A district judge has authorized a court‑appointed attorney to represent Bryan Kohberger as he pursues post‑conviction relief.
The order directs the Idaho State Public Defender to select counsel for Kohberger in all upcoming proceedings under the state’s post‑conviction relief statute.
Kohberger submitted a handwritten petition seeking to withdraw the guilty plea he entered last year, which was part of an agreement that removed the death penalty.
In the petition, he asserts that he was persuaded to give a false confession and alleges his former lawyers failed to disclose exculpatory evidence discussed in a recent book.
These allegations contradict earlier statements in which Kohberger affirmed that his plea was entered knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily without coercion.
The families of the victims have expressed outrage and indicated they are prepared to return to court if the case is reopened.
The judge noted that filing fees do not apply to post‑conviction petitions and rejected a request for partial fee payment.
Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in November 2022 and was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
The total cost of the investigation, prosecution, and publicly funded defense has surpassed $8 million, with the defense component alone approaching $5.5 million.
Since the statewide public defender system assumed responsibility, the defense team has earned more than $980,000, while additional expenses include law‑enforcement, prosecutorial, university, and incarceration costs.
Prosecutors allege Kohberger turned off his cellphone before entering the residence where the murders occurred, reactivated it afterward, and searched online for local police dispatch audio.
Forensic analysis found no victim DNA in his vehicle, but soil on a shovel recovered from the car matched the Moscow area.
At sentencing, Kohberger displayed little visible emotion as the victims’ relatives delivered emotional impact statements condemning the killings.
