Bryan Kohberger, who admitted stabbing four University of Idaho students to death and has already burned through more than $8 million in taxpayer funds, just got another publicly funded attorney — this time to help him undo his own guilty plea while the families of his victims are left waiting for finality that never comes.
The numbers tell the story ordinary Americans are forced to underwrite. An Idaho Statesman analysis found the investigation, prosecution, and defense of Kohberger has cost taxpayers over $8 million. His publicly funded defense alone accounts for nearly $5.5 million of that — including roughly $2.8 million from Latah County before October 2024 and another $2.65 million after the state took over. His attorneys have collectively pulled in more than $980,000 since the transition to the statewide system, according to public records reviewed by the Statesman. Now the meter starts running again.
Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler granted Kohberger's request for court-appointed counsel under Idaho's post-conviction relief statute, directing the Idaho State Public Defender to appoint an attorney for all post-conviction proceedings. The order came days after Kohberger filed a handwritten petition claiming he was
