BEEFING UP

Prosecutors Request Funding Spike for Idaho Quadruple-Murder Trial

“We know that it’s not going to be cheap,” said Prosecutor Bill Thompson on the trial.

Prosecutors in the Idaho county where Bryan Kohberger allegedly killed four college students have requested a massive funding increase ahead of the highly-anticipated trial. The Latah County Prosecutor’s office, headed by Bill Thompson, asked the county for $135,000 to handle “trial expenses,” a nine-times increase from the $15,000 he’d requested in years past. The spike is to beef up prosecutors as they try to convict Kohberger, who’s accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin as they slept in a home near the campus of the University of Idaho. Thompson said the extra dough will be used to hire expert witnesses and pay for their travel, as well as other trial expenses—like transcript fees and exhibit displays. “It’s hard to project exactly what’s going to be involved,” Thompson told The Lewiston Tribune. “We know that it’s not going to be cheap.” Kohberger’s trial is slated to begin in October.