From the Lewiston Tribune
MOSCOW — The employment records of former University of Idaho psychology professor Ernesto Bustamante will be released Wednesday, two months after he killed graduate student Katy Benoit.
UI President Duane Nellis will discuss the records at a 1 p.m. news conference at the Student Union Building.
A judge cleared the way Oct. 3 for the release of Bustamante’s records after several news organizations including the Idaho Statesman, the Lewiston Tribune, the Spokesman-Review and the Associated Press filed formal requests for their release.
In his ruling, 2nd District Judge John R. Stegner cited an overriding public interest in disclosing the documents to allow people to make their own judgments about how the university handled the Benoit case.
Bustamante shot Benoit Aug. 22 at her off-campus residence three days after he resigned from the university, then killed himself early the next morning.
Benoit had been in a romantic relationship with Bustamante, but filed a sexual harassment complaint with the university after he made several violent threats against her.
The UI already has released Benoit’s student records, which included a detailed timeline of the events and actions around her case. A similar timeline is expected to be included in Wednesday’s release.
The Bustamante records may reveal the nature of his resignation, whether other students filed complaints against him, whether the university knew about his apparent mental health issues and whether it knew that he reportedly carried concealed weapons on campus.
From the Lewiston Tribune
