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Bryan Kohberger, the man who was convicted in the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, has complained to prison officials numerous times from his cell that he is being bullied and threatened by other inmates. Kohberger, 30, is a former Ph.D. student in criminology who was sentenced last month to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In recent weeks, he has submitted written requests to be moved to a different prison unit where he feels he would be safer.

Per court documents obtained exclusively by People, Kohberger, who is being held at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, wrote in his requests that he has been subject to “minute-by-minute” verbal threats since being assigned to J Block. The unit is home to the prison’s most high-profile and high-risk inmates, including its death row. In the notes, Kohberger, who was convicted in November, alleged that other prisoners in the unit have threatened to sexually assault him, with one man saying, “I’ll b— f— you,” and another saying, “The only a– we’ll be eating is Kohberger’s.”

The requests, first filed within days of his arrival at the prison, included at least two specific incidents. Kohberger first alerted prison staff on his second day in J Block, then filed another complaint about seven days later. Guards confirmed they heard “unsavory language” directed at Kohberger but could not recall specific language.

In the handwritten request, Kohberger asked for a transfer to another unit called B Block, which he described as “quieter.” “Tier 2 of J Block is an environment that I wish to transfer from if possible,” Kohberger wrote. “I request transfer to B Block immediately. I wish to speak with you soon.” Kohberger’s notes added he had not engaged in any misconduct in prison, pointing specifically that he had not been involved in “flooding” or “striking.” Flooding is prison slang for actions such as jamming toilets or sinks with feces to cause an inordinate amount of damage, while striking can refer to a range of rule-breaking conduct such as refusing work or fighting.

Kohberger remains in J Block as of this week. His request for transfer is unclear. An official with the Idaho Department of Correction has declined to comment publicly on the matter.

A Known Target

Kohberger’s difficulties with other prisoners predate his current incarceration. During his initial stay at a county jail last year, other inmates taunted him, including one who screamed “you suck” during a video call with his mother. In another note shared with guards, an inmate told Kohberger he was a “f—ing weirdo” and that he would “straight up kill him” but refrained because of possible repercussions.

Documents filed during Kohberger’s trial also characterized him as awkward and socially unaware. He was described as having “a piercing stare,” a “surly disposition” and “social acuity that is less than that of the average person.” Experts say those traits coupled with the notoriety of the murder case have made Kohberger a predictable target for other inmates. “High-profile offenders almost always have a target on their back,” one prison consultant said. “In Kohberger’s case, his demeanor only adds to that risk.”

Kohberger has lost weight over the past two and a half years in custody, and his transition into Idaho’s most restrictive facility has not been an easy one. At the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, Kohberger is housed alongside some of the state’s most notorious criminals, including Chad Daybell, who was recently sentenced to death. For Kohberger, the persistent threats and bullying have led some to make comparisons to Jeffrey Dahmer, who was killed by another inmate at a Wisconsin prison in 1994 after years of being targeted by his fellow inmates.

Kohberger will spend the rest of his life at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where he is subject to close monitoring. It is unknown at this time if the latest requests for relocation will be honored, but the complaints indicate he is under constant verbal attack and that his presence in J Block is already attracting unwanted attention. For now, it is unclear where he will ultimately spend the rest of his life in prison. What is known for certain is that his notoriety, coupled with his awkward mannerisms and the gruesome nature of his crimes, has made him a target in one of the most secure prisons in the state.