Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students, is now seeking to withdraw his plea, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, coercion, and false promises. The move aims to secure a new trial for Kohberger, who was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences last year.
Kristi Goncalves, mother of victim Kaylee Goncalves, stated that the family was not surprised by Kohberger's latest legal action, especially with appeals deadlines approaching. She expressed that the family remains confident in the evidence presented against Kohberger and would welcome the opportunity for the case to proceed to a jury trial.
"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," Goncalves said in an interview. She added, "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 filed a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief, asserting he was "convinced to falsely confess." The petition claims his defense team did not inform him of potentially exculpatory evidence that was reportedly mentioned in the book "Broken Plea." Kohberger has also reportedly claimed an "absolute claim of innocence" in communications with a New York Times reporter.
Legal analysts have reacted to Kohberger's attempt to overturn his plea. Former prosecutor Nancy Grace stated on "Hannity" that Kohberger should receive the death penalty if the case goes to trial, arguing that justice was not served by his guilty plea, which avoided a trial.
Kohberger was found guilty of the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were killed in November 2022 in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. The case heavily relied on cellphone location data and other digital evidence to link Kohberger to the crime scene.