Unsealed court filings say Bryan Kohberger’s former defence lawyers believed he struggled to rationally understand adverse court rulings and make major decisions about his defence, including whether to testify or accept a plea deal. The disclosures support his current effort to withdraw his guilty pleas, although his new lawyer stressed they do not necessarily prove he was legally incompetent.

The filings state that Kohberger’s original team sought more time and expert help to assess his understanding before he pleaded guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students in 2025. Judge Steven Hippler later rejected the request for further investigation and ordered the memo unsealed, saying it described general concerns rather than intimate or protected information; Kohberger is now pursuing post-conviction relief.