Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing on July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)

“Not engaging in any of the recent flooding/striking, as well as being subjected to constant verbal threats/harassment on that and other bases, tier 2 of J-block is an environment that I wish to leave if possible,” Kohberger wrote. “I request transfer to B block immediately. I wish to speak with you soon.”

Prison officials have given no indication that they plan to move him, and his housing status still listed him in J Block as of Wednesday morning.

Experts, however, warn Kohberger arrived at the prison with a target on his back. 

In prison terminology, “flooding” means intentionally clogging sinks, toilets, or fixtures to cause water overflow. It is unclear what “striking” refers to, but it might mean physical assault, refusal to work, or another disciplinary term. The killer is known to lack social skills, apparent from his “piercing stare” and lack of social awareness noted in court filings. In his two and a half years of confinement, he appears to have lost some weight as well.

According to documents made public by the Moscow Police Department in Idaho, Kohberger already has a track record of bumping heads with his fellow inmates. On one occasion, Kohberger turned away from a video chat with his mom to snap at an inmate who yelled “you suck” at a jailhouse TV set. Another inmate described him as a “f—ing weirdo” and claimed he would have assaulted him if he wasn’t worried about repercussions.