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Bryan Kohberger attempted to withdraw his guilty plea for the November 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students just days after Netflix released the trailer for a documentary series on the case, according to documentary producer Joe Berlinger. Kohberger is currently serving four life sentences at the Idaho Maximum Security Penitentiary after entering guilty pleas in July 2025 for the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen.
Timing of the Plea Withdrawal Attempt
According to Newsweek, Berlinger stated that Kohberger filed a handwritten petition on July 27, 2025—just two days before the first trailer for The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare dropped on July 29. Kohberger’s legal filing claimed his attorneys provided ineffective assistance of counsel and argued his guilty plea was involuntary due to unfulfilled promises and threats. The filing arrived ahead of the September deadline for a post-conviction relief review.
“There’s a certain window of time that you can make this appeal, and that window was beginning to close, but I believe the timing is not a coincidence,” Berlinger said in an interview with Newsweek. “Netflix trailers get a massive amount of attention. And suddenly, he’s protesting his plea agreement.”
Labrador responded to the petition by stating that his office is prepared to take necessary steps to ensure justice is maintained. Prosecutors have not yet formally filed a response to Kohberger’s handwritten motion in court.
Focus on Victims in Netflix Docuseries
Berlinger noted that the production team deliberately shifted the focus away from Kohberger to honor the victims and their families. To achieve this victim-centric approach, Berlinger hired director Skye Borgman, known for true-crime documentaries focusing on survivors and the human impact of crimes, such as Abducted in Plain Sight and Girl in the Picture.
“From the beginning, we wanted to center the victims, and we didn’t reach out to his family,” Berlinger said. “We didn’t want to give Kohberger’s family a platform.”
The series addresses the frustration expressed by some victims’ families regarding the plea agreement struck weeks before the scheduled trial. The deal spared Kohberger the death penalty but left prosecutors without a formal public explanation of his motive.
Investigation and Evidence Review
Investigators connected Kohberger, a former graduate criminology student at Washington State University, to the crime scene through DNA evidence, mobile phone data, and surveillance footage. A critical piece of evidence was a leather knife sheath left behind at the Moscow rental home, which carried DNA matching a profile developed from trash outside Kohberger’s family home in Pennsylvania.
Police arrested Kohberger six weeks after the murders at his parents’ residence in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. University records later showed that Washington State University had received complaints regarding Kohberger’s behavior toward female students and staff prior to his arrest.
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