Why did Bryan Kohberger do it remains unanswered, and now he is trying to undo the guilty plea that sent him to four consecutive terms of life in prison. He told that he is taking back the plea in the Idaho student murders case.
That reversal attempt puts the focus back on the four murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen. The plea had ended the case last year, after the killings in November 2022.
Kohberger and the plea deal
Kohberger said his plea rested on “false promises and blatant disinformation.” He also said he was offering prosecutors another chance to file for the death penalty if they wanted to.
The plea had spared the case a trial and led to four consecutive terms of life in prison. Kohberger had pleaded guilty after the killings of the four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home on 13 November 2022.
Kirsti Goncalves responds
Kirsti Goncalves called him “A narcissist” after learning that he was challenging the conviction. In the family statement, she said, “He chose not to leave his fate - or the facts of the case - to a jury,” and added, “He never cried foul, never claimed he was uninformed or pressured, and never suggested there were problems with the discovery materials he and his counsel had reviewed for two years that should have been challenged.”
The family’s response puts the record of the plea hearing at the center of the dispute. Kohberger now says the plea should come back off the table; the family says he had years to raise concerns and did not.
Idaho Attorney General response
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said his office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out. He also said the family had “already endured unimaginable loss and now must face today's deeply painful news” and added, “My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out.”
Sam Newton, an associate professor at University of Idaho College of Law, said Kohberger told the judge under oath at the plea hearing that he understood the deal, was acting voluntarily, and was pleading guilty because he was guilty. That leaves the attempt to withdraw the plea facing his own sworn statements as well as the sentence already imposed.
Moscow after the killings
The killings shocked the student town of Moscow and drew national headlines for almost two months before Kohberger was arrested. Investigators were unable to link him to the victims, although they presented evidence that put him at the scene of the crime.
He never shared a motive with the court. For the families of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen, the next fight is over whether that guilty plea can be pulled back at all.
