What Bryan Kohberger's Petition Could Actually Cost Him

**Tony Brueski** (0:01)
This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski and Robin Drake.

**Tony Brueski** (0:07)
Let's talk about another fine case. Bryan Kohberger pled guilty to four counts of first degree murder in the Idaho student killings. He stood in court, told the judge he was guilty, signed a nine page questionnaire confirming no one forced him, took four life sentences to avoid the death penalty. Thirteen months later, he filed a handwritten petition claiming his own lawyers scared him into a confession.
Gosh, don't want to scare Bryan. Defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis is with us to help us understand Kohberger's new claims, his demand for a new trial that he's welcoming, and where this goes, if anywhere. But before we really jump into this, I want to talk about this new board game I see that's coming out. I'm really excited about this. This could be fun for the whole family.
It really helps you understand the case more, it helps you understand the law more. I think it really helps us get to see what's going on in the world of Bryan Kohberger from behind bars. It's called Bryan's Board, the board game. I'd like you to take a look before we jump into more discussion of what's going on with the case.

**SPEAKER_3** (1:22)
Are you stuck in a tiny concrete box with nothing to do and absolutely no one who believes you?
Sounds like you need Bryan's Board, the board game where every spin is a new adventure in maximum security fun. Spin the wheel and see what happens. Land on Call The New York Times. Pick up that phone and explain your innocence. In 47 single spaced pages, nobody asked, but here we go. Draw an action card. Politely ask Rufus in Cell Block 3H to stop urinating in your coffee. Good luck with that one. Tell the meme podcaster to stop making jokes about broomsticks and your orifices.
He won't. Read a thesaurus and learn more big words for your next manifesto.
Egregious, mendacious, exculpatory. You'll sound almost as smart as you think you are. But watch out for the Drop The Soap card. If you collect three, you're out of the game. And the other players, they'll have to identify your remains through dental records alone. Oh, and Steve already called dibs on the team. He's making a necklace. Bryan's board comes with a spinning wheel, over 50 action cards, four tiny orange jumpsuits, a miniature cell block game board, and one very small plastic soap. Plea deal not included.
Bryan's board. Fun for the whole cell block.

**Tony Brueski** (3:13)
So happy that, you know, he's doing something. He's doing something behind bars.

**Eric Faddis** (3:19)
I've got a nephew who's got a birthday coming up.

**Tony Brueski** (3:21)
Hey, holidays aren't far off either. You know, this could be one for everybody.
Bryan Kohberger, he stood up in front of that judge. He signed a nine page questionnaire. Are you entering this plea freely and voluntarily? Yes. Are you admitting to all the elements of the crime? Yes. Do you understand you may not be able to withdraw this plea later? Yes. The judge looked at him and asked directly, are you pleading guilty because you're guilty? Yes. That's layers of prosecution designed to prevent exactly what he is trying to do now.
Why does he think none of that matters?

**Eric Faddis** (4:07)
You know, I wonder if when you get in that jailhouse law library or you get access to legal books, your mind, your imagination can really wander and you can start to dream and you could say, hey, this case has one passing similarity to mine. This must be applicable. Oh, I've been wronged. I'm going to actually get out of here. This is and then you forget about like the reality, the transcript from that plea hearing, the witnesses, the judge, all of that.
You know, that's what's going to hold substantial weight in a courtroom and not, you know, sort of your dreams while you're sitting in that cell.

**Tony Brueski** (4:45)
Yeah, it's when you saw the handwritten letter that he sent and that he also typed to the New York Times and then he sent the one to the court. Now he has a new attorney assigned to him. It wasn't filed by an attorney, it was filed by him after spending time in the law library and writing more notes like a serial killer does.
What was your reaction when you saw that? Were you surprised at all that Kohberger is trying to pull this? Were you surprised that there's no actual attorney behind that letter because no attorney may actually... Would an attorney get behind him signing any of this that's not legally assigned to him by law to be a new representative? What was your take on all of that?