plea

Bryan Kohberger, the man who pleaded guilty last year to the murders of four University of Idaho students, has filed a petition to withdraw his plea and seek a new trial, declaring his innocence for the first time publicly. In a statement and interview with The New York Times, the 31-year-old, currently serving four consecutive life sentences, claimed his 2025 guilty plea was based on "false promises" and "blatant disinformation."

Kohberger's handwritten petition for post-conviction relief was posted to Idaho's court records website on July 27, 2026. In it, he seeks to reopen his case and have an attorney appointed. He told the Times he prepared the petition himself, stating, "My actual innocence is my truth," and insisted his plea "MUST be withdrawn." He also said he welcomed prosecutors seeking the death penalty if his case goes to trial.

This marks a stark reversal from July 2025, when Kohberger appeared in Ada County Court before Judge Steven Hippler. At that change-of-plea hearing, the judge asked Kohberger directly if he was pleading guilty because he was guilty of the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. Kohberger answered, "Yes."...