21-year-old Charles E. Escalera has been arrested following the death of 18-year-old Josiah Malachi Kilman.
Campbellsville University in Kentucky was shook over the weekend when the lifeless body of an 18-year-old college student Josiah Malachi Kilman was found in his dorm room. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, has resulted in the arrest of 21-year-old Charles E. Escalera, a fellow student at the university.
Campbellsville Police Department informed through a press release that Kilman was found "unresponsive" in his dorm room and was subsequently transferred to Taylor Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted by the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office is pending, and no official cause of death has been confirmed.
Following the discovery of Kilman's body, an arrest warrant was issued following the discovery for Escalera in connection with the incident. Escalera was last seen in the parking lot of a Lowe’s in Campbellsville. Subsequently, the Campbellsville University campus was placed on lockdown, with students ordered to "shelter in place" as authorities conducted a search for Escalera.
The situation came to a conclusion when Escalera was apprehended by Kentucky State Police after being reported as a "suspicious male inside a barn." He was arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently being held at the Taylor County Detention Center.
In response to the tragedy, Campbellsville University President Dr. Joseph Hopkins expressed condolences, stating, “Campbellsville University is grieving the loss of one of our family. We have lost a student and our hearts are broken."
He continued, "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, we will continue to implement every measure necessary to protect and support students and our community."
As the university community grapples with the loss, students like Malte Akmam expressed shock and sorrow. "I think everyone is shocked by what happened yesterday. It's kind of hard to [grasp] what really happened, but we're trying to stay safe now and take care of each other," Akmam told local news outlet LEX18.
Josiah Malachi Kilman, originally from Montana, was a member of the university's men's wrestling team, according to the school's website.