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In his short life, Bryan Kohberger has been a target, both figuratively and literally. It’s been well documented that Kohberger, a 30-year-old former Ph.D. student of criminology, has been taunted and threatened by other inmates since his sentencing for the slayings of four University of Idaho students.

The targets are figurative in the sense that Kohberger is one of the highest-profile convicts in Idaho history, which means that as a convicted killer, he’s already a marked man. He’s also a target in the literal sense, as prisoners have verbally assaulted him almost daily since he was placed in the Maximum Security Institution in June. In fact, he has sent at least a dozen handwritten complaints to the Idaho Department of Correction alleging the repeated threats against him.

In documents recently obtained by People, Kohberger formally asked to be moved from J Block, the housing unit in the Idaho Maximum Security Institution that is home to the most notorious, high-risk offenders, many of them on death row. Kohberger told prison officials he wanted to be transferred to B Block. “I am writing this letter to let you know that I am currently being placed under minute by minute verbal abuse,” Kohberger wrote in the letter. “I am aware that a couple of people have threatened me with graphic descriptions of sexual assault, but it doesn’t stop there. In general, my words are echoed as an insult at every moment possible.”

He added: “The abuse began the second day I was assigned to J Block. After seven days, I wrote a letter informing you of an additional verbal threat that I had received. One offender stated, ‘I’ll b— f— you,’ and another stated, ‘The only a– we’ll be eating is Kohberger’s.’”

Guards at the facility have acknowledged that they heard inmates making “derogatory comments” toward Kohberger but did not recall the specifics. “As I continue the SPI phase,” Kohberger wrote in his latest letter, using prison slang for “administrative segregation,” a housing status that’s essentially a protective custody arrangement that the prison provides for inmates in certain circumstances who need protection from other prisoners. Kohberger continued, “I wish to inquire with you to discuss if I may be transferred to another ad-seg setting.” “Tier 2 of J Block is an environment that I wish to transfer from if possible. I request transfer to B Block immediately. I wish to speak with you soon,” he added.

Kohberger also wrote, “In this letter, I do not want to flood or strike.” Flooding is one of the most common types of inmate misbehavior, and it usually involves offenders using duct tape or other materials to clog sinks or toilets in their cells, resulting in water damage. Striking is another common tactic and often means refusing to work or be moved to a different unit, but it can also include a range of violent and nonviolent acts, from riots to assaults to self-harm.

State officials have not indicated whether Kohberger will be moved. They also did not respond to an email on Thursday. A search of prison records revealed that Kohberger is still in J Block as of Wednesday.

Kohberger has long been at the center of unwanted attention. In fact, it has been well reported that Kohberger was mocked almost constantly while he was in jail awaiting trial, including on multiple video calls with his mother. One of the inmates who confronted him stated that he was a “f—ing weirdo.” Another went as far as to say that he was sorry he couldn’t attack Kohberger, “but then I would be stuck up there too,” he added.

Legal experts who have been in touch with BI are of the opinion that his personality, which has been described as socially awkward by those who know him and a “piercing stare” by those in court documents, have made him a ripe target among the other inmates, though the notoriety of his case could not have helped him in this regard either. “High-profile offenders nearly always have a target on their back,” one prison consultant said. “In Kohberger’s case, his personality makes him stand out even more.”

He has been pale, rail thin and emaciated since his conviction two and a half years ago. Kohberger’s confinement in the most secure facility in the state, which is also home to death row inmate Chad Daybell, means he is one of the most high-profile inmates in the state and, therefore, a magnet for other high-risk offenders. It’s also one of the most populated — that means more potential targets for trouble.

That is what makes Kohberger similar to Jeffrey Dahmer, a convicted serial killer who was murdered in prison after years of harassment. Dahmer was beaten and stabbed to death in 1994. One prison expert warns that Kohberger is on a similar path. “It’s only a matter of time unless he is moved to a different unit,” one consultant stated. “It doesn’t have to be physical. In fact, the mental and emotional abuse might be much worse.”

Sources close to BI state that he will remain in J Block until his death, likely without the possibility of parole. Idaho officials have not commented on his security status, citing safety reasons. “I think it’s clear he’s getting bullied,” a prison consultant familiar with the situation told BI. “And it’s public. He’s living on this.”

He’s also likely to live with the shadows of his crime for the rest of his life.