Idaho University Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger's Taxpayer-Funded Attorney Will Pocket $200 An HOUR For Defense Work
Feb. 16 2023, Published 6:15 p.m. ET
The public defender representing the University of Idaho quadruple murder suspect Bryan Kohberger is expected to make a pretty penny off the case. The taxpayer-funded lawyer is set to take home $200 an hour for her role as his defense attorney, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Kohberger, 28, was accused of killing Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Gonclaves, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at a Moscow, Idaho, off-campus home in the early morning hours of November 13.
Attorney Anne Taylor had already been called out for representing the murder suspect after it was discovered she served as counsel for several of the victim's family members.
Before the brutal quadruple homicide, the suspect's defense attorney represented Xana's mother, Cara Northington, in an unrelated drug charge. Taylor dropped Northington as a client to take on Kohberger's case.
Northington said she felt "betrayed" by the public defender's actions — and discovered the loss of her legal representation when the jailed criminology Ph.D. student was arraigned in court on January 5.
Taylor is now expected to triple her yearly income after taking Kohberger on as a client.
According to the Daily Mail, Taylor will be paid by both Kootenai and Latah counties for work on the case. Kootenai County is expected to pay Taylor for her standard 40-hour work week and Latah County will provide funds to Kootenai for Taylor's expenses.
The agreement, however, only covered Taylor's 40-hour week. Any overtime incurred from the daunting case will be covered by Latah County taxpayers.
Taylor's second chair attorney is also expected to enjoy the plush overtime benefits, earning an hourly rate of $180.
In addition to the public defender's work with Xana's mom, she was accused of having conflicting interests when it was discovered she had also represented Madison's stepmother, Korie Hatrock, months before the murders in June 2022.
Taylor also oversaw a case that involved Madison's father, Benjamin Mogen, in 2020.
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It was alleged that a lack of available public defenders was the cause of Taylor's multiple connections to the multiple victims' loved ones; however, legal experts told the Daily Mail that they were "surprised" by that theory.
To put Taylor's financial gain from representing Kohberger in perspective, the attorney's 2021 salary was $118,866.
Under the $200 hourly rate, Taylor's new yearly income totaled $416,000.
