Breakthrough Twist in Idaho Murders: What Was Found in Victim’s Hand?

Bryan Kohberger has claimed, a year on from his sentencing, that a recent "discovery" may prove his innocence in the Idaho murders . Back in July 2025, Kohberger was handed four life sentences for the murders of four University of Idaho students : Madison May Mogen, Kaylee Jade Goncalves, Xana Alexia Kernodle, and Ethan James Chapin in their home. Renewed attention has been brought to the case following the release of Netflix crime documentary The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare on July 29. But now Kohberger , who is serving four life sentences for the crime, is attempting to withdraw the guilty plea that spared him from standing trial, as well as the death penalty. He has requested the withdrawal in a petition for post-conviction relief filed in Idaho’s Fourth Judicial District Court, as reported by People . Kohberger has attempted to withdraw his guilty plea. Credit: Pool / Getty Kohberger's "exculpatory discovery" claim The convicted murderer wrote in the affidavit attached to his petition that his legal team didn't inform him of some key evidence that was turned over by prosecutors in plea discussions. He suggests that this evidence would have changed his decision to plead guilty. Kohberger wrote in the filing: “Namely, clumps of hair found in Ethan Chapin’s hands.” According to a report from the Trace Evidence Unit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in January 2023, results of laboratory testing on evidence found at the crime scene included this information. The report detailed that debris was found in Chapin's right hand, as well as Kernodle's left hand, with their bodies found just mere feet apart. It further added that the debris was “examined for hairs microscopically consistent with hairs in the head hair sample” from Kohberger, but this wasn't found. A filing from his attorney, Anne Taylor, on June 6, 2025, detailed this just one month after Kohberger's plea deal was made with prosecutors. The "clumps of hair" description isn't included in any filings or records, with it instead featuring in the book Broken Plea, which was written by former FBI agent Christ Whitcomb about the murders. Kohberger's petition and affidavit bring up some of the same points made by the former federal agent, as he looked to find the reason for the “unexplained plea”. Whitcomb has claimed since the release of his book in May that the “clumps of hair” in Chapin’s hand had not been tested, as Kohberger claimed there was a “failure of further inquiry” into this evidence. Kohberger was convicted of killing four of the six students living in the house. Credit: @kayleegoncalves / Instagram DNA expert tested hair A court document earlier this year revealed that a DNA expert named Ruth Ballard was hired by Kohberger's defense to test the debris in Chapin's hand. She examined one hair from the right hand” of Chapin, finding it to be “morphologically consistent with Decedent Chapin’s own reference hair.” It is unknown if Kohberger knew of these findings prior to the petition, or if he plans to claim that there were other samples of hair left untested by the FBI or experts. He further argued that he was led to believe whether he was actually guilty was irrelevant when deciding whether to accept the plea agreement. In the filing, Kohberger claimed he was "advised to lie" and told he would secure a "legal victory" by entering what he described as a "false plea". The claims mirror remarks Kohberger recently made during an interview with The New York Times, where he again maintained his innocence and argued he had been manipulated into pleading guilty. "My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn," he said in a statement provided to the newspaper. Featured image credit: Pool / Getty Images.