- calendar_today August 10, 2025
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Bryan Kohberger, the convicted murderer of four University of Idaho students, is requesting to be placed in a new wing of his prison complex. The alleged killer sent the Idaho Department of Corrections a series of handwritten notes complaining that he is being “harassed and threatened” by other prisoners. The 30-year-old former Ph.D. student in criminology is serving a life sentence at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution and has requested to be moved from J Block, which houses the facility’s most dangerous and high-profile inmates, to B Block, which is described as quieter.
According to his notes obtained by People, Kohberger is being subjected to “minute-by-minute verbal harassment” from other prisoners since he arrived in J Block. “Inmates have used extremely graphic words of sexual assault and are quick to say I will be raped once it is my turn,” he wrote, going on to list a number of specific threats from other inmates. One prisoner allegedly told him: “I’ll b— f— you,” while another reportedly said: “The only a– we’ll be eating is Kohberger’s.” Kohberger said the threats started on the second day he arrived in J Block and have continued “nonstop” since.
Prison guards said they had heard the inmates use vulgar language when referring to Kohberger but could not provide further specifics. Kohberger has also written in a different complaint that he is trying to move to another type of administrative segregation, or “ad-seg.” This is a form of protective custody that is meant to protect inmates from outside threats. “Tier 2 of J Block is an environment that I wish to transfer from if possible,” he said. “I request transfer to B Block immediately. I wish to speak with you soon.”
The convicted killer has also written that he has not participated in a number of disciplinary offenses, such as “flooding” or “striking.” In prison slang, flooding can mean deliberately clogging toilets or sinks to cause damage or flooding, while striking can include a refusal to work, fighting or other acts of defiance. Kohberger said he has not engaged in these activities and should be moved “immediately for my safety.” As of Wednesday, however, Kohberger was still in J Block according to prison records and state officials have not confirmed if they will move him.
Bryan Kohberger has faced numerous problems with other inmates since he was first jailed in the county jail last year. In that facility, Kohberger was reportedly bullied by other inmates and, in one case, was able to hear one of them shout “you suck” at him when he was on a video call with his mother. Another said he was a “f—ing weirdo” and claimed that he would have attacked Kohberger if not for a “punishment” from other inmates. Kohberger’s social difficulties have been well-documented; court records say he has a “piercing stare” and “limited social awareness” and described him as socially awkward. Many experts say these factors, combined with his notoriety, have made him a sitting duck.
“When he first got in prison, he had a bullseye on his back,” said Jason Eze, a prison consultant. “He was a high-profile inmate that has some characteristics that make him more vulnerable than others.” Notorious criminals, especially those convicted of violent crimes, are often targeted by other inmates who seek to build a reputation for themselves or put in fear. Kohberger’s behavior has only added to his high profile in prison. “He has that notoriety because of the crime that he was convicted of, but his social awkwardness and his demeanor from what we have seen has also played a part in him being targeted,” Eze added.
Many reports also show that Kohberger has physically changed a lot since his trial last summer. He is reportedly gaunt and has lost a significant amount of weight in the two and a half years he has been in prison. The Idaho Maximum Security Institution is the same prison that houses some of the state’s most notorious criminals. It is also home to Chad Daybell, who was recently moved to death row. Kohberger, who was a relative stranger to the prison community when he first arrived, has had difficulty adjusting to his new home. He has even been compared to Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer who was taunted and harassed in prison for years before being bludgeoned to death by another inmate in 1994.
“I think if he is not moved and other inmates are aware of his situation he could be very much at risk for a similar fate,” Eze added. “It is going to take years for things to calm down.” Kohberger is under constant surveillance by prison officials and is allowed limited privileges in J Block. He is allowed to walk the yard and make a limited number of phone calls, but he is not permitted to interact with other inmates. His requests to be moved to B Block have not been approved, and the state has declined to comment on whether or not Kohberger will be moved.
