Bryan Kohberger seeks to withdraw guilty plea in Idaho murders
Bryan Kohberger, convicted in the Idaho murders of four University of Idaho students, has asked a court to withdraw his guilty plea, alleging ineffective counsel and false promises. Experts say reversing a post-sentencing plea under Idaho’s “manifest injustice” rule is an uphill fight.
Just over a year after admitting guilt in open court, Kohberger filed for post-conviction relief, seeking to undo the deal that spared him the death penalty. The move renews attention on a case that shocked the nation after the November 2022 killings in Moscow, Idaho.
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Key Takeaways
- Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to killing Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen, then received life without parole.
- In a new filing, he claims his plea was not knowing or voluntary and was driven by unkept promises and alleged attorney threats.
- He told The New York Times that “actual innocence” is his truth and the plea “MUST be withdrawn.”
- Idaho law allows withdrawal after sentencing only to correct a “manifest injustice,” a high bar experts call hard to meet.
- He previously waived appeal rights and affirmed under oath that he was pleading guilty because he was guilty.
Why does Kohberger want out of his plea deal?
According to court papers cited by CNN, Kohberger argues he received ineffective assistance of counsel. He says his lawyers did not discuss evidence that could have supported innocence during plea talks and that they promised the plea did not have to be truthful despite his “vehement denial of actual guilt.”
He further alleges attorneys dangled privileges such as immediate contact visits, freedom of movement and employment, and shared “elaborate lies” about life in prison versus death row. The plea deal, entered about a month before jury selection, let him avoid Idaho’s death penalty.
Can he withdraw a guilty plea after sentencing?
Before sentencing, Idaho uses a more lenient “fair and just reason” standard. After a sentence is imposed, withdrawal is allowed only to correct a “manifest injustice,” University of Idaho law professor Samuel Newton told CNN.
That typically means showing the plea was involuntary, that he was not informed of the consequences, or that counsel was constitutionally ineffective. Because he waived appeal rights, he is pursuing a collateral post-conviction path rather than a standard appeal.
What do experts say about his chances?
Newton and CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson both describe the odds as steep. Kohberger signed a detailed plea questionnaire affirming he acted freely, admitted the elements of the crimes, and understood he might not later withdraw the plea.
Judge Steven Hippler also asked under oath whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty; Kohberger said yes. Sworn in-court answers, Newton noted, carry a strong presumption of truthfulness. Newton tells clients in similar situations that chances are “slim to none,” especially after a thorough plea colloquy.
Kohberger was sentenced in July 2025 to consecutive life terms without parole for the four Idaho murders. Whether a court finds “manifest injustice” will decide if the plea—and the finality families sought—stands.