Local Government

Moscow City Faces Record Public Records Requests

Saturday, August 8, 2026

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Moscow city government is receiving hundreds of public records requests monthly related to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, according to City Administrator Bill Belknap. The city is on pace to receive more than 2,100 requests in 2026, compared to fewer than 1,000 annually from 2020-2022. In July alone, 243 requests were received, including 41 on one Monday.

Belknap stated the workload has strained staff, causing delays in delivering records to requesters. He plans to ask the city council to hire a temporary legal assistant, as the city has left other positions vacant due to budget constraints. Over 85% of requests concern the murders of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen, for which Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025. Belknap noted requests have not declined since the conviction, with continued media attention including new documentaries and books.

📄 Source: Moscow-Pullman Daily News — https://www.dnews.com/rss.xml

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Moscow city government is receiving hundreds of public records requests monthly related to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students“The Moscow city government is receiving hundreds of public records requests each month related to the 2022 Moscow murders, according to a city official.”
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City Administrator Bill Belknap stated the city is on pace to receive more than 2,100 requests in 2026“According to City Administrator Bill Belknap, Moscow is on pace to receive more than 2,100 public records requests this year.”
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The city is receiving fewer than 1,000 annually from 2020-2022“For comparison, it received less than 1,000 requests per year from 2020 to 2022, according to data shared by Belknap.”
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In July alone, 243 requests were received“In July alone, the city received 243 requests.”
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41 requests were received on one Monday“It received 41 requests just on Monday, Belknap said.”
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Belknap stated the workload has strained staff“Belknap said the workload of processing these records has strained his staff and caused them to fall behind on the timeline for delivering them to the requester.”
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Belknap plans to ask the city council to hire a temporary legal assistant“That is why Belknap plans to ask the city council for permission to hire a temporary legal assistant to process public records.”
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The city has left other positions vacant due to budget constraints“This comes at a time when the city has left other city positions vacant in recent years because of budget constraints.”
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Over 85% of requests concern the murders of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen“Belknap estimated 85% to 90% of these requests are related to the Nov. 13, 2022, murders of University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen.”
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Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 for the murders“Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty and was sentenced for those murders in July 2025.”
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Requests have not declined since the conviction“Belknap was hoping the public records requests would begin to decline following Kohberger’s conviction, but they have not.”
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Belknap noted continued media attention including new documentaries and books“Belknap said the continued media attention surrounding the case, including new documentaries and books that ”