Convicted Idaho student murderer Bryan Kohberger is scheduled to return to court on October 15 for a hearing on his motion to remove Judge Steven Hippler from his case. The hearing follows Kohberger’s attempt to undo his guilty plea through a process known as post-conviction relief.
Kohberger, 31, filed a handwritten petition in July alleging his guilty plea was not knowingly or voluntarily entered. In the petition, he claimed his plea was induced by unkept promises and that threats were asserted by his former legal counsel. The court has since appointed Greg Rauch, a Moscow-based attorney, and Jason Goldman, a New York-based private defense lawyer, to his new legal team.
Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025, to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary for the 2022 stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at the University of Idaho. On July 23, 2025, Judge Hippler sentenced him to four consecutive life terms without parole, plus an additional 10 years, as part of a plea deal that spared him the death penalty.
Legal Maneuvering and New Filings
Kohberger’s legal team has indicated plans to file an amended petition by November 13, marking four years to the day after the murders. Goldman stated that the amended petition and an evidentiary hearing would address outstanding constitutional issues surrounding the plea.
Rauch filed a 22-page motion on August 27 seeking Judge Hippler’s disqualification, arguing procedural and constitutional concerns. The defense’s efforts focus on scrutinizing the validity of Kohberger’s original plea agreement, which was central to his sentencing.
Background and Case Timeline
The case stems from the November 13, 2022, killings of four University of Idaho students in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, then a 28-year-old Ph.D. student at Washington State University, was arrested in December 2022 after DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene. The investigation cost taxpayers over $8 million, according to public records.
Kohberger’s original legal team negotiated the July 2025 plea deal, which avoided the death penalty in exchange for his guilty plea. His new attorneys are now challenging the circumstances under which the plea was entered, citing claims of ineffective counsel and coercion. The upcoming hearing will determine whether Judge Hippler remains on the case as the proceedings continue.