Police have charged 21-year-old Charles Escalera with the murder of Campbellsville University freshman Josiah Kilman.
Kilman was found unresponsive in his dorm room just after midnight on Feb. 24 and was later declared dead at Taylor Regional Hospital.
According to Taylor County Coroner Daniel Cook, Kilman, 18, died of asphyxia by manual strangulation.
“Our office obviously was notified, and it was through the investigation that we deemed the death suspicious,” said Cook. “A little bit later on, we released to the public that we were looking for a person of interest due to findings through the investigation.”
Police identified Escalera as a person of interest in his murder. Authorities later received a call about “a suspicious male inside a barn” at the Taylor/Green County line. Kentucky State Police say Escalera surrendered without any trouble and admitted to breaking into the barn and taking food.
Escalera was a member of the wrestling team at Campbellsville, where Kilman was his teammate, according to Campbellsville University spokesperson Suzanne Grubesic.
Escalera has officially been charged with murder and second-degree burglary with a bond set at $2 million. A possible motive has not been disclosed.
In a news release on Feb. 25, Campbellsville University President Joseph Hopkins described Kilman as “a beloved member of our community” and a “bright light.”
Kilman’s family described him as “a young, 18-year-old Christian man from Columbia Falls, Montana, who had a passionate heart on fire for the Lord.”
They said Kilman went to the university on a biblical scholarship “with the dreams of leading others to follow the Lord through the Christian principles, of which he himself adhered to.”
“He was well known to many as an avid athlete and faithful religious leader,” his family said. “Josiah influenced many hearts as he was a true example of compassion, kindness, and love.”
The family further asked for privacy to deal with “the devastating loss.”
Seth Russell, a student at Campbellsville University, described Campbellsville as a community where everybody knows everybody. He said customers at a local business have been asking about Josiah.
“I’ve had questions from everybody. People coming in are concerned,” said Russell in an interview with WHAS11. “I don’t know, no one really has any answers, so everyone has the same things to say. But you can tell that everyone needs to talk.”
Russell said he’s in as much disbelief as everyone else as he first met Josiah just days before the murder.
“From the few times I did talk to him, he was awesome,” Russell recalled. “I didn’t really get to meet him very much, which is kind of a weird thing— when you just talk to somebody, and then all of a sudden they’re just gone like that.”
Another student on campus told WHAS11 that classes the following Monday were empty.
“I hate that it takes something like this, but I just hope that we kind of keep an eye out for little things and that we can all come together,” Kadin Switzer said. “Take this to not only be with the wrestling team, but to be with all the people he touched— FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and all the Christian campus activities he was involved in and help bring those together.”
The university reported that professional counseling services are available to students and faculty who are struggling with this loss.
Meanwhile, the investigation is still ongoing.
“At this point, the motive is unknown,” said Campbellsville Police Chief Shannon Wilson. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned. We still got a lot of interviews to do. The investigation is now just beginning.”