Kohberger seeks to withdraw Idaho murder plea, experts weigh odds

Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the 2022 Idaho college murders to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to life without parole, has moved to withdraw his plea, claiming ineffective assistance and coercion. Legal experts say post-conviction relief is possible but extremely difficult, since withdrawal after sentencing requires showing manifest injustice or an involuntary/uninformed plea, and the appeal waiver limits traditional routes. Proving false promises or withheld information would require credible new evidence, making success unlikely but not impossible.