Bryan Kohberger is speaking out for the first time since his arrest, and he’s insisting he didn’t do it. In a rare prison phone call, the man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students now says he wants to take back his guilty plea.
Almost exactly one year after Kohberger stood before a judge and admitted to killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, he is publicly claiming he was pressured into that decision.
“My actual innocence is my truth,” Kohberger told The New York Times in a written statement released July 26. He said the plea was based on “false promises and blatant disinformation” and “MUST be withdrawn.”
The 31-year-old, who is currently serving life without parole, followed up with a phone call to the outlet. It was the first time he has spoken publicly about the murders since his December 2022 arrest.
However, Kohberger refused to discuss any specific evidence or elaborate on his new claims. He did say he plans to represent himself in future legal proceedings.
Prosecutors had previously relied on DNA from a knife sheath left at the scene, along with cell phone records and surveillance footage, to build their case against him.
The murders happened in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, inside an off-campus Moscow home. All four victims were stabbed to death.
Kohberger entered his guilty plea on July 2, 2025, to four counts of first-degree murder. Now he wants a trial.
Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, declined to comment on Kohberger’s latest statements, telling the Times he wanted to speak with his family first.
With Kohberger now claiming he was misled and vowing to fight, what happens next in this already haunting case?
