Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students, has revealed in court documents that he was diagnosed with autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in February 2025, before pleading guilty in July. The diagnoses were disclosed in a mental competency waiver obtained by the New York Post, which Kohberger filled out prior to his guilty plea.
Kohberger’s legal team had previously argued that his autism diagnosis could be a mitigating factor, potentially reducing the severity of his sentence. However, a judge denied their request, maintaining the status quo for the sentencing. In July, Kohberger accepted a plea deal, avoiding the death penalty and receiving four consecutive life sentences, plus additional years, a move that divided the victims’ families between those who welcomed closure and those who felt justice was not served.
Digital forensics experts who examined Kohberger’s phone and computer indicated that the criminology Ph.D. student regularly searched for terms like ‘psychopath’ and related phrases, also researching wiretapping and reading in-depth about serial killers on Christmas night. His attorneys had expressed concerns about the use of specific labels, such as ‘psychopath,’ if his case had proceeded to trial.
Kohberger’s guilty plea and the plea deal marked the conclusion of a highly publicized case that has sparked ongoing discussions about the role of mental health diagnoses in criminal sentencing and the balance between justice and mitigation in capital cases. The victims’ families remain divided, with some finding closure in the plea deal, while others continue to advocate for a more severe punishment.