PENNSYLVANIA (WFMZ-TV) – Monroe County native Bryan Kohberger is attempting to undo his conviction in the murders of four University of Idaho students.
Kohberger has filed a petition challenging his conviction, claiming he is innocent and was misled into confessing to the killings of four students at the University of Idaho, according to the New York Times.
The criminology student was convicted last year for murdering four University of Idaho students in their home. He is currently serving four life sentences.
The New York Times says Kohberger, a Monroe County native, is now seeking to abandon his guilty plea and obtain a trial, stating he was misled into confessing to the high-profile killings.
In an interview, Kohberger told The Times he has challenged the conviction, citing concerns about how the plea deal came together.
“My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn,” Kohberger said in a statement provided to The Times on Sunday night.
The Times says he reiterated in a phone call from prison that he had an “absolute claim of innocence.”
This interview was the first public comment Kohberger has made since the conviction, as he had not granted an interview before speaking with The Times, says the publication.
Kohberger declined to discuss any evidence or other specific details related to his innocence claim, as well as what specific concerns he had about the plea process, says The Times.
“A judge, in my opinion, is going to deny this and he’s not going to get anywhere quickly,” Attorney John Waldron said.
Criminal Defense Attorney John Waldron says post-conviction wins are rare.
“Admitted in writing, like I said, he admitted it orally. The judge asked him more than once, did you do this? Yes. Did you commit these crimes? Yes. So, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on,” Waldron said.
Kohberger made the petition from his Idaho cell, as he continues to represent himself. According to the publication, records show the filing reached the court on Monday morning. Kohberger, who had court-appointed representation throughout the case, says he has prepared the documentation to challenge the case on his own, says The Times. He will seek to have a lawyer appointed to help him going forward.
“He’s sitting there doing nothing every day and he rereads his transcripts and does nothing other than to think, well, maybe they should have done this or maybe I could do this,” Waldron said.
Waldron says challenging his plea creates legal risks. By claiming his original defense counsel was ineffective, Kohberger forfeits attorney-client privilege if a judge grants him a hearing.
“So, they’ll take the stand, say what they did, and if they choose to, they can say what he said to them about what happened,” Waldron said.
For the victim’s families, the appeal reopens deep wounds. In a statement Monday, Kaylee Goncalves’ family called Kohberger a ‘mosquito you just can’t seem to swat’.
The statement went on:
“He [Kohberger] did this after deciding not to leave his fate and the facts of the case up to a jury to decide his guilt. He never cried wolf or claimed he was uninformed, pressured, or that there were issues with the discovery that he and his counsel had for 2 years that he thought should have been challenged. He admitted to guilt and asked whether he actually was guilty he said ‘yes’.
Regardless of how this turns out, our family is 100% ready. An actual trial this time? Let’s go! We are confident he will get the death penalty that he escaped by pleading guilty the first time around.”
“The families and the grief and frustration and heartbreak they’ve gone through, and they thought there was closure, and there should be closure,” said Waldron.
Waldron warns if Kohberger succeeds in getting a trial; prosecutors also start from scratch.
“Let’s say a judge took it to a hearing and says, you want a trial, Mr. Kohberger, we’ll give you a trial,” Waldron explained. “And then the death penalty is back on the table.”
But Kohberger has his ultimate goal in sight saying justice was not served and the public demands the truth.
Kohberger was charged after his DNA was found on a knife sheath that had been left next to two of the victims. Amazon records showed he had purchased a Ka-Bar knife and sheath months prior, says The Times.
Additionally, the publication shared that the man drove a white Elantra, which is the type of car that investigators determined had been on surveillance video circling the crime scene and then speeding away from it.
Kohberger’s phone showed he was out on the night of the crime, with his phone turned off at the time of the murders.
The New York Times says Kohberger declined to discuss the evidence against him during the interview.
“The intention is for all of those questions to be investigated and answered appropriately in a trial setting,” said Kohberger.
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said in a statement:
“My heart goes out to the families of Madison, Kaylee, Xana, and Ethan, 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.”