Idaho Killer’s New Attorney Promises Revelations on Controversial Guilty Plea

Clear Facts

• Bryan Kohberger’s new attorney Jason Goldman says upcoming court filings will reveal previously undisclosed details about the convicted killer’s guilty plea in the Idaho student murders case
• Kohberger is attempting to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming his previous counsel was ineffective and that the plea was induced by unkept promises and threats
• The defense is seeking to remove Judge Steven Hippler from the case and move proceedings back to Moscow, Idaho, citing concerns about judicial impartiality

A new attorney representing convicted quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger is promising that upcoming legal filings will shed light on troubling questions surrounding the guilty plea that ended one of the nation’s most closely watched murder trials.

Jason Goldman, a New York-based attorney joining Kohberger’s defense team, told reporters Monday that an amended petition for post-conviction relief and a potential evidentiary hearing will address outstanding questions in the case. However, he emphasized that the immediate focus remains on constitutional issues surrounding Kohberger’s plea.

“We think the [amended] PCR and evidentiary hearing will naturally address some of the outstanding and unanswered questions,” Goldman said. “That said, the main priority right now is to scrutinize the constitutional issues surrounding Bryan’s plea.”

In a handwritten petition filed in July, Kohberger told the court he had ineffective counsel and that his guilty plea was “not knowingly or voluntarily entered because it was induced by unkept promises.” The convicted killer also claimed the plea “was not voluntarily entered because of threats asserted by petitioner’s legal counsel.”

Goldman emphasized that the circumstances leading up to Kohberger’s plea deserve independent judicial scrutiny.

“The circumstances surrounding Bryan’s plea — and what occurred in the critical days leading up to it — deserve careful, independent judicial scrutiny,” Goldman stated. “Some of those circumstances are already part of the public record. Others are not.”

The attorney also cited the unwavering support Kohberger has received from his family as a factor in his decision to join the defense team. He noted that most families distance themselves when a loved one faces serious criminal charges, but the Kohberger family has remained steadfast.

“Most family and friends run for the hills when a loved one is quietly arrested, let alone charged with a highly-publicized murder,” Goldman said. “The unwavering support Bryan maintains speaks volumes.”

Judge Steven Hippler has set a November 13 deadline for Kohberger’s legal team to file an amended petition. That date marks exactly four years since the brutal murders that shocked the nation. The amended petition is expected to include more comprehensive legal arguments than Kohberger’s handwritten submission from July.

Idaho defense attorney Greg Rauch was appointed to represent Kohberger last month. Goldman confirmed he will be joining as out-of-state counsel, though he is not yet officially listed on the court docket.

In a significant development, Kohberger’s attorneys filed a motion last week seeking to remove Judge Hippler from the case and to change the venue back to Moscow, Idaho, where both the defense attorney’s office and the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney are located. This move is particularly notable given that Kohberger had previously requested to move the case out of Latah County, which resulted in proceedings being transferred to Hippler’s jurisdiction in Ada County.

“The motion speaks for itself,” Goldman said. “We must ensure that the serious constitutional questions at play are heard in a forum whose impartiality and neutrality cannot be questioned.”

The motion, signed by Rauch, challenges Hippler’s impartiality by pointing to his refusal to grant Kohberger’s former defense team additional time when they stated they had not completed their discovery review weeks before trial. The filing also takes issue with language Judge Hippler used to describe Kohberger, calling him “someone in whom the Court could identify nothing remaining that was ‘good or intrinsically human.'”

Kohberger, 31, pleaded guilty last year to four counts of first-degree murder and one felony burglary charge for the 2022 stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. He did not provide a motive for the killings.

Prosecutors are not backing down without a fight. Deputy Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Keith Scholl filed a motion last week requesting a transcript of Kohberger’s July 2, 2025, change of plea hearing. Prosecutors believe Kohberger’s own statements during that proceeding could be used to counter the claims made in his current petition.

The state has asked Judge Hippler to dismiss Kohberger’s petition on multiple grounds, setting up what appears to be a contentious legal battle over whether the convicted killer will be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea.

Judge Hippler has designated two potential dates next year for a status conference and evidentiary hearing. However, hearings on the recusal and venue motions could take place before those scheduled dates.

Goldman concluded his remarks with a promise of more revelations to come.

“We will let the evidence and the filings speak in due course,” Goldman said. “Stay tuned.”

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