Bryan Kohberger Seeks to Disqualify Judge, Move Trial Venue in Bid to Withdraw Guilty Plea

Moscow, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is now fighting to take back his guilty plea, filing motions Thursday to disqualify the judge overseeing his post-conviction proceedings and to relocate the case to a different county.

Kohberger, 31, pleaded guilty last year to four counts of first-degree murder and a felony burglary charge stemming from the deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. All four were students at the University of Idaho when they were killed.

His new court-appointed attorney, Gregory Rauch, filed the motions seeking to have Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler removed from the case and to move the proceedings from Ada County to Latah County, where the murders occurred.

In requesting Hippler's disqualification, Kohberger's defense team argues the judge cannot preside fairly over post-conviction hearings. The motion does not hinge on a single adverse ruling or harsh comment, according to the filing, but rather on what attorneys describe as "the extraordinary convergence of all of them."

The defense points specifically to statements Hippler made during sentencing, including a question about whether Kohberger is capable of telling the truth.

"Do we really believe, after all of this, he is capable of speaking the truth?" the judge said, according to the motion.

Hippler also described Kohberger as a "faceless coward" and "the worst of the worst."

"These statements are fundamentally different from believing Kohberger committed terrible crimes or deserved severe punishment," the motion states. "They are forward-looking judgments about his credibility. And credibility may now be at the center of this proceeding."

Kohberger is now claiming innocence, alleging his former defense team led him to make a false confession. His attorneys contend he deserves a trial, despite the possibility he could face the death penalty if convicted again.

A central pillar of the defense's efforts to remove Hippler involves claims about trial counsel's preparation. Attorneys for Kohberger had previously argued that the capital trial schedule made it impossible to adequately review the massive volume of evidence in the case. They warned the court that proceeding under those conditions threatened Kohberger's constitutional right to effective legal representation. Hippler rejected those claims, accusing the defense of using the discovery volume as a delay tactic rather than a genuine concern.

The venue change request argues the case should return to Latah County, citing that "the convenience of witnesses and the ends of justice would be promoted by the change."

Notably, Kohberger's original criminal trial was relocated to Ada County in 2024 specifically to ensure an impartial jury and adequate courtroom resources. However, his current lawyers argue those concerns are irrelevant to a bench proceeding, which would be decided solely by a judge rather than a jury.

The motions represent the latest development in a case that has drawn national attention since the killings occurred at a rental home near the university campus in the fall of 2022.