US News
Idaho judge schedules 2027 hearings on Bryan Kohberger's petition to withdraw guilty plea
A state judge denied prosecutors' request for immediate dismissal, setting dates to review claims of ineffective counsel in the 2022 University of Idaho killings.
The short version
- An Idaho judge set a status conference and an evidentiary hearing for June 2027 to review Bryan Kohberger's request for post-conviction relief.
- Kohberger is seeking to withdraw his July 2025 guilty plea for the murders of four University of Idaho students, alleging his defense lawyers pushed him into a false confession.
- The decision moves the case toward formal court arguments despite prosecutors urging the judge to dismiss the petition without a hearing.
Key facts
- Judge Steven Hippler set a status conference for June 3, 2027, and an evidentiary hearing for June 17, 2027, regarding Bryan Kohberger's post-conviction relief petition.[Fox News]
- Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin to avoid the death penalty, receiving four consecutive life sentences without parole plus 10 years.[Fox News]
- In a July 2026 handwritten petition, Kohberger proclaimed his innocence and claimed his former defense team persuaded him to falsely confess while withholding information regarding untested hair recovered from the crime scene.[Fox News]
- Prosecutors had requested that the court dismiss Kohberger's petition without holding an evidentiary hearing.[Fox News]
- While Kohberger's plea agreement waived standard appellate rights, it did not preclude petitions for post-conviction relief.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Kohberger will present sufficient evidence at the June 2027 hearing to meet the legal standard required to vacate his plea and secure a new trial remains undetermined.[Fox News]