Idaho college student killer petitions to take back guilty plea, says based on 'false promises'

Bryan Kohberger, who was convicted last year of murdering four University of Idaho students, filed a post-conviction relief form Monday, seeking to undo his guilty plea and obtain a new trial. 

Kohberger told the New York Times, speaking from prison where he's serving four life sentences, that he filed a petition challenging his conviction, claiming the plea deal he took was the result of "false promises and blatant disinformation." 

"I hereby declare my intention to enter a not guilty plea and welcome the State the opportunity to prove their case at trial, as well as to, again, file for the death penalty," Kohberger said in a statement to the Times. 

In November 2022, four college students were murdered inside their Moscow, Idaho, home. Investigators never identified a motive or any previous relationship with the victims following Kohberger's arrest, sparking further speculation. 

During the trial, prosecutors showed that Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath left with two of the victims. He also drove a type of car that investigators determined had been on surveillance video, which was seen circling the crime scene before speeding away. 

Defendants seeing post-conviction challenges typically do so when new evidence is found to demonstrate their innocence, or when they argue they had ineffective counsel. In his interview, Kohberger declined to discuss any evidence or details of his innocence claim.