CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (Court TV) — A man who pleaded guilty to murdering a student at a Christian university asked for forgiveness at his sentencing on Thursday.
Charles Escalera appears in court for his sentencing on July 30, 2026. (Court TV)
Charles Escalera, 23, pleaded guilty to murder in the death of Josiah Malachi Kilman, 18, who was found dead in his dorm room in February 2024. Kilman’s death was ruled a homicide caused by manual strangulation, the Taylor County Coroner’s Office said at the time.
Both Escalera and Kilman were students at Campbellsville University, which describes itself as “a Christian institution dedicated to academic excellence, solidly grounded in the liberal arts, fostering integrity and Christian servant-leadership within a caring environment.” While the relationship between the defendant and victim is unclear, the two did have connections to the university’s wrestling team, Law&Crime reported.
In a written statement that prosecutors read aloud on Thursday, Kilman’s mother described her son as full of life and a “hopeless romantic,” who, at age 4, would insist on wearing three-piece suits in the Texas summer just “because he wanted to look nice.”
“His smile could light up any room, and brought warmth to everyone around him,” the victim’s cousin, Paul Brown, said at Thursday’s hearing. “While no sentence can restore what has been taken from us, I respectfully ask that justice be faithfully served.”
Judge Isaac Garb said that he had received 61 letters and emails from the victim’s friends and family before the sentencing hearing. “And I read every one of them,” he said.
Josiah Kilman poses with his car and a pillow. (GoFundMe)
Escalera spoke briefly at the hearing, reading a statement he had written with a message to the victim’s family. “To the parents, brothers and sisters, the grandparents and to all the friends and family of Josiah, there are no words I can say to help comfort or to ease 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 him to help all of Josiah’s good family forgive me and to help ease their pain.”
“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,” Garb said. Since his arrest, Escalera has been a “model prisoner” who has complied with medications and therapy, the judge said.
Garb sentenced Escalera in line with the terms of the plea agreement reached with prosecutors: 40 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after 20 years.
