BOISE, Idaho – In a significant development, an Idaho judge has outlined the procedural timeline regarding Bryan Kohberger’s effort to rescind his guilty plea in the high-profile case of four slain University of Idaho students. The judge has emphasized that any fresh evidence introduced will be rigorously scrutinized under stringent legal criteria.
Judge Steven Hippler of the Fourth District Court, who initially sentenced Kohberger to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole following his guilty plea last year, has delineated the next legal steps in an official order released on Wednesday morning. This move sets the stage for how the ongoing legal proceedings will unfold.
Rather than granting an immediate hearing on Kohberger’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea, Judge Hippler has tentatively reserved a spot on the court calendar for a potential evidentiary hearing next June, pending his decision on the necessity of such a proceeding.
At 31 years old, Kohberger is currently serving four consecutive life terms for the brutal killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen, which occurred in an off-campus rental home near the Moscow, Idaho university in 2022. In a plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to drop the pursuit of the death penalty in exchange for his guilty plea.
Last month, Kohberger submitted a handwritten request to the court, asking to retract his plea. He claimed his attorneys coerced him into the plea deal by assuring him of improved prison conditions and instilling fear about the harsh realities of life on death row.
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Kohberger offered only a few details in elaboration, saying they failed to disclose or review evidence that might have helped his case during plea discussions. Kohberger has since been appointed a new attorney, Greg Rauch, who said he couldn’t immediately comment on the case.
In Wednesday’s order, Hippler told prosecutors and Kohberger’s attorney that they must “strictly adhere” to the Idaho Rules of Court Procedure, particularly the sections detailing what evidence is admissible in court. The judge also detailed how both sides should object to evidence that they feel is not admissible.
Anyone who doesn’t comply with the court’s order could be subject to sanctions, Hippler wrote.
Hippler said both sides should disclose any potential witnesses, including experts, by the start of February. He also set a status conference for next June.
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