The Campbellsville University student charged with the murder of another student was in court Wednesday morning.
Charles E. Escalera appeared via Zoom in Taylor County District Court for a preliminary hearing. Escalera is charged with Murder in the death of 18-year-old Josiah Kilman on February 24.
Detective Jeremy Burton with the Campbellsville Police Department was called to testify. Burton said Escalera was interviewed at the police station at around 6:30 p.m. the day of the murder, and after being administered his Miranda rights admitted to taking a life and fleeing the scene. Burton said an audio and video recording of the interview, which lasted about an hour and ended when Escalera requested a lawyer, was recorded.
Burton said surveillance video from the dorm building both Escalera and Kilman lived in showed Escalera enter wearing a backpack and exiting without it, and a backpack belonging to Escalera was found in Kilman’s room.
Burton said there were no known problems between Escalera and Kilman, and there were no other persons of interest in the case. When asked if police had responded to any other incidents at the university involving Escalera, Burton said the CPD was contacted on February 20 regarding an incident in the cafeteria in which Escalera was reportedly acting strangely. Burton said Escalera was taken to the hospital for observation and believed he was released later that day. Burton said the CPD’s investigation is ongoing.
The judge said probable cause existed to present the case to a grand jury. Escalera remains in custody at the Taylor County Detention Center where he is being held on a $2 million bond.
