Bryan Kohberger seeks to withdraw guilty plea in Idaho murder case
Bryan Kohberger, accused in the quadruple murder of University of Idaho students, is attempting to withdraw his previous guilty plea. Kohberger’s post-conviction petition alleges ineffective assistance of counsel, coercion, disinformation, and false promises, seeking a new trial. Victims’ families, including Kaylee Goncalves’ mother, expressed disappointment but noted they were not surprised by this latest legal maneuver.
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Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea in a bid for a trial, but the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves says they’re ready if he gets his wish.
“We knew we’d be hearing from him again, and September was coming up and that would be the end of his appeal, so we weren’t really shocked,” Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee’s mother, said Monday.
Speaking with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Goncalves said her family has remained confident in the overwhelming evidence against Kohberger and would welcome the opportunity to present the case before a jury.
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Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, on July 23, 2025, for sentencing in the University of Idaho murders case, where prosecutors relied heavily on cellphone location data and digital evidence. (Photo by Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images)
“Honestly, either way this goes, whether the judge dismisses it right out the gate, fantastic, or if we wind up in court, we still feel like we wanted to go [to trial] in the first place,” she said.
“We are very confident in the evidence in this case and, hopefully, if we do go to trial this time, he will be convicted and sentenced to death.”
Kohberger, 31, pleaded guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students last year and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences.
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Kristi Goncalves arrives to Latah County Court on Monday, May 22, 2023. The mother of slain University of Idaho student, Kaylee Goncalves was present for the arraignment of Bryan Kohberger who later pled guilty to the murder of Kaylee and three of her roommates. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Court records show that he filed a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief Monday. In the petition, Kohberger argued that he was “convinced to falsely confess,” claiming his high-profile defense team of Anne Taylor, Elisa Massoth and Bicka Barlow didn’t tell him about “exculpatory discovery” — evidence mentioned in the recent “Broken Plea” book but never vetted in court.
The news circulated after Kohberger called a New York Times reporter and claimed that he has an “absolute claim of innocence.”
Reacting to the petition, former prosecutor and “Crime Stories” host Nancy Grace said Kohberger’s effort to undo his plea deal should be met with exactly what he is asking for.
“Bring it on,” Grace said on “Hannity.”
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“I agree with one thing Bryan Kohberger said in his self-styled petition. He says justice was not served. And amen, brother. It was not served because he needs the death penalty.”
Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.