# Bryan Kohberger

> Kohberger pleaded guilty in 2025 to the murders of four University of Idaho students in a rental house on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, and is serving four consecutive life sentences without parole. He now asks to withdraw the plea, saying he is innocent and was pressured into it.

- Case: State of Idaho v. Kohberger · Moscow, Idaho · 2022
- Case status: Convicted. Convicted by his own guilty plea, entered July 2, 2025, to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, and serving four consecutive life sentences without parole plus 10 years in the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. He has petitioned to withdraw the plea; as of Oct. 23, 2026, the petition is pending and the conviction stands.
- Last updated: 2026-10-23
- Editorial review: approved 2026-10-23
- Web page: https://criminalbackstories.com/cases/bryan-kohberger/
- All defendants are presumed innocent until found guilty by a court of law. Charges and allegations described on this site are not proof of guilt.

## Why he's in the news

Kohberger is seeking to undo his guilty plea. In a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief filed in late July 2026, he says he is innocent and that his lawyers induced the plea through threats, false promises and wrong information.[8][9] His new lawyers have also moved to disqualify Judge Steven Hippler, who sentenced him, citing the judge's remarks at sentencing, and to return the case to Latah County.[6][7] The state opposed the disqualification motion on Oct. 7, 2026; a hearing on it set for Oct. 15 was vacated, and no new date had been reported as of Oct. 20.[5][4]

## Case at a glance

- Convictions: Guilty pleas, July 2, 2025, under a plea agreement: four counts of first-degree murder (Idaho Code § 18-4001) and one count of burglary (§ 18-1401)[2]
- Sentence: Four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus 10 years fixed for burglary, imposed July 23, 2025, by Judge Steven Hippler[2][13]
- Appeal: Waived in the plea agreement[16][9]
- Killed: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin[1][17]
- Date and place: Nov. 13, 2022, 1122 King Road, Moscow, Latah County, Idaho[1]
- Court: Fourth Judicial District, Ada County, No. CR01-24-31665, moved from Latah County, No. CR29-22-2805[3][2]
- Motive: None established in the record; Kohberger declined to speak at sentencing[13][14]
- Post-conviction: Petition to withdraw the guilty plea pending, as of Oct. 2026[4][9]

## The backstory

Kohberger stands convicted of the four murders and the burglary by his own guilty plea, which a court accepted on July 2, 2025.[2] No trial was held, so no jury heard the evidence; the account below comes from the charging documents, the probable cause affidavit as reported, and the prosecutor's statement of the facts at the plea hearing, attributed to each.[1][23][14] Kohberger now disputes his guilt in a pending petition; that claim is set out below and has not been decided.[7]

### The killings

The criminal complaint charges that on or about Nov. 13, 2022, Kohberger entered the residence at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, with the intent to commit murder, and that he killed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin by stabbing them.[1] All four were University of Idaho students; Mogen and Goncalves were 21, and Kernodle and Chapin were 20.[17] The killings took place shortly after 4 a.m.[20]

At the plea hearing, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson told the court that Kohberger entered through a sliding door on the second floor and went directly to the third floor, where Mogen and Goncalves were in bed, and killed them first.[15] Goncalves had moved out and was visiting for the weekend, according to Thompson.[15] Thompson said Kernodle, who was awake and had taken a food delivery shortly before, encountered Kohberger as he was coming down the stairs or leaving, and that he stabbed her and then killed Chapin in her bedroom.[15][14] Thompson said each victim suffered multiple wounds and that there was no evidence of sexual assault.[15]

Two roommates in the house survived. According to Thompson, one of them saw Kohberger leave through the second-floor sliding door; she then went to the other surviving roommate's bedroom, where the two stayed the night without knowing what had happened.[15] The probable cause affidavit, as reported, says she described a figure in black clothing and a mask, at least 5 feet 10 inches tall, athletically built, with bushy eyebrows.[23] A 911 call from a roommate's phone at 11:58 a.m. that day reported an unconscious person; responding officers found the four victims.[20]

### The investigation

The account of the investigation comes from the probable cause affidavit, as reported, and from Thompson's description at the plea hearing; it was never tested at trial.

- **The knife sheath.** According to the affidavit, a tan leather sheath stamped "Ka-Bar" and "USMC" was found on the bed next to Mogen, and the Idaho State Police lab found a single source of male DNA on its button snap.[23] Thompson said the blood of both victims in that room was also on the sheath.[14] The FBI used investigative genetic genealogy on that DNA, which pointed investigators to Kohberger.[19] According to the affidavit and Thompson, investigators then collected trash put out at his parents' home in Pennsylvania, and DNA on an item in it was identified as coming from the father of the person whose DNA was on the sheath.[23][14] The knife itself was never recovered.[16] Prosecutors said Kohberger had bought the same type of knife and sheath on Amazon.[16][17]
- **The car.** According to the affidavit, video showed a white sedan in the neighborhood between 3:29 a.m. and 4:20 a.m., which police identified as a 2014 to 2016 Hyundai Elantra; a white 2015 Elantra was registered to Kohberger in Pullman, Wash.[23] Thompson said the car, when seized, "had been essentially disassembled inside" and "meticulously cleaned."[14]
- **The phone.** The affidavit says cell records did not place his phone near the house between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. that morning, but did place it near the house on at least 12 occasions between June and Nov. 13, 2022, mostly late at night or early in the morning.[23]

Kohberger's lawyers moved to suppress the evidence, arguing that the genetic genealogy search was unconstitutional; Judge Steven Hippler denied the motions on Feb. 19, 2025.[19]

### Motive

The record establishes no motive. Thompson told the court, "We do not have evidence that the defendant had direct contact with 1122 or with residents in 1122."[14] He said the state "will not represent that he intended to commit all of the murders that he did that night," while maintaining that each killing was intentional and premeditated.[15] At sentencing, Kohberger said only, "I respectfully decline," when given the chance to speak.[13]

### Charges and the plea

Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, 2022, and brought to Idaho on Jan. 4, 2023.[20][24] A grand jury indicted him in May 2023; at his arraignment on May 22, 2023, he stood silent and the court entered pleas of not guilty.[21][2][20] In June 2023 prosecutors filed notice that they would seek the death penalty.[21] The case was moved from Latah County to Ada County on Sept. 12, 2024, after the defense argued that publicity had tainted the jury pool.[20] In April 2025 Hippler ruled that the death penalty remained available despite the defense's argument based on an autism diagnosis, writing that the diagnosis "may be mitigating factor to be weighed against the aggravating factors" but "is not (a) death-penalty disqualifier."[18]

On July 2, 2025, weeks before his trial was set to begin in August, Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.[2][17] Under the agreement, the death penalty was taken off the table, Kohberger agreed to four consecutive life sentences plus 10 years, and he waived his right to appeal.[16][17] Asked whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty, he answered "Yes," and he said "Yes" when asked whether he had murdered each of the four victims.[16] He said no one had coerced him.[16][9]

### The sentence

On July 23, 2025, Hippler sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole on each murder count and 10 years fixed for burglary, all to run consecutively.[2][13] Thompson asked for consecutive terms to respect each victim's "unique individuality."[13] Hippler said Kohberger had "senselessly slaughtered" the four students and that the crimes had caused "immeasurable pain and loss."[13] Kohberger's new lawyers say Hippler also called him a "faceless coward" and the "worst of the worst."[4][6]

Relatives of Kernodle, Goncalves and Mogen spoke at sentencing, according to the AP's account, as did both surviving roommates, one through a friend who read her statement.[13] Kernodle's mother spoke of forgiveness through her faith, and her aunt said she had forgiven him; Goncalves's father told Kohberger, "Today we are here to finish what you started"; Mogen's father said his daughter was "the only great thing that I ever really did."[13] One surviving roommate described ongoing panic attacks, and the other's statement said, "The fear never really leaves."[13] *No statement from Chapin's family at sentencing was found in the sources reviewed.*

### After the sentence

After sentencing, the Moscow Police Department and the Idaho State Police released investigative records, including interviews with the surviving roommates; a court temporarily barred release of some images of a victim's bedroom.[12][11]

In late July 2026 Kohberger filed a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief asking to withdraw his plea.[8] He says he was "convinced to falsely confess," that his lawyers told him a false guilty plea was legally acceptable, that they did not disclose or review exculpatory evidence, and that he received a "gross misrepresentation" of what life in prison and on death row in Idaho would be like.[7][8] He also says he felt forced to plead after Hippler denied his trial lawyers more time for discovery and mitigation.[4] In August 2026 the state asked Hippler to dismiss the petition without a hearing, arguing that a "freestanding claim of actual innocence" is not recognized and that defense counsel had no duty to explain prison conditions.[9] His new lawyers have moved to disqualify Hippler, which the state opposed on Oct. 7, 2026.[5] A hearing on that motion set for Oct. 15 was vacated without a new date, and Local News 8 reported that the June 2027 status conference and evidentiary hearing had also been called off.[5][4]

## Personal backstory

### Early life and schooling

Kohberger grew up in the Poconos region of eastern Pennsylvania and attended Pleasant Valley High School.[24] He earned a degree from Northampton Community College in 2018 and then bachelor's and master's degrees from DeSales University, where he studied criminal justice, WFMZ reported.[24] He was 28 when he was arrested.[20]

### Washington State University

In 2022 he was a Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, a few miles from the University of Idaho.[24][17] A university spokesperson said he held a teaching assistant appointment in the fall 2022 semester, and that by February 2023 he no longer had one and was no longer enrolled; the university declined, citing federal privacy law, to say when the appointment ended.[22] Thompson told the court that Kohberger "has studied crime" and had written a paper on processing crime scenes.[14]

### Mental health

In 2025 his lawyers told the court he had recently been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; prosecutors described the diagnosis as mild autism without intellectual impairment.[18] Hippler treated the diagnosis as possible mitigation, not as a bar to the death penalty.[18] *No other diagnosis has been testified to or found by a court in the sources reviewed.*

### Family

Kohberger's family, through a lawyer, asked for privacy at the time of his plea and said they would not comment on the case.[16] In September 2026 the family said in a statement that it fully supports his effort to seek post-conviction relief and wants to see "the complete and unvarnished truth" told.[7]

### In custody

He was moved to state prison after sentencing and is held by the Idaho Department of Correction.[12][10] In February 2026 the department said it "is not considering a move for Bryan Kohberger," in response to a report that he might be transferred out of state.[10]

## The victims

### Proven in court

- Madison Mogen, Nov. 13, 2022 (killed), 1122 King Road, Moscow, Idaho (Guilty plea). Named in Count II of the criminal complaint, first-degree murder by stabbing, to which Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025[1][2]; a University of Idaho student, 21.[17]
- Kaylee Goncalves, Nov. 13, 2022 (killed), 1122 King Road, Moscow, Idaho (Guilty plea). Named in Count III of the criminal complaint, first-degree murder by stabbing, to which Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025[1][2]; a University of Idaho student, 21.[17]
- Xana Kernodle, Nov. 13, 2022 (killed), 1122 King Road, Moscow, Idaho (Guilty plea). Named in Count IV of the criminal complaint, first-degree murder by stabbing, to which Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025[1][2]; a University of Idaho student, 20.[17]
- Ethan Chapin, Nov. 13, 2022 (killed), 1122 King Road, Moscow, Idaho (Guilty plea). Named in Count V of the criminal complaint, first-degree murder by stabbing, to which Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025[1][2]; a University of Idaho student, 20.[17]

## Where the parties stand

- Prosecution: The Latah County prosecutors say the plea was valid and ask the court to dismiss the petition without a hearing, calling its claims "bare, conclusory and unsupported by admissible evidence" and noting that Kohberger told the court at his plea hearing that no one had forced him or made promises to him.[9][4] They say Idaho law requires the sentencing judge to hear the post-conviction case and that Hippler's sentencing remarks do not establish bias.[4][5]
- Kohberger: In his petition he says he is innocent, that he was "convinced to falsely confess," that his trial lawyers did not disclose or review exculpatory evidence, and that he was misled about life in prison and on death row.[7][8] His new lawyers argue the judge's remarks and demeanor at sentencing call his impartiality into question; one wrote that "Reassignment would change the judge, not the evidence or governing law."[4]
- Victims' families: At the time of the plea, Madison Mogen's father and Ethan Chapin's family supported the agreement, and Kaylee Goncalves's family opposed it.[17][16] Kaylee Goncalves's father has said the family believes Kohberger would be sentenced to death if the case went to trial.[8]

## Timeline

- Nov. 13, 2022: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin are stabbed to death at 1122 King Road in Moscow.[1][20]
- Dec. 29, 2022: The Latah County prosecutor signs a criminal complaint charging Kohberger with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary.[1]
- Dec. 30, 2022: Kohberger is arrested in Monroe County, Pa.[24][20]
- May 22, 2023: At his arraignment on a grand jury indictment, he stands silent and the court enters pleas of not guilty.[2][20]
- Sept. 12, 2024: The case is moved from Latah County to Ada County in Boise.[20]
- July 2, 2025: Kohberger pleads guilty to all five counts under a plea agreement.[2][16]
- July 23, 2025: He is sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole plus 10 years.[2][13]
- July 2026: He files a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief seeking to withdraw the plea.[8][9]
- Oct. 15, 2026: A hearing on his motion to disqualify the judge, set for this date, is vacated without a new date.[5][4]

## What happens next

The motion to disqualify Hippler must be decided before the petition moves forward; no new hearing date had been reported as of Oct. 20, 2026.[4] Hippler's August 2026 scheduling order had set an amended petition for Nov. 13, 2026, a status conference for June 3, 2027, and a possible evidentiary hearing for June 17, 2027[9][8]; Local News 8 reported on Oct. 14 that the June 2027 dates had been called off, to be reset.[5] The state's request to dismiss the petition without a hearing was unresolved in the sources reviewed.[9]

## Sources

1. [Criminal Complaint, State of Idaho v. Bryan C. Kohberger, No. CR29-22-2805](https://coi.isc.idaho.gov/docs/CR29-22-2805/122922+Criminal+Complaint.pdf). Latah County Prosecuting Attorney, Second Judicial District, Latah County, dated Dec. 29, 2022 (via Idaho Supreme Court). (court or official record)
2. [Register of Actions (Current Case Summary), State of Idaho v. Bryan C. Kohberger, No. CR01-24-31665](https://coi.isc.idaho.gov/docs/CR01-24-31665/Summary/Current-Case-Summary.pdf). Fourth Judicial District, Ada County (via Idaho Supreme Court). (court or official record)
3. [State of Idaho v. Bryan C. Kohberger, CR01-24-31665 and CR29-22-2805](https://coi.isc.idaho.gov/docs/Cases/CR01-24-31665.html). Idaho Supreme Court, Cases of Interest. (court or official record)
4. [Bryan Kohberger doubles down in effort to remove judge from case](https://www.courttv.com/news/bryan-kohberger-doubles-down-on-bid-to-remove-judge-who-appeared-to-wipe-away-tears/). Court TV, Oct. 20, 2026. (news report)
5. [Bryan Kohberger's hearings vacated amid efforts to disqualify judge](https://localnews8.com/news/2026/10/14/kohberger-hearings-vacated-boise/). Local News 8 (KIFI), Oct. 14, 2026. (news report)
6. [Bryan Kohberger seeks new judge in post-conviction hearing](https://idahonews.com/news/local/bryan-kohberger-seeks-new-judge-in-post-conviction-hearing). KBOI CBS2 News, Oct. 12, 2026. (news report)
7. [Bryan Kohberger's family says they support his attempt to challenge conviction](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/bryan-kohbergers-family-support-attempt-challenge-conviction-136477032). ABC News / Good Morning America, Sept. 17, 2026. (news report)
8. [Judge schedules two court hearings next June in Bryan Kohberger's petition to take back guilty plea](https://www.eastidahonews.com/2026/08/judge-schedules-two-court-hearings-next-june-in-bryan-kohbergers-petition-to-take-back-guilty-plea/). CNN via East Idaho News, Aug. 28, 2026. (news report)
9. [Bryan Kohberger's 2027 hearing is not guaranteed as Idaho seeks quick dismissal](https://www.foxnews.com/us/bryan-kohberger-2027-hearing-not-guaranteed-idaho-seeks-quick-dismissal.amp). Fox News, Aug. 27, 2026. (news report)
10. [Bryan Kohberger may be transferred from Idaho prison, sources say](https://www.courttv.com/?p=153014). Court TV, Feb. 1, 2026. (news report)
11. [Idaho State Police release Moscow murder records to public](https://www.kmvt.com/2025/08/19/idaho-state-police-release-moscow-murder-records-public). KMVT, Aug. 18, 2025. (news report)
12. [Idaho police release reports from Bryan Kohberger investigation](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/idaho-police-release-reports-bryan-213724453.html). NewsNation via Yahoo News, 2025. (news report)
13. [The Latest: Bryan Kohberger to be sentenced for murdering four University of Idaho students](https://www.ksat.com/news/2025/07/23/the-latest-bryan-kohberger-to-be-sentenced-for-murdering-four-university-of-idaho-students/). Associated Press via KSAT, July 23, 2025. (news report)
14. [Q-tip & spotless car were key evidence in Bryan Kohberger's murder case](https://www.courttv.com/news/q-tip-spotless-car-were-key-evidence-in-bryan-kohbergers-murder-case/). Associated Press via Court TV, July 2025. (news report)
15. [Bryan Kohberger Did Not Plan to Murder All 4 Victims, Suggests Prosecutor](https://www.yahoo.com/news/bryan-kohberger-did-not-plan-210022932.html). People via Yahoo News, July 2025. (news report)
16. [Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to murdering 4 University of Idaho students in 2022](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/bryan-kohberger-university-of-idaho-student-murders-plea-hearing). CBS News, July 2, 2025. (news report)
17. [Kohberger pleads guilty to Idaho murders](https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/news/2025-07-02/kohberger-guilty-plea-idaho-murders). Northwest Public Broadcasting via Boise State Public Radio, July 2, 2025. (news report)
18. [Death penalty stays as possible punishment for Bryan Kohberger despite autism diagnosis](https://kutv.com/news/nation-world/death-penalty-stays-as-possible-punishment-for-bryan-kohberger-despite-autism-diagnosis). Associated Press via KUTV, April 24, 2025. (news report)
19. [Judge denies motions to suppress evidence in Kohberger case](https://www.kmvt.com/2025/02/20/judge-denies-motions-suppress-evidence-kohberger-case). KMVT, Feb. 19, 2025. (news report)
20. [Idaho college murders: Full timeline of events](https://abc7news.com/post/idaho-college-murders-full-timeline-events/12664492/). ABC News via ABC7 News (updated Sept. 2025). (news report)
21. [Prosecutors will pursue death penalty in slayings of 4 University of Idaho students](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/idaho-college-killings-death-penalty-bryan-kohberger-rcna91288). NBC News, June 2023. (news report)
22. [Idaho murders: WSU responds to report Bryan Kohberger was fired](https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/idaho-murders-wsu-responds-to-report-bryan-kohberger-was-fired). FOX 13 Seattle, Feb. 10, 2023. (news report)
23. [Court document details Kohberger's alleged ties to murder](https://dnews.com/stories/court-document-details-kohbergers-alleged-ties-to-murder146da478). Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Jan. 5, 2023. (news report)
24. [Local community shocked as suspect in Idaho killings' ties to Poconos, Lehigh Valley revealed](https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/poconos-coal/local-community-shocked-as-suspect-in-idaho-killings-ties-to-poconos-lehigh-valley-revealed/article_6f3005d2-8893-11ed-a423-7f29c07780e8.html). WFMZ-TV 69 News, Dec. 30, 2022. (news report)