Bryan Kohberger Sets New Court Dates as He Seeks to Withdraw Guilty Plea and Replace Judge

Bryan Kohberger’s effort to withdraw his guilty plea in the murders of four University of Idaho students is moving forward with several important court dates now on the calendar.

The first is October 15, 2026, when the court is scheduled to hear arguments over Kohberger’s request to remove Judge Steven Hippler from the post-conviction proceedings. Kohberger’s new attorneys argue that comments Hippler made during the case and at sentencing could raise concerns about whether he should continue overseeing the proceedings.

Kohberger’s legal team has also asked for the case to be transferred from Ada County back to Latah County, where the November 2022 killings occurred. The criminal case was previously moved to Ada County because of intense publicity and concerns about selecting an impartial jury. His attorneys now argue that those concerns do not apply in the same way to the post-conviction proceedings.

Additional dates have been scheduled for 2027. A status conference is set for June 3, 2027, followed by a June 17, 2027 date reserved for a potential evidentiary hearing. The June hearing is not an indication that the court has granted Kohberger’s request to withdraw his guilty plea. Rather, it provides a date if the judge determines that an evidentiary hearing is necessary.

Kohberger is seeking to undo his guilty plea and obtain an opportunity for a new trial. In his filings, he has alleged that his former defense attorneys pressured him into pleading guilty, gave him misleading information and failed to adequately consider evidence he believes could have supported his defense. These are Kohberger’s allegations and have not been established as findings by the court.

His claims represent a significant change from the position he took when he entered his plea. In July 2025, Kohberger pleaded guilty to murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. As part of the agreement, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty, and Kohberger received four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Kohberger has since challenged the circumstances surrounding that plea through a post-conviction petition. Prosecutors have argued that his request should be dismissed, pointing to his previous admissions and the terms of his plea agreement. The court has not yet ruled that Kohberger is entitled to withdraw his plea or receive a new trial.

On September 17, Kohberger’s family publicly expressed support for his legal efforts, saying they want the proceedings to address questions they believe remain unresolved.

For now, the case remains in the post-conviction stage. The October hearing could determine whether Judge Hippler will continue overseeing the matter, while the June 2027 dates provide a potential framework for examining Kohberger’s claims if the court allows the case to proceed that far.

Source: NY Post