WQXE NEWS

The former Campbellsville University student who killed a fellow student in his dorm room in February of 2024 will serve 40 years in prison.

During a sentencing hearing Thursday, 11th Judicial Circuit Judge Kaelin Reed sentenced Charles “Zeke” Escalera to 40 years in the Kentucky Department of Corrections after Escalera pleaded guilty to a Murder charge following mediation on June 28. Escalera was charged with the murder of 18-year-old Josiah M. Kilman.

Reed said the sentencing is in line with recommendations from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office following the mediation session. Under the terms of the sentencing, Escalera will get credit for time served and will be eligible for parole after 20 years.

Reed said during the sentencing hearing: “It’s my estimation, Mr. Escalera, that the events that occurred that gave rise to these charges occurred during what must have been a profound mental health crisis, and while that does not excuse your conduct it does provide some important context as to what happened here.” Reed noted that Escalera had no prior history of violent criminal conduct, and had accepted treatment and remained compliant with prescribed medication since his incarceration. The judge said the negotiated sentence fairly balances Escalera’s work towards rehabilitation with “the extraordinary seriousness of this offense.”

Prior to sentencing, Paul Brown read a victim’s impact statement submitted by Kilman’s father Joe. Kilman said his statement included letters and emails from family, friends, and community members to reflect “the depth of this loss and the enduring impact of a life that was violently taken from us.”

In his own statement prior to sentencing, Escalera said: “There are no words I can say to you and help comfort or give any ease to all the heartache. If I could trade him places, I would in the blink of an eye. If I could just go back to that oh-so-terrible day, and do things so differently. I ask God every day over and over to forgive me, and for help for all of Josiah’s good family to forgive me and to help ease their pain.”

Kilman was found unresponsive in his dorm room at around 12:43 a.m. on February 24, 2024, and was pronounced dead by the Taylor County Coroner’s Office after being transferred to Taylor Regional Hospital. An arrest warrant was issued for Escalera, who was located by police hiding in a barn in Green County at around 5:15 p.m. that day. Theft and Burglary charges that Escalera also faced were dropped as part of the mediation agreement.

The Kentucky Arts Council is accepting applications for the Arts Access Assistance Grant, which supports arts and health programming.

Grants of $2,500 or $5,000 are available through the program, which is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kentucky General Assembly. The program is designed to support the use of art-based strategies to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

The theme for this year’s grant cycle encourages organizations to explore how the arts can support public health, strengthen connection, and improve quality of life. Funds are also available to serve healthcare workers, patients, caregivers, and their families, as well as to engage community members in creative activities.

Kentucky-based arts and cultural organizations and nonprofits partnering with professional artists or arts organizations are welcome to apply. The application deadline is August 24. Visit artscouncil.ky.gov for more information and the application.

A man is dead and a woman injured after an alleged domestic incident Monday.

Hardin County Sheriff John Ward says at approximately 6:25 p.m. on July 27, deputies responded to a residence on the 75 block of Battle Drive in Elizabethtown for a reported domestic disturbance.

“As deputies arrived on the scene, they heard a single gunshot coming from inside the residence,” Ward said. “A short time later, an adult female exited the home, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.”

Deputies rendered aid and secured the area, and the recently-formed Hardin County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was activated for the first time. After making entry and searching the home, team members located an adult male suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“The female victim was transported for medical treatment and was later released.,” Ward said. “The male was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigations Unit.