Bryan Kohberger, convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students, has been granted a new hearing as he seeks to withdraw his guilty plea. The 31-year-old is scheduled to appear in Ada County District Court next June for a status conference and evidentiary hearing.
Kohberger pleaded guilty in July to the November 13, 2022, murders of Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle. The plea agreement allowed him to avoid the death penalty, and he was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole. As part of the deal, he waived his right to appeal.
However, Kohberger filed a petition for post-conviction relief last month, asserting his actual innocence and claiming he was "advised to lie" by his legal counsel when he accepted the plea deal. If his petition is successful, it could allow him to withdraw his guilty plea and potentially send the case back to trial, which could reinstate the possibility of the death penalty.
Gregory Richard Rauch has been appointed as Kohberger's new defense attorney. Judge Steven Hippler will oversee the upcoming proceedings.
Kohberger's legal maneuver comes shortly before the release of a new three-part Netflix documentary series, "The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare." The series features interviews with family members of the victims, including Kaylee Goncalves's parents, Steve and Kristi Goncalves, and her sister, Alivea.
Members of the victims' families have expressed their anguish and frustration over Kohberger's latest legal action. Alivea Goncalves, who previously confronted Kohberger in court, stated that she wants him "no longer breathing on this earth." She described his attempt to withdraw his plea as a way to "revictimize their victims."
Steve Goncalves has also voiced his desire for the case to have gone to trial, arguing that life sentences are not a sufficient penalty. Kaylee's youngest sister, Aubrie Goncalves, who was 16 at the time of the murders, shared her anger on social media, stating that Kohberger's filings force families to relive their worst days.
"Why should the person convicted of taking their voices continue to have one?" Aubrie Goncalves wrote. "This isn't a Netflix documentary. This isn't a conspiracy theory. This isn't entertainment. This is my life. These were real people."