Kohberger: I'm Innocent, Want to Take Back Guilty Plea

A year after admitting to killing four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger now says he wants his day in court. The 31-year-old, who is currently serving four life sentences without the chance of parole, has filed a petition to withdraw his guilty plea, telling the New York Times that he is innocent and was misled into confessing.

• "My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn," Kohberger said in a statement given to the Times. Read the full statement.
• In a separate phone interview, his first about the case, Kohberger said he was making an "absolute claim of innocence."

The former criminology student declined to address the extensive physical evidence against him, or to say what new evidence he might present on his behalf. His filing, prepared without a lawyer, reached the court Monday, and he plans to seek appointed counsel. If he is granted a new trial and then convicted, he could face the death penalty. The Idaho Statesman notes that even prisoners who plead guilty are still entitled to seek "post-conviction relief." Kohberger could try to argue he received inadequate legal representation, though he previously told the court he was satisfied with his representation, notes the Statesman.