A judge has set two court dates next year for Bryan Kohberger, the man who pleaded guilty in 2025 to the slayings of four University of Idaho students and later filed a petition seeking to withdraw those pleas.
Hearings scheduled for June 2027
In an order dated Wednesday, Judge Steven Hippler, who accepted Kohberger's guilty pleas in July 2025, scheduled a status conference for June 3, 2027, and an evidentiary hearing to begin on June 17, 2027. The evidentiary hearing is set for two days.
Kohberger entered guilty pleas in July 2025 to the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, stemming from a November 2022 attack at an off-campus residence on King Road in Moscow. His plea agreement spared him exposure to the death penalty.
Post-conviction petition and prosecution response
According to court records, Kohberger filed a petition for post-conviction relief seeking to withdraw his guilty pleas. Prosecutors had urged the court to dismiss the petition without holding an evidentiary hearing, but the judge set the two dates instead.
In a handwritten filing dated July 27, 2026, Kohberger asserted that he was "convinced to falsely confess" by members of his defense team and alleged they failed to disclose potentially exculpatory material. The filing points to hair evidence found at the crime scene that, based on a physical analysis, was excluded as belonging to Kohberger.
"convinced to falsely confess"
Context of the original plea
Kohberger’s July 2025 pleas ended a highly publicized prosecution that began with the November 2022 killings of the four students at a rental house near the University of Idaho campus. The plea spared a lengthy capital trial and moved the case to sentencing procedures following acceptance by the court.
The petition for post-conviction relief marks a reversal from Kohberger’s prior admissions. In his handwritten petition, he maintains he did not commit the murders and seeks to undo the plea deal he previously accepted.
What the schedule means
The court’s order gives both sides time to prepare for a status conference and to gather material relevant to the evidentiary hearing. A status conference typically addresses the scope of issues to be heard, discovery disputes, and logistics for the evidentiary proceeding. The two-day hearing in mid-June will allow the court to receive testimony and evidence related to Kohberger’s claims that his plea was coerced and that counsel failed to disclose certain evidence.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 3, 2027 | Status conference |
| June 17, 2027 | Start of two-day evidentiary hearing |
Implications for victims' families and public interest
The filings and the set hearing dates prolong a case that has drawn national attention and deep local impact. The killings devastated the University of Idaho community and prompted questions about safety, criminal investigation practices and defense counsel strategy.
Court rules allow convicted defendants to seek post-conviction relief on grounds such as ineffective assistance of counsel or that a plea was not knowing and voluntary. The prosecution argued the petition should be dismissed without a hearing; the judge’s order indicates he found sufficient grounds to set a hearing.
- July 2025: Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of murder.
- July 27, 2026: Kohberger filed a handwritten petition seeking to withdraw his pleas.
- June 2027: Status conference and two-day evidentiary hearing scheduled.
At this stage, court records show the filings and dates but do not disclose what witnesses will testify or what specific evidence will be presented during the hearing. Kohberger’s new attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to court-related notes provided with the records.
The upcoming proceedings will be closely watched by prosecutors, defense counsel, the families of the victims and the wider Idaho community as the case moves into a contested post-conviction phase.
