Judge considers request for $50k to study mental health of Nikko Jenkins

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Attorneys for Nikko Jenkins on Tuesday called the hearing "well conducted and very fair." They walked away with a decision in their favor, too, though not for what they were originally what they were there for.

Nikko Jenkins is the man who in 2013 murdered four people in ten days. For those crimes, a three-judge panel sentenced him to the death penalty .

The attorneys for Nikko Jenkins are now asking for $50,000 from the state. This request comes after they secured $7,000 of taxpayer money for a specialist to dig into Jenkins's history.

"The end goal is to find Mr. Jenkins not guilty by reason of insanity," said Brian Munnelly, Nikko Jenkins' attorney. "That he could actually be guilty of these crimes."

Nikko Jenkins' legal team claims that work done by previous attorneys for Jenkins was inadequate. That former counsel didn't follow up on leads related to Jenkins' mental health which could've led to him not being sentenced to the death penalty.

In response, the prosecution argued that this is a "fishing expedition". They also pointed out that the defense did not present in detail what that initial $7,000 got them nor a specific outline of what exactly they'd do with the $50,000.

The judge did not decide on the motion for funding, but he did issue a court order in favor of the defense team, requiring Jenkins' psychiatrist at the correctional facility to comply with interviews with the defense attorneys.

"Sometimes he doesn't want to visit with us," said Munnelly. "Sometimes he's very manic and depressive. And we would like to talk to his psychiatrist to find out what their view is."

Shawna Jenkins, Nikko's wife, speaks to her husband and said that he's had mental illness from a young age and continues to deal with it.

"He shouldn't be put on death row as a mentally ill person...there's things to do other than killing someone you don't know how to deal with," said Jenkins.

When 6 News first reported Jenkins' defense was asking for more funding , Brian Mastre spoke with some family members of victims on the phone.

The mother of Curtis Bradford called him nothing but a "attention seeker." She said she wonders why the families have to "put up with this nonsense at least once a year."

Later this month, the judge will hear more arguments about the funding.