MOSCOW, Idaho (Scripps News Boise) — Prosecutors for the case against Bryan Kohberger, charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students, have asked for an increase in funds.
Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a motion hearing regarding a gag order, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho. A judge overseeing the case against Kohberger, charged with killing four University of Idaho students last fall, is set to hear arguments over a gag order that largely bars attorneys and other parties in the case from speaking with news reporters. (Zach Wilkinson/Moscow-Pullman Daily News via AP, Pool)
Latah County Prosecutor, Bill Thompson, submitted a request for a $135,000 budget, a significant increase from the standard $15,000 that the office has as a typical baseline.
Due to the gruesome nature of the crime and its high profile, the prosecution is exercising extreme caution to ensure the case is handled properly.
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The costs of witness travel fees, transcripts, experts’ analyses and testimonies are adding up. Some are even concerned that the $135,000 ask will still not be sufficient in these court proceedings.
Moscow City Council member Sandra Kelly told ABC News, “The cost is astronomical. And of course, you can’t skimp on keeping people safe. Yet, this is just not something you budget for — because it’s something you’d never dream could happen.”
Separately, the defense, provided by the state in compliance with the Sixth Amendment rights of the defendant, also has concerns regarding its budget. Attorney’s fees (consolidated to be close to $400 per hour), plus private investigators and experts’ services are quickly escalating.
MORE: Kaylee Goncalves’ Father Believes Kohberger Motivated by Jealousy
Kohberger is facing four first-degree murder charges and a felony burglary charge in the crime that took the lives of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in November 2022.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin on October 2, 2023.
This comes on the heels of the Lori Vallow Daybell trial, said to have already cost Idaho taxpayers over $3.6 million as reported by East Idaho News.
This story was originally published on June 19, 2023, by KIVI in Boise, an E.W. Scripps Company.
