What experts say about Bryan Kohberger’s chances of reversing his plea deal

Just over a year ago, Bryan Kohberger, who was accused of killing four University of Idaho students, made a stunning courtroom admission. “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” Judge Steven Hippler asked at a hearing last July. “Yes,” Kohberger said in open court. The admission was astonishing after his defense team had spent years diligently defending him against the charges. But a year after his plea, Kohberger wants to take it back. Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing the four students in their Moscow, Idaho, home in the early hours of November 13, 2022. The victims were Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21. His plea, which he changed just a month before jury selection started in his trial, helped him avoid the death penalty, which is still enforced in Idaho. He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole.