Brian Koberg update: Why does Idaho murder convict want to withdraw his plea? Victim’s family reaction
Brian KobergThe man convicted of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea, he told new york times During an interview in prison.
Koberg said he has filed a petition to reopen the case, blaming his request on “false promises” and misinformation. A post-conviction relief form was filed with an Idaho court on Monday, according to court documents.
Why Koberg wants his guilty plea dismissed
Koberg was convicted last year after pleading guilty during which he publicly acknowledged the four killings for the first time. “My true innocence is my truth, and a guilty plea based on false promises and blatant disinformation must be withdrawn,” Koberg said in a statement to The New York Times.
according to people magazineKoberg claimed in the petition that his attorneys withheld potentially exculpatory evidence, misled him about the consequences of his guilty plea, and used threats and false promises to get him to accept the deal. “It is hereby stated that during discussions between attorney and client, the majority of which included all of Brian C. Koberg’s immediate family members, petitioner was persuaded to falsely plead guilty to capital murder and felony burglary through coercion, false information, false promises, and concealment of a finding of innocence,” the petition reads.
this petition It is also claimed that his lawyer failed to inform him that an “unknown clump of hair was found in Ethan Chapin’s hand” and that he was told that his actual guilt was “not a material factor in considering accepting a plea” and that the death penalty was “imminent”. It also claims a “gross misrepresentation” of the meaning of a life sentence and an “elaborate, fabricated story” about conditions on death row.
Koberg said in a statement to The New York Times that “more than a year later, it is self-evident that justice has not been served in State v. Koberg.” He described the state’s case as a “work of fiction” and said, “Because the plea was incomplete, the trial never provided the public with clear information that would have helped to close the case, and unless the plea is withdrawn, justice will continue to be aborted.”
He added: “I hereby announce my intention to enter a plea of not guilty and welcome the State’s opportunity to prove their case at trial and seek the death penalty again.” He also thanked his supporters, saying:
“Thank you to everyone who believes in my innocence and continues to critically analyze this case,” he added. “I send my love to my family, whose belief in who I am and in my innocence has never wavered.”
Reactions from the Attorney General and victims’ families
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said in a statement to CNN that his office “is prepared to take all necessary steps to ensure that justice is fully served.” He added: “My thoughts are with the families of Madison, Kelly, Shana and Ethan who have suffered unimaginable loss and now must face today’s distressing news.”
according to idaho statesmanSteve Goncalves, the father of victim Kaylee Goncalves, said his family is not afraid of a possible trial. “We’re not afraid,” he told the Statesman by phone.
“I have always supported the work of the FBI agents and others. If he wants to seek the death penalty, that’s what we’re after, that’s what he’s facing. There’s so much evidence against him in this case. So we’re not afraid of a trial, not at all,” he added.
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what is going on
Kohberger, 31, pleaded guilty to four counts murder and one count of burglary in the 2022 killings of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), Xana Kernodle (20) and Ethan Chapin (20). The plea deal removed the death penalty from consideration.
Koberg was linked to the murder through cellphone data and DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene. He was sentenced on July 23, 2025, to four consecutive years of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and a fine for each count of murder and burglary.
