Kohberger Court Hearings Canceled Amid Post-Conviction Legal Battle
Three scheduled hearings for Bryan Kohberger have been vacated, signaling the start of a prolonged legal process as he seeks to withdraw his guilty plea.
Three upcoming court hearings for Bryan Kohberger, convicted in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, have been unexpectedly canceled. This development marks the beginning of what legal representatives anticipate will be a lengthy post-conviction relief process.
Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 in connection with the murders, which occurred six weeks prior. In July 2025, he entered into a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. However, a year later, he petitioned the court to withdraw his plea, citing ineffective counsel and alleging he was misled into accepting the deal.
"This simply marks the start of a longer post-conviction relief process," said Jason Goldman, an attorney representing Kohberger's family. The specifics of the vacated hearings are expected to be detailed in an amended scheduling order from Judge Steven Hippler, which has not yet been publicly released.
The first vacated hearing, originally scheduled for Thursday, was intended to address a motion filed by Kohberger's new Idaho attorney, Greg Rauch. Rauch sought the disqualification of Judge Hippler, citing concerns about potential bias.
Two additional hearings previously scheduled for next year have also been vacated. Consequently, a series of deadlines in the coming months are anticipated to be affected by these changes.
The 2022 murders of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin sent shockwaves across the country. The undergraduate students were found stabbed to death in an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho.
Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, located approximately 10 miles from the University of Idaho, was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania weeks after the killings. At the time of his plea, he offered no motive or explanation for the crimes. He has maintained his innocence, filing a handwritten motion for post-conviction relief in July.
