EXCLUSIVE: Bryan Kohberger Takes Major Gamble as He Seeks to Withdraw Guilty Plea
Bryan Kohberger makes a 'deadly gamble' as he seeks to withdraw his guilty plea in a dramatic legal move.
Aug. 12 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Killer Bryan Kohberger is rolling the dice on his life by trying to withdraw the guilty plea that spared him from execution for the murders of four University of Idaho students, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
If a judge grants his petition and allows him to withdraw the plea, Kohberger could stand trial on charges he slaughtered Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Madison Mogen, 21, at their off-campus Moscow, Idaho, home in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Kohberger Claims He Is Innocent
Bryan Kohberger is seeking to withdraw the guilty plea that spared him from execution.
A conviction could once again expose him to the death penalty.
The former criminology doctoral student is seeking to abandon his guilty plea and get a trial, claiming he is actually innocent and was misled into confessing to the killings.
"My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn," Kohberger said in a statement to The New York Times on July 27.
He didn't offer up any evidence or other specific details related to his brand-new, bombshell innocence claim.
The family of Kaylee Goncalves was quick to react, saying Kohberger is like a "mosquito you just can't seem to swat."
Victims' Families Demand Justice Prevail
Kaylee Goncalves' family compared Kohberger to a 'mosquito you just can't seem to swat.'
The statement continued: "The real tragedy is this: If even a fraction of the energy spent trying to free a guilty man were directed toward honoring the victims, there would be statues of them on every corner, parks bearing their names, and days set aside to remember the lives they lost at the hands of a narcissist."
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said in his own statement that his heart went out to the victims' families, who have "already endured unimaginable loss and now must face today's deeply painful news.
"My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to ensure justice is fully carried out," he vowed.
Prosecutors spent more than two years assembling what they described as a powerful case against Kohberger.
Evidence Built Case Against Kohberger
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador vowed to ensure justice is fully carried out.
Their evidence included DNA on a knife sheath found beneath one of the victims, cell phone records that allegedly placed him near the victims' rental home before and during the killings, surveillance video of a white Hyundai Elantra matching his vehicle circling the neighborhood, and Amazon purchase records showing he bought a Ka-Bar knife and sheath similar to the one recovered at the crime scene.
The murder weapon itself was never found.
With prosecutors seeking the death penalty, Kohberger accepted a plea deal in July 2025, admitting he murdered the students. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop their pursuit of execution, and Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
Kohberger Takes Death Penalty Gamble
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Prosecutors cited DNA, cell phone records and surveillance video as evidence against Kohberger.
During the plea hearing, Kohberger told the judge he was pleading guilty because he was guilty and insisted no one had coerced him into accepting the deal.
Now he hopes to be dealt a different hand by pleading not guilty. But if found guilty, he could get the death penalty.
"It's definitely a gamble," one political analyst told RadarOnline.com. "He could hit the jackpot and be set free – or he could crap out and be put to death."
At press time, the judge had not ruled on Kohberger's petition, meaning his guilty plea, conviction and four consecutive life sentences without parole remain in effect.
