A college student was arrested hours after another student was found unresponsive in a central Kentucky dorm room early Saturday morning, authorities said.
The Campbellsville Police Department announced that around 5:15 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a call and found Charles E. Escalera, 21, a Campbellsville University student, in a barn. statement.
“Mr. Escalera was taken into custody by the Kentucky State Police and a warrant for his arrest will be issued for murder,” the statement reads in part.
Campbellsville police were searching for Escalera on suspicion of murder during the investigation into the death of 18-year-old college buddy Josiah Malachi Kilman, officials said in an earlier release. statement. Campbellsville University officials said Killman was found unresponsive in his dorm room early Saturday morning and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. statement.
Police responded to a call about Killman being unresponsive around 12:43 a.m. Saturday, according to the statement. “The deceased…was transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office in Louisville for an autopsy,” police said in a statement. (Related: Illegal immigrant with criminal record charged with murder of University of Georgia student)
Charles “Zeke” Escalera was Kentucky's 2017 Fargo Champion and 2018 Wyoming Seminary Prep National Champion…suspected of killing his freshman teammate at Campbellsville University in Kentucky last night. He is currently charged with murder. pic.twitter.com/CO8BJN2YUy
— Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) February 25, 2024
Mr. Kilman's relatives reportedly gofundme Campaign for Killman's family. The campaign has surpassed his current goal of $50,000 at the time of publication.
“The cost alone to transport Josiah from Kentucky to his home state of Montana would have cost over $10,000,” the campaign says. “This does not include burial costs or travel costs to retrieve my son's belongings from his university dormitory.”
Killman was a member Campbellsville University Men's Wrestling Team.
campbellsville university, Christian private universityidentified Escalera as one of its students. statement. The university's main campus was placed on lockdown following Kilman's death, but the lockdown was lifted after Escalera's arrest, the university said in a statement. Said.
— Campbellsville University (@CampbellsvilleU) February 24, 2024
The university announced.Service of hope and healingOther on-campus activities also resumed late Sunday.
Dr. Joseph Hopkins, president of Campbellsville University, described the incident as a “devastating time,” adding that the university was “grieving the loss of a member of our family.” We are heartbroken over the loss of our students,” the statement said.
The incident occurred on February 16, when 25-year-old University of Colorado student Nicholas Jordan was killed on campus by a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, Celie Lane Montgomery, 26, and Samuel Knopp, 24. This follows the incident in which he was allegedly shot to death. Jose Antonio Ybarra is accused of killing Laken Riley, 22, a nursing student at Augusta University, on February 22nd.
