Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of killing four University of Idaho students, is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea and reopen his case, claiming he was pressured into admitting to the murders and was given misleading information about the consequences of his plea.

In a post-conviction petition filed in Idaho on Monday, Kohberger argued that his guilty plea was the result of alleged “threats,” “false promises” and misinformation. He also accused his former defense attorneys of providing ineffective assistance and failing to disclose or properly review evidence that he says could have supported his innocence.

Kohberger further claimed in a handwritten filing that he was given what he described as a serious misrepresentation of what a life sentence and death row in Idaho would involve.

Kohberger had previously pleaded not guilty before agreeing to a plea deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty. He ultimately pleaded guilty to killing Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Madison Mogen, 21, who were fatally stabbed in the early hours of November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho.

During his plea hearing, Kohberger publicly admitted to the four killings. Judge Steven Hippler asked whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty, and Kohberger answered, “Yes.”

He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As part of the plea agreement, Kohberger waived his right to appeal. However, court filings say that waiver does not prevent him from challenging the validity of the plea itself through a post-conviction proceeding.

“My actual innocence is my truth,” Kohberger said in a statement provided to The New York Times, arguing that his plea was based on what he described as false promises and misinformation.

The filing has drawn a strong response from the family of Kaylee Goncalves. In a statement posted on Facebook, her family criticized Kohberger for seeking to revisit the case after previously admitting guilt and said they were prepared to see the case proceed to trial if his plea is withdrawn.

The family also said it believed Kohberger could face the death penalty if a new trial were to take place, although the outcome would ultimately depend on future court proceedings and applicable law.

Kohberger, who was a criminology PhD student at Washington State University, was charged with killing the four students in January 2023. He was arrested in Pennsylvania more than a month after the killings, which shocked the small college community of Moscow and drew national attention.

Investigators previously cited forensic evidence linking Kohberger to the case. Among the evidence prosecutors said connected him to the killings was DNA recovered from a knife sheath found on a bed near Mogen. Investigators determined that the DNA profile belonged to a male and later linked it to Kohberger through investigative genetic genealogy.

Before the case was resolved through the plea agreement, Kohberger’s defense team had maintained that he was driving alone on the night of the killings. The proceedings were delayed multiple times, including because of a change of venue, before Kohberger ultimately pleaded guilty.

Kohberger’s former attorney Anne Taylor declined to comment on the new filing. The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office also declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said his office was prepared to take whatever steps were necessary in response to the new legal challenge and expressed sympathy for the victims’ families.

Kohberger’s latest petition could now lead to further court proceedings over whether his guilty plea was valid. Any decision on whether the case can be reopened will be determined by the court.

SOURCE: CNN, Cindy Von Quednow, updated July 28, 2026.