The criminology student convicted last year of murdering four University of Idaho students in their home is seeking to abandon his guilty plea and obtain a trial, claiming he is innocent and was misled into confessing to the high-profile killings, reported The New York Times.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bryan
Kohberger, who is currently serving four life sentences, said he had filed a
petition challenging his conviction, citing concerns about how the plea deal
came together.
“My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged
on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn,” Mr. Kohberger said
in a statement provided to The Times on Sunday night. He reiterated in a phone
call from prison in Idaho that he had an “absolute claim of innocence.”
Mr. Kohberger had not granted an interview or made
public comments before speaking with The Times. He declined to discuss any
evidence or other specific details related to his innocence claim, as well as
the specific concerns he had about the plea process. It is rare for defendants
to win post-conviction challenges.
The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the victims,
said in a statement that Mr. Kohberger was like a “mosquito you just can’t seem
to swat.”
“The real tragedy is this: If even a fraction of the
energy spent trying to free a guilty man were directed toward honoring the
victims, there would be statues of them on every corner, parks bearing their
names, and days set aside to remember the lives they lost at the hands of a
narcissist,” the statement read.
The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office did not return a
call seeking comment. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador released a statement
saying his heart went out to the victims’ families, noting they had “already
endured unimaginable loss and now must face today’s deeply painful news.”
“My office stands ready to do whatever is necessary to
ensure justice is fully carried out,” he said.
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