Bryan Kohberger Claims Evidence Found in Ethan Chapin’s Hand Could Support His Innocence

Bryan Kohberger is attempting to withdraw his guilty plea in the University of Idaho murder case, arguing that potentially exculpatory evidence was not properly explained to him before he agreed to plead guilty.

In a petition for post-conviction relief filed July 27, 2026, Kohberger claims his defense attorneys failed to adequately inform him about evidence discovered during the investigation. Among the evidence he highlights is hair found in the hand of victim Ethan Chapin.

 

Kohberger argues that information about the evidence could have influenced his decision to accept a plea agreement that ultimately resulted in four life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Kohberger Points to Hair Found in Chapin’s Hand

In an affidavit attached to his petition, Kohberger specifically refers to what he describes as “clumps of hair” found in Chapin’s hands.

The evidence was documented during the investigation of the Nov. 13, 2022 killings, when Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle were fatally stabbed at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation report finalized in January 2023 documented debris recovered from the right hand of Chapin and the left hand of Kernodle.

According to the report, investigators examined the material for hairs that were microscopically consistent with hair from Kohberger. The examination did not identify hairs matching Kohberger’s head-hair sample.

That report was later included in a filing submitted by Kohberger’s defense attorney, Anne Taylor, in June 2025, roughly a month before Kohberger entered his guilty plea.

DNA Testing Produced a Different Finding

The evidence surrounding the hair is more complicated than Kohberger’s petition suggests.

 

Although his filing describes “clumps of hair,” that terminology does not appear in the relevant FBI report or other court records. The phrase was reportedly used in retired FBI agent Chris Whitcomb’s book about the case.

Court documents also indicate that a defense-retained DNA expert did examine hair recovered from Chapin’s hand.

Ruth Ballard, an expert hired by Kohberger’s defense team, examined one hair recovered from Chapin’s right hand. Her analysis found that the hair was morphologically consistent with Chapin’s own reference hair.

That finding does not establish that the evidence proves Kohberger’s innocence. Instead, it indicates that the hair examined by Ballard appeared consistent with the victim’s own hair.

It remains unclear whether Kohberger is referring to the same hair examined by Ballard or to additional material that he believes was not adequately investigated.

Kohberger Blames His Attorneys

The evidence involving Chapin’s hand is only one part of Kohberger’s broader effort to overturn his guilty plea.

In his petition, he alleges ineffective assistance of counsel and argues that his guilty plea was not entered knowingly or voluntarily.

He also claims that his decision was influenced by promises that were allegedly not fulfilled and by what he characterizes as threats from his legal team.

Kohberger had faced the possibility of the death penalty before agreeing to plead guilty. His defense team ultimately negotiated a resolution that resulted in life sentences rather than a capital trial.

His petition now seeks to undo that agreement and obtain the opportunity to go to trial.

Kohberger Previously Accepted Responsibility

The attempt to withdraw his plea comes despite Kohberger’s extensive admissions in court.

In 2025, he formally pleaded guilty to the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

He also signed a written factual basis acknowledging responsibility for the four deaths and agreeing that the killings were deliberate, unlawful and premeditated.

During his sentencing hearing, the judge directly asked Kohberger whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty.

Kohberger answered yes.

He was subsequently sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, along with an additional sentence related to burglary.

Now, more than a year after accepting that sentence, Kohberger is asking the court to set aside his guilty plea.

His petition argues that important evidence was not adequately disclosed or explained to him before he made his decision. However, the records cited in the filing show that at least some of the evidence involving hair recovered from Chapin’s hand had already been examined by investigators and a defense expert.

Whether those arguments are sufficient to reopen the case will ultimately be decided by the court.

For now, Kohberger remains convicted of the murders of the four University of Idaho students, while his latest legal filing seeks to reverse the guilty plea that ended the highly publicized case before it reached a full trial.