Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students, claims his family was present during attorney-client discussions as he seeks to withdraw his plea. Newly released court documents reveal Kohberger's handwritten petition for post-conviction relief, alleging he was "convinced to falsely confess."
Kohberger asserts that his defense team failed to inform him of "exculpatory discovery" and misrepresented the realities of death row conditions. He claims one attorney fabricated a story about touring a death-row cell to pressure him into accepting the plea deal in exchange for prosecutors dropping the death penalty.
Kohberger's petition states that members of his immediate family were present during these discussions, and this information was used to pressure him into the plea. He communicated these claims in a message to The New York Times, stating that "justice was not served" and was "circumnavigated by a broken plea."
The author of a recent book on the case, "Broken Plea," Chris Whitcomb, stated he has never communicated with Kohberger or his family and has no information on whether they read the book. Kohberger's use of the book's title surprised Whitcomb.
On Wednesday, Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler granted Kohberger's request for court-appointed counsel, directing the Idaho State Public Defender to assign a new attorney for post-conviction proceedings. Kohberger's former defense team has been contacted for comment.