A wrestling teammate accused of killing Kentucky seminarian Josiah Kilman was arrested wearing blood-soaked clothes and admitted to “killing someone,” detectives said during a court hearing Wednesday. said.
Charles “Zeke” Escalera, 21, had a preliminary hearing in Taylor County Court on a charge of murder in the Feb. 24 killing of 18-year-old Kilman.
The Campbellsville University freshman was found dead in his Southeast dorm room, where he lived with three roommates, Campbellsville Detective Jeremy Barton told Judge Mike Hall.
The Campbellsville Police Department announced last month that the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office determined Killman’s cause of death was asphyxia due to manual strangulation. The department has not yet released information about a possible motive for this shocking killing.
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Charles Escalera, 21, was found by Kentucky State Police hiding in a barn after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the death of Josiah Kilman, 18. Campbellsville Police Detectives said he was wearing a white shirt with blood on it. sleeve. (Taylor County Jail)
Escalera lived in the same building – Burton knew Kilman, but said he was usually a “reclusive person” who “didn’t really hang out with the wrestling team.” [or]…In any dorm room. ”
To his knowledge, Mr. Burton said, Mr. Kilman and Mr. Escalera did not have a “rocky relationship.”
About 12 hours after Kilman’s body was recovered in the early morning hours, he was arrested by state police on the property of a farmhouse between Greene and Taylor counties.
Burton said when he was arrested, there was blood on the white sleeve of his shirt and it was sent for forensic examination. The shirt was the same one he was captured wearing on surveillance cameras in his dormitory building.
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A hearing for defendant Charles “Zeke” Escalera was held on March 6, 2024 in Taylor County Court. Attorneys Travis Bewley and Virginia Phelps, shown in gray on the right, represented a college sophomore charged with the murder of Josiah Kilman. (Taylor District Court)
A landowner called to report a trespass and police told them Escalera was on the farm’s property, but when the farmer spotted him, Escalera “ran across,” Burton said in court. Stated. [a] field. ”
The 21-year-old was also charged with theft for breaking into a barn on the farm’s property, according to state police, and the verdict on those charges was sent to a Greene County grand jury. the clerk told FOX News Digital.
Burton said Escalera admitted during an interview with Campbellsville detectives around 6 p.m. on Feb. 24 that he was a fugitive “because he killed someone.” Before hiring a lawyer, Burton said Escalera “described how he performed the strangulation that caused Mr. Kilman’s death.”
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O’Brien Byrd, Killman’s soccer coach since the eighth grade at Columbia Falls High School, said Josiah “always learned how to be kind and gentle and show strength by being kind and gentle to those smaller than him.” I knew it,” he said. (Courtesy of O’Brien Bird)
Burton said Escalera was “slow to react” during the 30-minute interview. Attorney Travis Bewley asked detectives if the engineering student’s response time seemed “weird” or if he was “just taking time to think about the answer.”
On February 20, Bewley announced that Escalera was hospitalized after exhibiting “strange behavior” in the school cafeteria. Campbellsville Police were alerted and Escalera was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
He was released the same day, but Bewley asked the detective if, to his knowledge, Escalera had been released “against medical advice.” He replied that Mr. Barton did not know.
The college wrestler appeared for the hearing via Zoom but did not speak. His attorney did not seek to reduce his $2 million bail.
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Josiah Kilman, 18, was found dead in his dorm room at Campbellsville University in the early hours of February 24th. Charles “Zeke” Escalera, a colleague on the Christian University wrestling team, faces murder charges in his death. (Courtesy of O’Brien Bird)
If the grand jury decides to indict Mr. Escalera on murder charges, his next trial will be scheduled in circuit court.
Killman, a native of Montana, was a gifted athlete who played soccer, lifted weights, and was on his college wrestling team. His friends and family remembered his bright smile, strong Christian faith, and loyalty to his loved ones.
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Tyler Gilfrey, 19, Kilman’s childhood best friend from his hometown. columbia falls, montana, He characterized the slain student as thoughtful, humble, polite and kind. He wrestled with what might have prompted the suspect to commit the “unthinkable” act.
“He wasn’t a guy who started fights, but he was a guy that everyone liked. I could see people being jealous of him for who he was,” Gilfrey told Fox News Digital about Killman. “Somebody who was struggling with themselves to see someone so talented, so outgoing, just such a great human being. That’s all I can think of. No one would want to do that to Josiah. ”
