Bryan Kohberger attorneys take drastic action after being labelled 'faceless coward'
Attorneys representing Bryan Kohberger have filed a motion requesting a new venue for future hearings on the case.
Kohberger previously pleaded guilty to murder relating to the deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were all students at the University of Idaho stabbed to death on 13 November 2022. The crimes were recently brought back in to the public psyche through Netflix's The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare.
However the 31-year-old, who is currently serving four life sentences in an Idaho prison, has now expressed a wish to be granted a trial instead, saying in a handwritten note that the guilty plea had not been entered 'knowingly or voluntarily because [it] was induced by unkept promises' as well as 'because of threats asserted by [his] legal counsel'.
Kohberger also claimed in his note that he had 'ineffective assistance of counsel' prior to previously pleading guilty to the crime in July 2025.
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In a drastic step, Kohberger's new attorney Gregory Rauch has filed a motion to bar Judge Steven Hippler from future hearings on the case, as well as changing the venue.
The filing includes claims that Judge Hippler had denied a request for extra time to prepare for the case, even though he had acknowledged concerns raised by the defence that they would not be able to review the case properly before.
Judge Hippler would go on to dismiss those concerns as 'ultimately empty', before accusing the defence team of attempting to delay proceedings.
In the filing, the judge was quoted as asking if Kohberger was 'capable of speaking the truth', and also saying that explanations given by Kohberger would be likely to feature 'self-serving and aggrandizing untruthful bits'.
The defence team has accused Judge Hippler of allegedly displaying bias towards their client, referring specifically to his previously describing Kohberger as 'the worst of the worst' and a 'faceless coward'.
“Those statements do not simply describe Kohberger’s past conduct,” the filing said. “They predict the credibility of his future speech.”
“Those statements are fundamentally different from believing Kohberger committed terrible crimes or deserved severe punishment,” the motion reads. “They are forward-looking judgements about his credibility. And credibility may now be at the center of this proceeding.”
The filing goes on to say: "The question is not merely whether Judge Hippler has formed strong views about Kohberger. The question is whether an informed and reasonable observer could question the impartiality of having the same judge.”
Speaking to PEOPLE, Kohberger's attorney based in New York Jason Goldman claimed that this is not about 'attacking the Court nor asking for special treatment'.
“It would be an inherent conflict for the same presiding judge to decide these very issues,” said Goldman.
Instead, Goldman claimed that the motion to intended to ensure that Kohberger had a 'forum whose impartiality and neutrality cannot be questioned'.
“We intend to let the evidence, the record, and the appropriate legal proceedings speak in due course,” said Goldman. “There is considerably more to come.”
Future hearings for the case are scheduled to take place on 3 June 2027 for a status conference, and a hearing on 17 June 2027.
Topics: US News, Crime, Bryan Kohberger
Kit Roberts