State has spent $6 million in taxpayer money on Walmart shooting case so far

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 requested and obtained documents from the El Paso County Auditor's Office detailing how much the state has spent on the Walmart shooting case so far. The amount totals nearly $6 million.

The cost of Walmart shooter Patrick Crusius' defense so far is $3,991,864.12. ABC-7 is reaching out to find out if that money comes from local or state funds. The documents also show the El Paso District Attorney's Office has recorded $29,868.92 in District Attorney General Fund expenditures. Two grants obtained by the DA, meanwhile, have covered $1,905,886.37 of the prosecution's costs as of May 12, 2025. That grant comes from state funds, according to the documents. The total cost reflected in the documents equals $5,927,619.41.

ABC-7 previously reported on the cost of the case in 2023, when the state's case was still underway. The state case ended last month with an emotional day in court. Victims and their families were provided the opportunity to address Crusius directly after he pleaded guilty. Crusius will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

ABC-7 has also reached out to the office of the judge who presided over the federal case to learn about the costs of that case and are still waiting to hear back. We had reached out to the judge in 2023 when the federal case ended.

Read through all of the documents obtained by ABC-7 below.