A judge has granted convicted quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger a new hearing as the 30-year-old seeks to withdraw the guilty plea he entered in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.
According to a court order dated Wednesday, Judge Steven Hippler — who accepted Kohberger’s guilty pleas in July 2025 — set a status conference for June 3, 2027, and an evidentiary hearing for June 17, 2027. The hearings are part of Kohberger’s petition for post-conviction relief, in which he now claims he is innocent and alleges he received ineffective counsel.
Kootenai County Public Defender Anne Taylor represented Kohberger during his original proceedings. Prosecutors had asked the judge to dismiss Kohberger’s petition without holding a hearing, but Judge Hippler declined to do so.
Kohberger, who was facing execution by firing squad if convicted, accepted a plea deal and is now serving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, south of Boise.
The former criminology graduate student pleaded guilty to killing 20-year-old Ethan Chapin of Conway, Washington; 21-year-old Madison Mogen of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; 20-year-old Xana Kernodle of Avondale, Arizona; and 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves of Rathdrum, Idaho. The four students were fatally stabbed on November 13, 2022, in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Kohberger was indicted by a secret grand jury in 2024 and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the slayings.
Kohberger’s Change of Heart
Last month, Kohberger moved to withdraw his guilty plea. The forthcoming evidentiary hearing will allow his legal team to argue that his plea should be voided because he received bad counsel. Kohberger has publicly maintained that he is innocent, a reversal from his earlier admission of guilt.
Legal experts note that withdrawing a guilty plea after sentencing is an uphill battle. Courts typically require a defendant to show a significant legal error, ineffective assistance of counsel, or other compelling grounds to overturn a voluntary plea. Kohberger’s case will now get a full airing in court, with both sides given the opportunity to present evidence.
Judge Hippler, who oversaw Kohberger’s previous hearings and accepted his guilty pleas, will preside over the new proceedings as well.
Life in Solitary Confinement
Kohberger is currently housed in solitary confinement on “J Block” at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where he reportedly receives just 60 minutes of outdoor time per day. According to handwritten complaint forms obtained by NewsNation host Brian Entin, Kohberger — who describes himself as a vegan — has also lodged complaints about the food served to him in prison.
The convicted killer has reportedly faced taunts and threats from other inmates. Entin reported last year that, according to a brief summary of an incident, one inmate known as ‘Peru’ allegedly threatened to violently assault Kohberger. Another inmate from J-Block’s tier 1 was quoted as saying, “The only ass we’ll be eating is Kohberger’s.”
The exact nature of the threats and any actions taken by prison officials were not detailed in the public summary.
What Happens Next
The status conference on June 3, 2027, will likely address procedural matters and scheduling for the evidentiary hearing two weeks later. That hearing will give Kohberger’s attorneys the chance to present evidence supporting his claim of ineffective counsel and his assertion of innocence.
If the judge were to grant Kohberger’s request to withdraw his plea, the case could return to a trial posture — though any such decision would be subject to appeal by prosecutors. The original plea deal spared Kohberger the death penalty, which in Idaho would have meant execution by firing squad.
For now, Kohberger remains in solitary confinement, serving out four consecutive life sentences as his legal fight continues.
Source: www.thegatewaypundit.com — https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/shock-judge-grants-idaho-quadruple-murderer-bryan-kohberger/