Pursuing capital punishment for Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho student murders, could add $1 million to the taxpayer burden if he's found guilty, a recent report reveals. Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson informed the court of his intent to seek the death penalty on June 26th, should Kohberger be convicted in the November 2022 killings of the four University of Idaho students.

The financial implications of death row inmates are substantial. Long-term incarceration, coupled with potential medical expenses, significantly increases costs. For instance, Gerald Pizzuto, an Idaho inmate on death row since 1986, has accumulated $1.3 million in medical bills due to various health issues, including terminal cancer, according to the Idaho Statesman. Furthermore, the scarcity of lethal injection drugs has led Idaho to reintroduce the firing squad as an execution method, adding another layer of complexity to the process.

Kohberger, a 28-year-old former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, is accused of fatally stabbing four undergraduates at an off-campus residence near the University of Idaho. He faces charges of burglary and four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Maddie Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. The motive remains undisclosed, but court records suggest Kohberger allegedly surveilled the King Road residence multiple times before the murders and returned after the killings.

Kohberger pleaded not guilty during his May arraignment. He is being held without bail following his arrest in Pennsylvania. The prosecution's decision to pursue the death penalty was anticipated by legal experts, citing the severity of the crime. Kohberger's defense team, however, contests the prosecution's DNA evidence and the use of genetic genealogy, pointing to the presence of other unidentified male DNA at the scene. They also question the significance of a white Hyundai Elantra that authorities link to Kohberger and the murders, asserting a lack of connection between Kohberger and the victims. Prosecutors counter that Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath discovered near one of the victims.