Bryan Kohberger, convicted 13 months ago for the murders of four University of Idaho students, has won the right to a new trial after filing a handwritten petition last week seeking to withdraw his guilty plea. Kohberger alleges that his defense attorneys misled him into pleading guilty by fabricating stories about death row and advising him to lie, promising a "legal victory" through a false plea.

Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler granted Kohberger's request for new court-appointed counsel days after the petition was filed. Last summer, Hippler had questioned Kohberger in court to ensure his plea was voluntary and that he committed the crimes, to which Kohberger responded affirmatively.

Kohberger further claims his attorneys failed to disclose "exculpatory discovery," citing a recent book, Broken Plea, which alleges chain-of-custody issues with the 7-inch knife used in the murders and left at the crime scene.

Currently serving four consecutive life terms in segregation at Idaho’s maximum security prison south of Boise, Kohberger told the New York Times he was breaking his silence because "a lot went wrong in those plea discussions."

The legal path Kohberger is pursuing is not an appeal of his conviction—he waived that right as part of his plea deal—but a civil petition for post-conviction relief that could lead to a new trial. Such a trial could fulfill the wishes of the victims' families, who had hoped to see Kohberger convicted by a jury and sentenced to death.

The four victims were Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen, murdered in November 2022. Kohberger’s case continues to raise questions about the plea process and the handling of evidence.

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