Netflix‘s newest documentary, The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, which premiered July 29, revisits the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students as Bryan Kohberger seeks to withdraw his guilty plea in the case. Despite extensive access to investigative documents, police bodycam footage, and people connected to the case, the documentary does not identify an alleged motive for Kohberger’s killings.

Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025, in connection with the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. However, days before the documentary’s release, he sought to withdraw that plea.

The New York Times reported that Kohberger submitted a statement declaring his intention to plead not guilty, writing, “I hereby declare my intention to enter a not guilty plea, and welcome the state the opportunity to prove their case at trial, as well as to, again, file for the death penalty.”

According to Tudum, director Skye Borgman stated the questions about Kohberger that were yet to be answered. He said, “Even [though] the perpetrator has confessed, people still don’t think he did it. People still blame the roommates. People still blame [Kaylee’s ex-boyfriend] Jack. People still think that these people who clearly had nothing to do with it had something to do with it. ”

 

The documentary examines Kohberger’s background through interviews, archival material, and investigative records. It also features interviews with surviving roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, along with family members and friends of the victims, discussing the aftermath of the killings.

Kohberger’s defense has challenged the accounts of Mortensen and Funke, arguing they waited about eight hours before calling 911 after realizing someone had entered the home, according to CNN.

People previously reported that Funke expressed guilt over not contacting authorities sooner.

The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare includes interviews with two of the victims’ surviving roommates, along with friends and family, about the aftermath of the discovery.

The series also includes police bodycam footage of officers who first responded to the scene. Viewers saw a glimpse of the initial reaction that law enforcement officers had when they discovered the bodies in the preview that Netflix published. 

The documentary’s release and Kohberger’s latest court filing lead social media users to think that Kohberger is guilty. While some have suggested that the plea be rejected, others believe that the plea itself could delay an execution, if not stop it completely.

One user wrote, “Dude needs to be put to death already.” Another user stated, “No take backs. He pled guilty. End of story.” A third comment read, “Media obsession with the perpetrator gets so gross so fast.”

Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available.