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Bryan Kohberger has filed repeated prison grievances saying he is being harassed and threatened by inmates, according to new court records obtained by PEOPLE.

The 30-year-old, who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the March 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, has written prison officials asking to be moved to another housing unit for safety reasons.

In a handwritten note, Kohberger said he’s received “minute-by-minute” verbal threats from other inmates since being placed in J Block, which holds high-profile and high-risk offenders, at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. Idaho’s “death row” is also in J Block. Kohberger’s complaints, filed to prison officials within days of his arrival, said fellow prisoners have made sexual assault threats, including comments like, “I’ll b— f— you,” and, “The only a– we’ll be eating is Kohberger’s.”

The Idaho Department of Correction has refused to comment publicly on the case.

“The comments on all three tiers are vile,” Kohberger wrote of the three sections within J Block, which are referred to as “tiers.” “I ask to be transferred to B block asap. B block is a less noisy environment.” Kohberger went on to write, “Tier 2 of J Block is an environment that I wish to transfer from if possible,” he wrote. “I request transfer to B Block immediately. I wish to speak with you soon.” Kohberger added, “It is notable that I have not been engaged in disruptive behavior such as flooding or striking.”

Flooding, a slang term used in prisons for damaging plumbing by clogging toilets or sinks, and striking can refer to a variety of disciplinary actions, including refusing to work, fighting, or other behaviors. Kohberger has been assigned maximum custody status since he was sentenced to life in prison in December.

Guards at the prison said they had heard “multiple derogatory remarks” directed at Kohberger but could not remember the exact words that were used, according to the documents first obtained by PEOPLE.

In a phone interview with PEOPLE after the trial, Kohberger’s attorney, Gregory Silvers, said that his client was “extremely concerned” about being housed in J Block.

As of this week, Kohberger remains in J Block, and it’s not yet clear whether his request will be granted.

The Idaho Department of Correction did not respond to requests for comment from PEOPLE.

Target in Prison?

In the county jail, Kohberger had complained that other prisoners mocked him and one said “you suck” during a video call with his mother.

Another described Kohberger as a “f—ing weirdo” and “ducktalking” at him. But when Kohberger went to a “bullpen” with other inmates, the man who made the threat in the phone call said he wouldn’t have been able to “rob” Kohberger “blind” if he had tried to attack him. “But then there would be something coming back for sure,” the prisoner continued.

Documents unsealed in Kohberger’s trial proceedings also described him as socially awkward, with a “piercing stare” and a “low” social awareness.

Experts tell PEOPLE inmates with those traits are common targets for verbal and other types of abuse. High-profile offenders also tend to have a target on their back, a prison consultant tells PEOPLE.

“In Kohberger’s case, his demeanor only adds to that risk,” the consultant says. “In that facility, he may be at higher risk than most high-profile guys. It sounds like BOP moved Kohberger to Idaho’s death block because that is where they house prisoners that are seen as highly problematic.”

Kohberger is clearly having a hard time, with sources close to the family telling PEOPLE that he has lost weight since he has been in custody for two and a half years. He’s had to adjust to one of the strictest, most secure prisons in the state that houses some of the most notorious offenders, including Chad Daybell, who was sentenced to death on Oct. 27.

It’s possible Kohberger will join him there if his petition to be transferred is denied. The Idaho Department of Corrections has a history of holding death row inmates in the same wing as other prisoners, which officials have defended on the basis of safety. If Kohberger’s housing is transferred, it won’t be his first time moving in prison. Kohberger was moved to J Block, but first started out in D Block. He has filed grievances asking to be moved before, but those were for protection from threats made by prison staff.

Kohberger’s situation has drawn comparisons to Jeffrey Dahmer, the notorious Milwaukee murderer who was killed in prison in 1994 by other prisoners after years of harassment. Kohberger will be at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution for the rest of his life, where he will be under constant supervision. Whether his housing situation will change, though, remains to be seen.