Boise, Idaho - Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of killing four University of Idaho students, has filed a petition to take back his plea deal, claiming he made it under "false promises and blatant disinformation." But the family of one of the victims sees things differently.
In an interview from prison, Kohberger told The New York Times that he's looking to reopen the case and demanded that his guilty plea "must be withdrawn."
"My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, must be withdrawn," Kohberger told the publication.
Kohberger was convicted in 2025 of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), Xana Kernodle (20), and Ethan Chapin (20) in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. He agreed to a deal in June 2025, in which he pleaded guilty to the murders. During the plea deal hearing, Kohberger declined to provide a reason for the killings.
The plea deal took the death penalty off the table and allowed Kohberger to avoid a likely lengthy trial. Instead, Judge Steven Hippler handed him four life sentences without the possibility of parole. He is now housed at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
The family of Kaylee Goncalves, who have long been outspoken regarding the case, said they are "not surprised" that Kohberger filed a petition, referring to the convicted murderer and "his following" as "the mosquito you just can’t seem to swat."
Goncalves family speaks out after Kohberger looks to reverse guilty plea
In a statement posted on Facebook, they said the Times' article had "little else to offer beyond a guilty man once again claiming he is innocent."
"He appeared in court for a hearing before a judge, accompanied by his four lawyers. He chose not to leave his fate—or the facts of the case—to a jury. He never cried foul, never claimed he was uninformed or pressured, and never suggested there were problems with the discovery materials he and his counsel had reviewed for two years that should have been challenged. He admitted his guilt.
"When asked whether he was actually guilty, he answered, 'Yes.' We would have preferred a death-penalty trial; we believe fully in the evidence. Instead, BK received exactly what he asked for: a deal that spared his life."
The office of Anne Taylor, one of the attorneys who represented Kohberger, has yet to publicly comment on his petition to have his plea reviewed.