Bryan Kohberger, convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students, will return to court on October 15. He aims to remove Judge Steven Hippler from his case, seeking post-conviction relief to overturn his guilty plea.
Kohberger, 31, claims his plea was not entered knowingly or voluntarily. In July, he petitioned the court, stating he had ineffective counsel. He argued that unfulfilled promises and threats from his legal team pressured him into pleading guilty.
The court appointed Greg Rauch from Moscow, Idaho, and Jason Goldman, a private defense lawyer from New York, to join Kohberger’s new defense team.
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing on July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. Kohberger pleaded guilty in exchange for being spared the death penalty for the stabbing of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago. (Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images)
New legal representation will file an amended petition by November 13, marking four years since the murders. Goldman stated their focus is on examining constitutional issues surrounding the plea.
Judge Hippler previously dismissed attempts by Kohberger’s defense to remove the death penalty as a potential sentence. Kohberger pled guilty to four counts of first-degree murder as well as burglary. He received life in prison without parole, in addition to ten more years, through a plea deal.
Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
On August 27, Rauch filed a motion questioning Judge Hippler’s impartiality. This stemmed from a previous interaction where the judge didn’t grant Kohberger’s former legal team more time for trial preparation. Concerns were also raised about the judge’s remarks at sentencing, which were considered biased.
In the prosecution’s continued efforts, Keith Scholl from the Deputy Latah County Prosecutor’s office requested transcripts from prior hearings where Kohberger admitted guilt without coercion.
Separately, Judge Hippler ordered Kohberger’s lawyers to explain why a supplemental document related to their motion to disqualify him should remain sealed. By September 10, they must also provide confidential information to the Latah County Prosecutor.
The motion hearing on judge disqualification is scheduled for October 15 at 1:30 p.m. MT via WebEx.