Bryan Kohberger's post-conviction relief bid enabled by flawed plea deal, psychologist argues
The forensic psychologist who publicly warned last year that Bryan Kohberger's plea agreement was part of the killer's calculated "long game" plans is arguing that prosecutors missed a critical opportunity by not requiring Kohberger to fully explain the Idaho student murders as part of the deal, leaving him room to reshape his story as he returns to court despite waiving his right to appeal.
"It was a real mistake and series of heavy mistakes by the DA's office to enter into this deal, because now here we are, putting the victims through all this again with having gotten nothing," said Dr. Kris Mohandie, a police and forensic psychologist and expert on violent behavior.
Kohberger, who took a deal to escape the potential death penalty, is serving four consecutive sentences of life without the chance of parole, plus another 10 years.
Last month, however, he filed a petition for post-conviction relief, claiming that he had ineffective counsel and that he'd been misled — while insisting that he's innocent of the murders.
Police found his DNA on a knife sheath recovered from the crime scene, in a bed with two of the four University of Idaho students Kohberger admitted to killing in a July 2025 change of plea hearing.
Mohandie said prosecutors should have required Kohberger to provide a full account of the killings before accepting the plea, even if, as Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said after sentencing, they believed he would lie.
"Well, that's a lame excuse, in my opinion, because at least you've got him admitting something," Mohandie said. "This way, he can pull back and say, 'I didn't admit to doing anything...I said nothing. There are no stories or statements related to me. And I was coerced into this. I had terrible counsel.' It enables him to have a complete playing field for him to dance around. With now an infinite array of lies. So pin him to a story is part of why you do this."
Mohandie said the absence of any detailed confession now gives Kohberger room to challenge the case while forcing victims' families to relive the proceedings.
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"It was ill-conceived, it was poorly designed, and at the end of the day, you know the victims are being re-traumatized by all of this," he said.
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The psychologist also argued that Kohberger's handwritten post-conviction petition and attempts to regain the spotlight for himself are consistent with the personality traits he has long associated with the convicted killer.
"First and foremost is his desire to get away with things and to outsmart the system, and I do believe that notoriety and fueling his notoriety, continuing to fuel that, is the secondary gain as well," Mohandie said.
Illustrating that was Kohberger's decision to call a reporter from prison before filing the petition, he said.
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"He is a common archetype, if you will," Mohandie said. "He's not special, but he believes he's special, which is the commonality among these people — the belief that you're special when you're not; the belief that you're smarter than other people and can outwit them."
Mohandie said that's why he believes the public should resist looking at killers as fascinating figures.
"They are terrible people and monsters," he said.