Bryan Kohberger's Former Attorneys Raised Concerns About His Understanding of Court Proceedings Before Guilty Plea

Former attorneys for Bryan Kohberger informed an Idaho judge before his guilty plea that their client had difficulty "rationally understanding" court proceedings and making "consequential decisions" regarding his defense, according to newly unsealed court filings.

Before Kohberger entered his guilty plea in the murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, his legal team had advised the court that he was struggling to comprehend adverse rulings and their impact on the case. The memo stated that despite significant rulings concerning the death penalty and suppression issues, Kohberger had difficulty incorporating these developments into a rational assessment of the case and its potential outcomes.

Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student, is now represented by attorney Greg Rauch. In the memo, filed under seal in support of a prior motion to disqualify the judge, Rauch stated his intention was not to prove Kohberger was incompetent but to support his argument that the judge might be biased.

Rauch wrote that prior to June 26, 2025, the court was aware that counsel was requesting additional time not only for evidence review and investigation but also to examine Kohberger's capacity to rationally understand and make decisions, and to obtain expert assistance in discussing the case resolution options with him.

Judge Steven Hippler ordered the memo unsealed on Tuesday, rejecting Kohberger's reasoning for keeping the document private. Hippler stated that the memo "simply describes in very general terms trial counsel's concerns about Petitioner's difficulty in comprehending adverse rulings and understanding their effect on the outcome of the case."

Kohberger's original defense team, led by Anne Taylor, had sought more time for discovery as his trial approached. According to the unsealed filing, they were also seeking assistance for Kohberger to understand the proceedings. The memo states that the court denied the requested additional time, concluding that Kohberger had not demonstrated good cause for a continuance or prejudice from proceeding to trial as scheduled.

Kohberger pleaded guilty to all charges in the murders of the four University of Idaho students in November 2022. He is currently seeking to withdraw his guilty plea through a petition for post-conviction relief. According to Rauch, within days of Kohberger's guilty plea, his former lawyers "expressly advised" the court of their concerns about his ability to rationally make the decision to plead guilty.

Rauch wrote that the sequence of events does not establish that the pleas were constitutionally invalid, but it does present a factual issue for the post-conviction relief court to resolve. The core question is whether trial counsel had sufficient time and assistance to ensure Kohberger rationally understood the circumstances and could meaningfully participate in the decision to resolve the case short of trial.