Bryan Kohberger changes his mind. Son wants mother's killer back in court. Plus, Missing in America.

July 30, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On Thanksgiving Day 2024, Ryan Willum arrived at his mother Monica McKay’s house for lunch and found her dead in a half-filled bathtub. She didn’t use that bathtub, her son told investigators. That detail set off a chain of evidence that ended with a murder conviction for her estranged husband, a former Marine. But the family’s fight for justice isn’t over. That case is one of several developments covered in this episode of Dateline True Crime Weekly, which also includes a stunning reversal from convicted quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger, updates on the trials of TikTok singer David and Massachusetts mother Lindsey Clancy, and a preview of the latest season of Missing in America.

Bryan Kohberger seeks to withdraw his guilty plea

Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to murdering four University of Idaho students and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences, has filed a petition asking for a “do over.” Kohberger now claims he is innocent and that he was coerced into pleading guilty by his defense attorneys. He argues that his counsel told him “elaborate lies” about life on death row and promised that a life sentence would include contact visits, freedom of movement, and employment — none of which he has received in protective custody, where he is locked down 23 hours a day due to his notoriety.

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What you'll learn

1 (03:19) **Kohberger Seeks to Withdraw Guilty Plea** - Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students, files a petition claiming he was coerced and is innocent.
2 (12:02) **Son Demands Justice in Wrongful Death Trial** - After a former Marine is convicted of murdering his estranged wife, her son files a civil suit to pursue further accountability.
3 (22:11) **Trial Opens for Mother Accused of Killing Children** - Lindsay Clancy’s trial begins in Massachusetts, with the prosecution arguing she acted intentionally while the defense cites a psychotic break.
4 (26:54) **TikTok Singer David Ordered to Stand Trial** - A judge rules that prosecutors have enough evidence to try TikTok star David Anthony Burke for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Revis Hernandez.
5 (28:44) **Preview: The Disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner** - Josh Mankiewicz introduces the latest season of *Dateline: Missing in America*, focusing on a young pregnant woman who vanished from a Montana reservation.
6 Standout Quotes
7 (04:21) "He is a hollow vessel. Something less than a human. A body without empathy. Without remorse. He chose destruction. He chose evil." - A victim's family member at Kohberger's sentencing.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Josh Mankowitz

Show Notes

Bryan Kohberger, convicted of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, petitions to withdraw his guilty plea. In Kansas, former Marine Brian McKay was convicted of stalking and killing his estranged wife, Monica. Now he faces a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her son. In Dateline Round Up, updates in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former delivery nurse accused of murdering her three young children. Hearing continues for singer D4vd, accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas-Hernandez and having a sexual relationship with her. Plus, the disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavy Runner, featured in the new season of Dateline: Missing in America.

Find out more about the cases covered each week here: www.datelinetruecrimeweekly.com.

Dateline: Missing in America Podcast Season 5: https://www.nbcnews.com/datelinemissing.

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