Nancy Grace Passionately Rejects Bryan Kohberger's Claim of Innocence: 'He Needs the Death Penalty'

Nancy Grace appeared on Fox News' Hannity to strongly reject Bryan Kohberger's sudden claims of innocence.

Kohberger, a 31-year-old former criminology student serving four consecutive fixed life sentences without parole for the November 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, originally pleaded guilty in July 2025 to avoid a trial and the death penalty.

However, in July, he filed a handwritten petition to withdraw his guilty plea, maintaining his absolute innocence and demanding a trial, claiming his legal team misled him and "convinced him to confess falsely."

He called a New York Times reporter to assert an "absolute claim of innocence" ahead of his September appeal deadline.

The host of “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” slammed Kohberger’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea, declaring, "If there ever was a death penalty case, it's Bryan Kohberger.”

Grace challenged Kohberger's push for a trial, stating that prosecutors should give him exactly what he is asking for so the truth can be fully exposed in court.

“Bring it on,” the crime podcaster exclaimed. "If there was ever a death penalty case, it's Bryan Kohberger. I agree with one thing Bryan Kohberger said in his self-styled petition. He says justice was not served. And amen, brother. It was not served because he needs the death penalty.”

She highlighted the indisputable forensic link against him, citing his DNA left on the knife sheath with a statistical probability of 5.67 octillion to one.

Grace detailed the horrific slaughter of the four University of Idaho students in their beds to emphasize why he deserves capital punishment.

Kohberger's post-conviction relief petition outlines specific pieces of evidence he claims his lawyers mismanaged, triggering strong, defiant reactions from the victims' families.

In his handwritten affidavit, Kohberger argued his legal team provided "ineffective assistance" by withholding and failing to investigate exculpatory evidence.

Kohberger focused on unidentified hairs found underneath victim Ethan Chapin's right hand.

The hairs were affixed to the bedframe by dried blood. Forensic experts previously retained by the defense noted these hairs did not match Kohberger, and he claims his team failed to pursue this lead.

The petition references a three-person DNA mixture found under Madison Mogen's fingernails. He claims his lawyers falsely led him to believe that actual guilt or innocence was irrelevant to his decision on a plea.

He alleges his high-profile attorneys used threats and "blatant disinformation" to scare him into falsely confessing to capital murder just to take the death penalty off the table.

The families of the victims — who were initially split when Kohberger accepted the July 2025 plea deal to receive four consecutive life sentences — have responded with exhaustion and fierce determination.

Kaylee Goncalves’ family, who vehemently opposed the initial plea deal because it spared Kohberger's life, released a scathing statement.

They slammed Kohberger as "the mosquito you just can't seem to swat.”

Her father, Steve Goncalves, stated they are completely unafraid of a trial: "An actual trial this time? Let’s go!" They express full confidence that a jury will convict him and send him to death row.

While previously supporting the plea deal to embark on a path of hope and healing without decades of appeals, the Chapin and Mogen families are forced back into the legal spotlight.

The Latah County Prosecutor's Office formally offered condolences to the families, calling Kohberger's petition a cruel attempt to "further victimize" the grieving families. They stated they are fully prepared to defend the convictions aggressively.