Bryan Kohberger's court hearings vacated as plea withdrawal bid proceeds

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 17:14 · Archive

Three upcoming hearings for convicted Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger have been vacated as he seeks to withdraw his guilty plea.

Three upcoming hearings for Bryan Kohberger have been unexpectedly vacated as he pursues a lengthy post-conviction legal battle. Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 in connection with the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin—who were killed in a home invasion attack at an off-campus rental home.

In July 2025, Kohberger entered a guilty plea to avoid the death penalty. However, a year later he petitioned the court to withdraw the plea, claiming he received ineffective counsel and was misled into pleading guilty. According to Jason Goldman, a New York attorney representing Kohberger's family, this marks 'the start of a longer post-conviction relief process'.

The first vacated hearing, scheduled for Thursday, was to address a motion from Kohberger's new Idaho lawyer, Greg Rauch, seeking to have Judge Steven Hippler disqualified from the case over concerns of potential bias. Two additional hearings set for next year have also been vacated, and several deadlines in coming months are expected to be affected by Judge Hippler's amended scheduling order.

How it is being reported

• Bryan Kohberger’s court hearings abruptly canceled as lawyer warns of lengthy legal battleBryan Kohberger's court hearings were canceled as he seeks to withdraw his plea, marking the start of a lengthy post-conviction battle.New York Post · 14 Oct, 17:01
• Bryan Kohberger's court hearings abruptly canceled as lawyer warns of lengthy legal battleBryan Kohberger's upcoming hearings have been vacated as his new lawyer seeks to disqualify the judge, marking the start of a longer legal battle.Fox News · 14 Oct, 14:20

In this story: Bryan Kohberger · University of Idaho · Judge Steven Hippler · Greg Rauch · Jason Goldman · Madison Mogen · Kaylee Goncalves · Xana Kernodle

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem