Kohberger Granted New Hearing to Withdraw Plea

Bryan Kohberger, convicted in the 2022 off-campus killings of four Idaho students, is pursuing post-conviction relief and seeks to withdraw his July 2025 guilty pleas that spared him the death penalty and resulted in four life sentences without parole. A judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for June 17, 2027, and a status conference for June 3, 2027, as part of a petition alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and involuntary plea. Kohberger claims his former attorneys coerced him, made unkept promises, and failed to disclose exculpatory evidence, including hair found at the scene that allegedly wasn’t properly tested. Prosecutors have asked for the petition to be dismissed without a hearing, while Kohberger is represented by a new defense attorney in this civil petition process. The case notes that while this is not an appeal and could not reinstate the death penalty, new evidence or missteps by counsel could potentially alter the conviction. Kohberger maintains his innocence and contends he was pressured into a false confession by his prior defense team.