The former Campbellsville University student accused of killing another student in his dorm room two years ago made a court appearance Tuesday.
Charles “Zeke” Escalera appeared via Zoom from the Taylor County Detention Center before Taylor Circuit Court Judge Kaelin Reed for a pretrial conference. Reed said a records request to Oklahoma, Escalera’s home state, returned a “report of no records.”
Defense attorney Samantha Costello said Escalera’s defense was requesting more time to discuss with the prosecution whether a potential resolution is possible in the case. Judge Reed said the case is eligible for the Kentucky Felony Mediation Program. He scheduled a pre-trial conference for May 5 for the parties to discuss the possibility of mediation.
Escalera is accused of murdering Campbellsville University freshman Josiah Kilman in his dorm room at the university. Kilman was found unresponsive shortly after midnight on February 24, 2024, before being pronounced dead at Taylor Regional Hospital. Escalera faces charges of Murder, third degree Burglary, and second degree charges of Burglary and Fleeing or Evading Police. The case is scheduled to go to trial on July 27.
