September 23, 2025 • 20 mins
A campus wrestling star found strangled in his dorm room. On February 24, 2024, Campbellsville University in Kentucky was shaken by the death of 18-year-old Josiah Kilman. A theology major and standout athlete, Josiah was known for his faith, leadership, and kindness. At first, the case looked like a mystery with no clear answers. But as investigators pieced together the evidence, they uncovered a suspect far closer than anyone on campus could have imagined.
In this episode of Murder U Podcast, we follow Josiah’s journey from Montana to Campbellsville, where his promising future ended far too soon. We trace the frantic manhunt, the stunning confession, and the questions about motive and mental health that still linger. From a community in mourning to a family clinging to faith, this is the story of a young man’s life cut short and a campus forever changed.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
In this episode of Murder U Podcast, we follow Josiah’s journey from Montana to Campbellsville, where his promising future ended far too soon. We trace the frantic manhunt, the stunning confession, and the questions about motive and mental health that still linger. From a community in mourning to a family clinging to faith, this is the story of a young man’s life cut short and a campus forever changed.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Just after midnight on a February night, an urgent nine
to one to one call is taken at the dispatch
center in Campbellsville, Kentucky. A college freshman had been found
unresponsive in his dorm room.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
At first, it.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Seems like the kind of call dispatchers here often a
student found passed out after a night of partying. But
when first responders arrived, they discovered something more sinister. Eighteen
year old Josiah Killman had been strangled to death, and
investigators were left wondering who could have overpowered a member
of the wrestling team ab nor Be. Hey, what's up everyone,
(00:40):
I'm your host, Mattie and this is Murder You. Thanks
for listening last week and for checking out the new
Murder U YouTube channel. If you haven't yet, smashed that
follow and subscribe button and share the show with your friends.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
It's the best way to help us reach even more
true crime fans.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Each week, the cases get darker, the truths more unsettling.
A star college athlete is found strangled in his norm
the wrestling team murder Welcome to Murder You, an Abnormia
original on February twenty fourth, twenty twenty four, Campbellsville University,
(01:33):
a small Christian college in the heart of Kentucky, became
the center of a murder investigation. Josiah Killman was a
freshman theology student, a star wrestler, and the kind of
young man parents hoped their sons become. But that night,
his promising future ended in his dorm room. As investigators
began to unravel what happened, they found themselves facing an
(01:57):
unsettling truth. Josiah's killer was the last person he'd ever suspect.
Josiah Malachi Killman was born on August twenty fifth, two
thousand and five, to Joseph and Jessica Killman in Columbia Falls, Montana.
The second youngest of five, Josiah found his place in sports.
(02:17):
He lettered in soccer, baseball, and wrestling, served as soccer captain,
and placed fourth nationally in wrestling. He also helped guide
his wrestling and soccer teams to state titles. Josiah was
a star athlete, but also a renowned team player and
all around nice guy.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Off the field, Josiah.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Loved Montana's outdoors. He spent weekends hiking local trails, fishing
with his brothers, and chasing sunsets over the Flathead River.
At home, he was quick to jump in on family
game nights or help his mom with dinner. Friends remember
him as the first to crack a joke and the
last to leave when someone needed a hand. He formed
(02:57):
strong bonds with people and was off the grounding force
among his more raucous peers. That didn't mean Josiah didn't
know how to have fun. He was always seeking out
adventures and hoping to create lasting memories. Josiah was a
classic extrovert, making friends wherever he went. He valued the
relationships he made and prided himself on being someone his
(03:20):
family could count on.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
His high school soccer.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Coach O'Brien Byrd thought highly of Josiah, stating he was
physically strong. He was an unbelievable wrestler, and he had
this physical power about him. Yet he was kind, he
was gentle, and he didn't abuse that power. He realized
he was in a position of strength and it was
strength to be gentle. He also described Josiah as the
(03:48):
ultimate good guy, the superhero you know, a full blooded
American teenage boy, a rascal like we all are. In
those years, he liked to pull pranks, and tell jokes.
It was just like all of his friends in that regard,
But he had such great leadership characteristics. He always was
able to say the hard things to his buddies. In
(04:09):
society today, kids are afraid to speak up and say
things that are unpopular, but Josiah never had an issue
with that. He would say what they needed to hear.
The Killmans were devoted to their Christian faith, and Josiah
carried that same conviction. As Coach Bird put it, Josiah
often pushed his friends to make better choices, a mindset
(04:29):
deeply rooted in his beliefs. When Josiah graduated from high
school in twenty twenty three, his cap didn't carry a
joke or trendy quote. It simply read Seek Jesus. Faith
wasn't just part of his life, it was his compass.
He wanted to guide others too, so he planned to
become a pastor after college. When he was accepted to
(04:52):
Campbellsville University on a biblical scholarship, he chose theology as
his major without hesitation. Campbell's Ville's president, doctor Joe Hopkins,
believed it was a perfect fit for Josiah. He said
he just felt that was the match for him. I
think it was the combination of the Christian mission and
a championship wrestling team he wanted to be a part of.
(05:15):
But Josiah would never get the chance to walk across
that stage, lead his first sermon, or sing hymns with
his own congregation, because in late February twenty twenty four,
the calm of campus life was about to shatter. Eighty
six miles southeast of Louisville, Campbellsville University is a private
Christian institution in central Kentucky, occupying ninety five acres of land.
(05:40):
The cou website describes the area as mild and relaxed,
presenting it as a perfect spot for young people to explore.
It's also one of the most affordable universities in the US,
with many graduates walking away with low or no financial debt.
In twenty twenty three, the student population was just over
(06:00):
twelve thousand students. By all accounts, Campbellsville University is a
safe and secure environment in which to pursue an education,
But when first responders were called to Josiah Killman's dorm
room on February twenty fourth, twenty twenty four, that piece
was shattered.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Responding to a.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Nine to one to one call, the authorities found Josiah
unresponsive in his dorm at twelve forty three am. First
responders rushed Josiah to Taylor Regional Hospital as they attempted
to revive him, but unfortunately, at one twenty eight am,
the eighteen year old was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, investigators knew
(06:41):
they were dealing with more than just an accidental death,
so they secured the dorm room and began questioning potential witnesses.
They learned that just days before Josiah was found in
his dorm, Campbellsville Campus police responded to an unsettling call
at Winter's dining Hall. A student had been acting strangely
(07:01):
enough that staff were worried about his well being as
well as the safety of others. Officers escorted the man
to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. However, by
that afternoon, he was released and life on campus seemed
to return to normal.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
In the first critical hours.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Detectives questioned Josiah's friends and teammates, inquiring about his dating life,
recent breakups, and whether anyone might have harbored a grudge.
They learned that Josiah hadn't been seeing anyone seriously, and
by all accounts, he had no enemies. The inquiry went
cold almost as soon as it began. Detectives were left
(07:41):
puzzling over how a star wrestler, strong, disciplined, and trained
to resist holds could have been overpowered so completely. There
were few signs of a struggle other than the manner
of death. They searched Josiah's possessions for any clues and
came across a backpack that didn't belong to Josiah or
any of his three roommates. Inside the backpack, they discovered
(08:04):
a laptop and an ID belonging to a twenty one
year old engineering student named Charles Escalera. They reviewed security
camera footage from the building's lobby and observed that Escalera
entered the South Hall dorm building at ten fifty five
pm with a backpack and exited at eleven forty nine
pm without it. Armed with a search warrant, authorities embarked
(08:27):
on a seventeen hour long man hunt to find Escalera.
They discovered through more surveillance footage that at around three
thirty a m. That night, he'd been spotted inside a
local Walmart. The video captured him stealing shoes to replace
the ones he was wearing. He also stole a backpack, underwear, socks,
a jacket, a sweatshirt, and more. They knew Escalera could
(08:52):
be dangerous, and the theft was proof he planned to flee.
At around ten am that day, Campbellsville University released an
official update and finally placed the school on lockdown. In
the statement, school officials urged students to heighten precautions, secure
their dorm rooms, lock their vehicles, and remain vigilant since
(09:12):
a killer was still on the loose. University president doctor
Joseph Hopkins said, Campbellsville University is grieving the loss of
one of our family. We have lost a student and
our hearts are broken. During this devastating time, the continued
safety of our students and the residents of our community
are our primary concern. With consultation from local law enforcement,
(09:35):
we will continue to implement every measure necessary to protect
and support students and our community. While students and faculty
anxiously awaited information about the suspect's apprehension, authorities learned everything
they could about Charles Escalera. They learned that he usually
went by the name Zeke and lived in the same
building as Josiah, but on a different floor, and they
(09:59):
had more than just their proximity to each other in common.
The two young men were also on the university's wrestling
team together. Escalera was described as secluded, showing little interest
in socializing with classmates.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
He didn't bond with.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
His teammates like Josiah did, but nonetheless he was an
excellent wrestler. At the age of fourteen, he won the
one hundred and six pound state wrestling title for Union County.
Being exceptional athletes at a young age was something Charles
and Josiah had in common. According to one acquaintance, Escalera
had wrestled at Campbellsville in twenty twenty one and twenty
(10:36):
twenty two, but left the university and moved out of
Kentucky for undisclosed reasons. But when his wrestling coach reached
out and asked him to return to the team, he
packed up and came back to Campbellsville for the twenty
twenty three twenty twenty four school year. He'd only been
back for a month. Gosh, it makes you wonder if
Charles Escalera left the team for mental health reasons. That's justation,
(11:01):
but something was going on, and there are so many
unanswered questions. The death of Josiah Killman is one of
those cases where the motive behind the killing remains a mystery.
There have been no reports of any bad blood between
Escalera and Killmen. Campbellsville detective Jeremy Burton said no one he.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Spoke too new of the two young.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Men having an acrimonious relationship.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
So what happened that night?
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Investigators got a better idea when the autopsy report of
Josiah's body came back at around one pm that day.
He died from asphyxia due to manual strangulation, meaning someone
choked him to death. There were no signs of a
prolonged fight or defensive wounds, suggesting the attack may have
been swift and possibly caught Josiah off guard. Detectives expressed
(11:49):
puzzlement about how a strong, disciplined, trained athlete could be
overpowered and killed inside his own dorm room. After seventeen
hours of searching, reviewing CCTV footage, and scrambling to catch
Josiah's killer before he got away, investigators got the break
they needed at five twenty four pm, Green County Dispatch
(12:11):
receives a report of a suspicious person near a barn
on the county line. The man reported the unknown person
lurking around his property, and police arrived to find Charles
Zeke Escalera hiding in the barn, the sleeves of his
shirt still bloody. He was arrested without incident and brought
in for questioning. While being questioned, Escalera admitted to the
(12:33):
murder three times. Detective Burton said the first time he admitted,
he said, I'll admit to it, and then halfway through
he described how he provided the strangulation that caused mister
Kilman to become deceased, and then towards the end he
stated that he was a fugitive because he had killed
a man. Escalera was arraigned on February twenty sixth, and
(12:55):
the judge set his bond at two million dollars. Despite
confessing to the murder during police questioning, He later pleaded
not guilty after being assigned a public defender. In May,
he faces charges of second degree murder, burglary, and fleeing police.
Investigators say that while on the run, he broke into
a family's home and stole food. He remains in custody,
(13:19):
now held on a reduced one million dollar bond while
awaiting trial. The biggest question in this case is simple
but haunting. Why Why did Charles Escalera attack Josiah Killman.
Was their tension between them some kind of team rivalry
they couldn't settle on the wrestling mat Their team was
(13:40):
just days away from competing for a NAIA national championship.
Was there something going on behind the scenes that no
one else knew about? Was the attack planned or did
Escalera just snap? Was Josiah the intended target or just
in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tyler Guilfree,
Josiah's childhood friend, said that Josiah wasn't the dude to
(14:04):
start fights, but he was a dude that everybody liked.
I can see someone getting jealous over him just being himself,
Gilfrey added, someone who was struggling with themselves seeing someone
so outstanding and outgoing, just a great human being. Escala
and Kilmen couldn't have been more different. Josiah was outgoing, talkative,
(14:26):
and magnetic, evident in photos where he was flashing a
smile or celebrating a sports victory. Escala, by contrast, always
had a blank stare with sad, glassy eyes in almost
every photograph. The contrast between them was striking. As one
former acquaintance wrote on Reddit, I actually interacted with Zeke
(14:49):
on a few occasions, and other than being a quiet,
socially awkward guy, he seemed semi normal, maybe a bit
burnt out. The mugshot of him circulating online is pretty
much how he always looked, kind of dead inside. The
person claimed to be a friend of Escalera's girlfriend and
said he met Escalera during the wrestler's time away from Campbellsville,
(15:10):
adding it freaks me out a little bit to think
that a murderer was in my car at one point,
and I spent the night with a murderer in the
room across from mine. But at the same time, I
don't even think Zeke knew that he was capable of
murder either. Details of what happened inside Josiah's dorm room
remained limited, but just days before the murder, Escalera was
(15:32):
hospitalized after an incident in the campus cafeteria. He was
released the same day. Some now wonder if it was
part of a more profound mental health decline and possibly
connected to why he left the university in the first place.
Wrestling coach Frankie James later said, in the month that
Escalera was here, we recognized he was having some mental
(15:54):
health issues. We worked hard to make sure those university
resources were available to him. Immediately following the murder, Campbellsville
University canceled all campus events and sports for the day.
They also encouraged students to reach out to the counseling
center and pray in the campus chapel. However, according to James,
(16:16):
Escalera was seeking help and the available resources were insufficient
to prevent a tragedy. In his interview, he went on
to say he used those university resources and those university
resources failed him. James said that interview took place at
the start of the new school year, not long after
James was unexpectedly fired from his role as head wrestling coach.
(16:39):
The university cited his interactions with the team after the
tragedy as the reason for his dismissal, though no specifics
were given. James later said he was blindsided by the
decision and believed he was let go for emotionally supporting
his athletes in the aftermath. During the man hunt for Escalera,
(16:59):
some of his wrestlers even took shelter in his home.
Weeks later, the team went on to compete in the
NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship. They placed sixth overall, their
highest finish since twenty seventeen, and dedicated the performance to
Josiah's memory. James had invited Escalera back to the team
(17:21):
earlier that school year, but the university gave no indication
that decision factored into his dismissal. Still, after leading the
Tigers through one of the most difficult seasons in program history,
James was fired, barred from campus, and prohibited from contacting
current students.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
He later claimed the university.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Was more focused on protecting its image than facing what
the team had been through. From coach Frankie James to
the students of Campbellsville University to the Kilman family, the
ripple effects of Charles Escalera's actions were felt deeply. Josiah's
death marked the fourth campus related killing in just ten days,
following the February sixteenth murders of Samuel Knopp and ceely
(18:04):
Rain Montgomery at the University of Colorado and the February
twenty second killing of Lackinriiley near Augusta University.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Needless to say.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
College campuses did not feel like a safe place to be.
In February twenty twenty four, Tyler Gilfrey responded to the
feelings of unease as a college student by protecting himself
and the people around him a little more, locking his
doors and ensuring his friends don't go out alone. Josiah's
high school soccer coach O'Brien Byrd said of the campus murders,
(18:36):
I hope to God this isn't a pattern worth seeing,
but I also think that this could happen to everybody anywhere,
no matter the campus. Each of these murders left behind
a senseless loss, and students across the country felt the impact.
Campbellsville University president doctor Joe Hopkins addressed the tragedy, saying,
(18:57):
our community has prayed for every family involved in this,
for Zeke's family, for Josiah's family, for the families of
roommates and friends shattered by this. It has been devastating
for all of us. The Killman family created a GoFundMe
to cover the costs of transporting Josiah's body and to
cover the expenses of a proper funeral service in his
(19:20):
Montana hometown. They raised over fifty thousand dollars from their community.
Mere days after his son's murder, Joseph's father, Joseph Killman,
spoke at Ransdell Chapel on campus, stating, if Josiah was
standing here right now, if he had the opportunity to
speak to you, he would talk to you about forgiveness.
(19:41):
Everyone in this room and Campbellsville University as a whole.
I challenge you, as Josiah would have challenged. L challenge
you to be bold, pick up your cross and go
seek the lost.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
And love them and love them and love them.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Thank you for listening to this episode of Murder. You
and remember, if you or someone you know is struggling
with mental health in the United States, help is available.
You can reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling
or texting nine eight eight anytime day or night. It's free, confidential,
and staffed by trained counselors.
Just after midnight on a February night, an urgent nine
to one to one call is taken at the dispatch
center in Campbellsville, Kentucky. A college freshman had been found
unresponsive in his dorm room.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
At first, it.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Seems like the kind of call dispatchers here often a
student found passed out after a night of partying. But
when first responders arrived, they discovered something more sinister. Eighteen
year old Josiah Killman had been strangled to death, and
investigators were left wondering who could have overpowered a member
of the wrestling team ab nor Be. Hey, what's up everyone,
(00:40):
I'm your host, Mattie and this is Murder You. Thanks
for listening last week and for checking out the new
Murder U YouTube channel. If you haven't yet, smashed that
follow and subscribe button and share the show with your friends.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
It's the best way to help us reach even more
true crime fans.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Each week, the cases get darker, the truths more unsettling.
A star college athlete is found strangled in his norm
the wrestling team murder Welcome to Murder You, an Abnormia
original on February twenty fourth, twenty twenty four, Campbellsville University,
(01:33):
a small Christian college in the heart of Kentucky, became
the center of a murder investigation. Josiah Killman was a
freshman theology student, a star wrestler, and the kind of
young man parents hoped their sons become. But that night,
his promising future ended in his dorm room. As investigators
began to unravel what happened, they found themselves facing an
(01:57):
unsettling truth. Josiah's killer was the last person he'd ever suspect.
Josiah Malachi Killman was born on August twenty fifth, two
thousand and five, to Joseph and Jessica Killman in Columbia Falls, Montana.
The second youngest of five, Josiah found his place in sports.
(02:17):
He lettered in soccer, baseball, and wrestling, served as soccer captain,
and placed fourth nationally in wrestling. He also helped guide
his wrestling and soccer teams to state titles. Josiah was
a star athlete, but also a renowned team player and
all around nice guy.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Off the field, Josiah.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Loved Montana's outdoors. He spent weekends hiking local trails, fishing
with his brothers, and chasing sunsets over the Flathead River.
At home, he was quick to jump in on family
game nights or help his mom with dinner. Friends remember
him as the first to crack a joke and the
last to leave when someone needed a hand. He formed
(02:57):
strong bonds with people and was off the grounding force
among his more raucous peers. That didn't mean Josiah didn't
know how to have fun. He was always seeking out
adventures and hoping to create lasting memories. Josiah was a
classic extrovert, making friends wherever he went. He valued the
relationships he made and prided himself on being someone his
(03:20):
family could count on.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
His high school soccer.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Coach O'Brien Byrd thought highly of Josiah, stating he was
physically strong. He was an unbelievable wrestler, and he had
this physical power about him. Yet he was kind, he
was gentle, and he didn't abuse that power. He realized
he was in a position of strength and it was
strength to be gentle. He also described Josiah as the
(03:48):
ultimate good guy, the superhero you know, a full blooded
American teenage boy, a rascal like we all are. In
those years, he liked to pull pranks, and tell jokes.
It was just like all of his friends in that regard,
But he had such great leadership characteristics. He always was
able to say the hard things to his buddies. In
(04:09):
society today, kids are afraid to speak up and say
things that are unpopular, but Josiah never had an issue
with that. He would say what they needed to hear.
The Killmans were devoted to their Christian faith, and Josiah
carried that same conviction. As Coach Bird put it, Josiah
often pushed his friends to make better choices, a mindset
(04:29):
deeply rooted in his beliefs. When Josiah graduated from high
school in twenty twenty three, his cap didn't carry a
joke or trendy quote. It simply read Seek Jesus. Faith
wasn't just part of his life, it was his compass.
He wanted to guide others too, so he planned to
become a pastor after college. When he was accepted to
(04:52):
Campbellsville University on a biblical scholarship, he chose theology as
his major without hesitation. Campbell's Ville's president, doctor Joe Hopkins,
believed it was a perfect fit for Josiah. He said
he just felt that was the match for him. I
think it was the combination of the Christian mission and
a championship wrestling team he wanted to be a part of.
(05:15):
But Josiah would never get the chance to walk across
that stage, lead his first sermon, or sing hymns with
his own congregation, because in late February twenty twenty four,
the calm of campus life was about to shatter. Eighty
six miles southeast of Louisville, Campbellsville University is a private
Christian institution in central Kentucky, occupying ninety five acres of land.
(05:40):
The cou website describes the area as mild and relaxed,
presenting it as a perfect spot for young people to explore.
It's also one of the most affordable universities in the US,
with many graduates walking away with low or no financial debt.
In twenty twenty three, the student population was just over
(06:00):
twelve thousand students. By all accounts, Campbellsville University is a
safe and secure environment in which to pursue an education,
But when first responders were called to Josiah Killman's dorm
room on February twenty fourth, twenty twenty four, that piece
was shattered.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Responding to a.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Nine to one to one call, the authorities found Josiah
unresponsive in his dorm at twelve forty three am. First
responders rushed Josiah to Taylor Regional Hospital as they attempted
to revive him, but unfortunately, at one twenty eight am,
the eighteen year old was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, investigators knew
(06:41):
they were dealing with more than just an accidental death,
so they secured the dorm room and began questioning potential witnesses.
They learned that just days before Josiah was found in
his dorm, Campbellsville Campus police responded to an unsettling call
at Winter's dining Hall. A student had been acting strangely
(07:01):
enough that staff were worried about his well being as
well as the safety of others. Officers escorted the man
to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. However, by
that afternoon, he was released and life on campus seemed
to return to normal.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
In the first critical hours.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Detectives questioned Josiah's friends and teammates, inquiring about his dating life,
recent breakups, and whether anyone might have harbored a grudge.
They learned that Josiah hadn't been seeing anyone seriously, and
by all accounts, he had no enemies. The inquiry went
cold almost as soon as it began. Detectives were left
(07:41):
puzzling over how a star wrestler, strong, disciplined, and trained
to resist holds could have been overpowered so completely. There
were few signs of a struggle other than the manner
of death. They searched Josiah's possessions for any clues and
came across a backpack that didn't belong to Josiah or
any of his three roommates. Inside the backpack, they discovered
(08:04):
a laptop and an ID belonging to a twenty one
year old engineering student named Charles Escalera. They reviewed security
camera footage from the building's lobby and observed that Escalera
entered the South Hall dorm building at ten fifty five
pm with a backpack and exited at eleven forty nine
pm without it. Armed with a search warrant, authorities embarked
(08:27):
on a seventeen hour long man hunt to find Escalera.
They discovered through more surveillance footage that at around three
thirty a m. That night, he'd been spotted inside a
local Walmart. The video captured him stealing shoes to replace
the ones he was wearing. He also stole a backpack, underwear, socks,
a jacket, a sweatshirt, and more. They knew Escalera could
(08:52):
be dangerous, and the theft was proof he planned to flee.
At around ten am that day, Campbellsville University released an
official update and finally placed the school on lockdown. In
the statement, school officials urged students to heighten precautions, secure
their dorm rooms, lock their vehicles, and remain vigilant since
(09:12):
a killer was still on the loose. University president doctor
Joseph Hopkins said, Campbellsville University is grieving the loss of
one of our family. We have lost a student and
our hearts are broken. During this devastating time, the continued
safety of our students and the residents of our community
are our primary concern. With consultation from local law enforcement,
(09:35):
we will continue to implement every measure necessary to protect
and support students and our community. While students and faculty
anxiously awaited information about the suspect's apprehension, authorities learned everything
they could about Charles Escalera. They learned that he usually
went by the name Zeke and lived in the same
building as Josiah, but on a different floor, and they
(09:59):
had more than just their proximity to each other in common.
The two young men were also on the university's wrestling
team together. Escalera was described as secluded, showing little interest
in socializing with classmates.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
He didn't bond with.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
His teammates like Josiah did, but nonetheless he was an
excellent wrestler. At the age of fourteen, he won the
one hundred and six pound state wrestling title for Union County.
Being exceptional athletes at a young age was something Charles
and Josiah had in common. According to one acquaintance, Escalera
had wrestled at Campbellsville in twenty twenty one and twenty
(10:36):
twenty two, but left the university and moved out of
Kentucky for undisclosed reasons. But when his wrestling coach reached
out and asked him to return to the team, he
packed up and came back to Campbellsville for the twenty
twenty three twenty twenty four school year. He'd only been
back for a month. Gosh, it makes you wonder if
Charles Escalera left the team for mental health reasons. That's justation,
(11:01):
but something was going on, and there are so many
unanswered questions. The death of Josiah Killman is one of
those cases where the motive behind the killing remains a mystery.
There have been no reports of any bad blood between
Escalera and Killmen. Campbellsville detective Jeremy Burton said no one he.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Spoke too new of the two young.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Men having an acrimonious relationship.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
So what happened that night?
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Investigators got a better idea when the autopsy report of
Josiah's body came back at around one pm that day.
He died from asphyxia due to manual strangulation, meaning someone
choked him to death. There were no signs of a
prolonged fight or defensive wounds, suggesting the attack may have
been swift and possibly caught Josiah off guard. Detectives expressed
(11:49):
puzzlement about how a strong, disciplined, trained athlete could be
overpowered and killed inside his own dorm room. After seventeen
hours of searching, reviewing CCTV footage, and scrambling to catch
Josiah's killer before he got away, investigators got the break
they needed at five twenty four pm, Green County Dispatch
(12:11):
receives a report of a suspicious person near a barn
on the county line. The man reported the unknown person
lurking around his property, and police arrived to find Charles
Zeke Escalera hiding in the barn, the sleeves of his
shirt still bloody. He was arrested without incident and brought
in for questioning. While being questioned, Escalera admitted to the
(12:33):
murder three times. Detective Burton said the first time he admitted,
he said, I'll admit to it, and then halfway through
he described how he provided the strangulation that caused mister
Kilman to become deceased, and then towards the end he
stated that he was a fugitive because he had killed
a man. Escalera was arraigned on February twenty sixth, and
(12:55):
the judge set his bond at two million dollars. Despite
confessing to the murder during police questioning, He later pleaded
not guilty after being assigned a public defender. In May,
he faces charges of second degree murder, burglary, and fleeing police.
Investigators say that while on the run, he broke into
a family's home and stole food. He remains in custody,
(13:19):
now held on a reduced one million dollar bond while
awaiting trial. The biggest question in this case is simple
but haunting. Why Why did Charles Escalera attack Josiah Killman.
Was their tension between them some kind of team rivalry
they couldn't settle on the wrestling mat Their team was
(13:40):
just days away from competing for a NAIA national championship.
Was there something going on behind the scenes that no
one else knew about? Was the attack planned or did
Escalera just snap? Was Josiah the intended target or just
in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tyler Guilfree,
Josiah's childhood friend, said that Josiah wasn't the dude to
(14:04):
start fights, but he was a dude that everybody liked.
I can see someone getting jealous over him just being himself,
Gilfrey added, someone who was struggling with themselves seeing someone
so outstanding and outgoing, just a great human being. Escala
and Kilmen couldn't have been more different. Josiah was outgoing, talkative,
(14:26):
and magnetic, evident in photos where he was flashing a
smile or celebrating a sports victory. Escala, by contrast, always
had a blank stare with sad, glassy eyes in almost
every photograph. The contrast between them was striking. As one
former acquaintance wrote on Reddit, I actually interacted with Zeke
(14:49):
on a few occasions, and other than being a quiet,
socially awkward guy, he seemed semi normal, maybe a bit
burnt out. The mugshot of him circulating online is pretty
much how he always looked, kind of dead inside. The
person claimed to be a friend of Escalera's girlfriend and
said he met Escalera during the wrestler's time away from Campbellsville,
(15:10):
adding it freaks me out a little bit to think
that a murderer was in my car at one point,
and I spent the night with a murderer in the
room across from mine. But at the same time, I
don't even think Zeke knew that he was capable of
murder either. Details of what happened inside Josiah's dorm room
remained limited, but just days before the murder, Escalera was
(15:32):
hospitalized after an incident in the campus cafeteria. He was
released the same day. Some now wonder if it was
part of a more profound mental health decline and possibly
connected to why he left the university in the first place.
Wrestling coach Frankie James later said, in the month that
Escalera was here, we recognized he was having some mental
(15:54):
health issues. We worked hard to make sure those university
resources were available to him. Immediately following the murder, Campbellsville
University canceled all campus events and sports for the day.
They also encouraged students to reach out to the counseling
center and pray in the campus chapel. However, according to James,
(16:16):
Escalera was seeking help and the available resources were insufficient
to prevent a tragedy. In his interview, he went on
to say he used those university resources and those university
resources failed him. James said that interview took place at
the start of the new school year, not long after
James was unexpectedly fired from his role as head wrestling coach.
(16:39):
The university cited his interactions with the team after the
tragedy as the reason for his dismissal, though no specifics
were given. James later said he was blindsided by the
decision and believed he was let go for emotionally supporting
his athletes in the aftermath. During the man hunt for Escalera,
(16:59):
some of his wrestlers even took shelter in his home.
Weeks later, the team went on to compete in the
NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship. They placed sixth overall, their
highest finish since twenty seventeen, and dedicated the performance to
Josiah's memory. James had invited Escalera back to the team
(17:21):
earlier that school year, but the university gave no indication
that decision factored into his dismissal. Still, after leading the
Tigers through one of the most difficult seasons in program history,
James was fired, barred from campus, and prohibited from contacting
current students.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
He later claimed the university.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Was more focused on protecting its image than facing what
the team had been through. From coach Frankie James to
the students of Campbellsville University to the Kilman family, the
ripple effects of Charles Escalera's actions were felt deeply. Josiah's
death marked the fourth campus related killing in just ten days,
following the February sixteenth murders of Samuel Knopp and ceely
(18:04):
Rain Montgomery at the University of Colorado and the February
twenty second killing of Lackinriiley near Augusta University.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Needless to say.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
College campuses did not feel like a safe place to be.
In February twenty twenty four, Tyler Gilfrey responded to the
feelings of unease as a college student by protecting himself
and the people around him a little more, locking his
doors and ensuring his friends don't go out alone. Josiah's
high school soccer coach O'Brien Byrd said of the campus murders,
(18:36):
I hope to God this isn't a pattern worth seeing,
but I also think that this could happen to everybody anywhere,
no matter the campus. Each of these murders left behind
a senseless loss, and students across the country felt the impact.
Campbellsville University president doctor Joe Hopkins addressed the tragedy, saying,
(18:57):
our community has prayed for every family involved in this,
for Zeke's family, for Josiah's family, for the families of
roommates and friends shattered by this. It has been devastating
for all of us. The Killman family created a GoFundMe
to cover the costs of transporting Josiah's body and to
cover the expenses of a proper funeral service in his
(19:20):
Montana hometown. They raised over fifty thousand dollars from their community.
Mere days after his son's murder, Joseph's father, Joseph Killman,
spoke at Ransdell Chapel on campus, stating, if Josiah was
standing here right now, if he had the opportunity to
speak to you, he would talk to you about forgiveness.
(19:41):
Everyone in this room and Campbellsville University as a whole.
I challenge you, as Josiah would have challenged. L challenge
you to be bold, pick up your cross and go
seek the lost.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
And love them and love them and love them.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Thank you for listening to this episode of Murder. You
and remember, if you or someone you know is struggling
with mental health in the United States, help is available.
You can reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling
or texting nine eight eight anytime day or night. It's free, confidential,
and staffed by trained counselors.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.