Idaho 4 Killer Bryan Kohberger Granted New Hearings as He Fights to Withdraw Guilty Plea For Murdering College Students
Bryan Kohberger has been granted a request for new hearings in his conviction for killing four University of Idaho students.
Aug. 26 2026, Published 6:10 p.m. ET
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students and was sentenced to life in prison, has been granted his request for a new hearing, Breaking Celebrity News can report, as he now seeks to withdraw that plea deal.
A judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for next June to review Kohberger's claims that he was coerced into confessing.
Bryan Kohberger Will Get His New Day in Court
Kohberger agreed to a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, but now wants to withdraw that plea.
Kohberger is currently serving four life sentences after pleading guilty to the murders of four college students: Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.
On Wednesday, August 26, Judge Steven Hippler, the same judge who previously presided over the proceedings when Kohberger entered his guilty plea, granted the 31-year-old a status conference and an evidentiary hearing in his quest for a retrial.
But Kohberger will have to wait, as Judge Hippler scheduled the status conference for June 3, 2027, and the hearing for June 17, 2027.
Kohberger is also literally risking his life by trying to reopen the case. A second conviction could once again expose him to the death penalty.
Bryan Kohberger Submitted a Handwritten Appeal
'Radar' obtained his handwritten appeal petition.
In a written statement on July 27, 2026, Kohberger claimed that he was "convinced to falsely confess" to the murders by his high-profile defense team.
Radar obtained Kohberger's handwritten petition, in which he claims his attorneys provided "ineffective assistance during the criminal proceedings" and alleges his plea was "not knowingly or voluntarily entered."
Instead, he alleges he was induced into accepting the deal through "threats," "coercion," "false promises," and the withholding of what he describes as "exculpatory evidence."
He specifically points to hair evidence from victim Chapin's hand, which DNA testing excluded him from, as a key oversight by his defense team.
Bryan Kohberger's Plan Could Backfire on Him
The convicted killer now says he was 'coerced' into accepting a plea deal.
Kohberger further alleges his legal team convinced him that maintaining his innocence was not an important factor when deciding whether to accept the plea agreement, and accuses his attorneys of misrepresenting Idaho's death penalty process, claiming he was led to believe execution was imminent if he rejected the plea offer.
However, the former criminology student may have trouble convincing a judge he deserves a new trial, especially after he knowingly signed a written factual basis document which stated he is willing to "hereby admit responsibility" for the deaths of his four victims.
Kohberger further admitted that the "killing and murder" of his victims was "willful, unlawful, deliberate, with premeditation and with malice afterthought."
A Parent's Pain Resurfaces
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The parents of the slain students are hopeful his decision will cause him to face the death penalty once more.
Meanwhile, Kohberger's new hearing brings fresh pain for the families of the slain students. Kristi and Steve Goncalves told Sean Hannity on his Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast that they believe their daughter, Kaylee, was Kohberger's top target.
The still-grieving parents reacted strongly to Kohberger's request.
"The first thing every single morning I often ask myself: Is this going to be forever? Will this eventually end? Will it eventually, will it not be the first thing that I think about when I open my eyes?" Kristi said. "But at this point I've learned that it's just the new way of life."
However, she is looking at the hearings and possible retrial as a new chance to send Kohberger to death row.
"God is looking out for us. And maybe this is because the first time around, it was wrong," she told Hannity. "And this time around, he's going to make sure it's done right, you know – and that is the death penalty."
