William W. “Bill” Thompson will retire as Latah County prosecuting attorney at the end of November after 34 years in office.
Thompson announced his retirement Oct. 6. He was first elected in 1992 and took office on Nov. 9 of that year. He is the longest-serving prosecutor in Latah County history and currently Idaho’s longest-serving elected prosecutor.
Thompson led the case against Bryan Kohberger, who later pleaded guilty.
He had not initially planned to seek reelection to a ninth term in 2024. Thompson’s current term runs through January 2029, and his successor will be selected from names submitted to the Latah County Board of Commissioners.
James Fry, a former Moscow police chief, described Thompson as a dedicated prosecutor with a distinguished career. “Bill has had a phenomenal career and is a brilliant prosecutor who is dedicated to bringing criminals to justice,” Fry said.
Thompson said, “I will be forever grateful.”