Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty last year to the murders of four University of Idaho students, is attempting to challenge his conviction. He filed a petition for post-conviction relief on Monday in the Ada County District Court and is currently representing himself, according to court documents.
Moses Lake, Washington resident Kohberger was arrested in connection with the 2022 stabbing deaths of students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Authorities stated that DNA from a knife sheath found at the crime scene was a statistical match to Kohberger. Court documents also indicated that Kohberger's phone was near the victims' residence at least 12 times prior to the murders, with most of these instances occurring late at night or in the early morning.
In July 2025, weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin, Kohberger entered a guilty plea to all charges. This plea agreement resulted in the death penalty being removed as a potential sentence. He was subsequently sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the four first-degree murder counts, along with an additional 10-year sentence for the burglary charge.
At the time of the murders, Kohberger was a criminology student at Washington State University. Officials have stated that the motive for the killings remains unknown, and they have not identified a specific target among the victims.
