Man sentenced to 4 decades in prison for university dorm room murder

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CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (WKYT) - A Campbellsville University student was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for the murder of a fellow student in a campus dorm room.

Charles Escalera, who was 21 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty last month to the murder of 18-year-old Josiah Kilman. Escalera had been in jail for nearly two and a half years awaiting resolution of the case.

Sentence handed down in Taylor County

A Taylor County judge announced the sentence Thursday after reading more than 60 letters submitted by Kilman’s family and friends.

“Under Kentucky law you are not eligible for probation. It is therefore the judgement of this court that you are sentenced to 40 years in the custody of the Kentucky Department of Corrections,” the judge said.

The judge also stated a belief that a mental health crisis played a role in the crime. The motive and full circumstances of the killing have not been disclosed.

Victim’s family speaks at hearing

Most of Kilman’s family is based in Montana. Paul Brown, a cousin of the victim, traveled to Taylor County to address the court.

“The ripple effect of this tragedy has caused immeasurable emotional pain….and heartache,” Brown said.

Kilman’s parents watched the sentencing via Zoom. A victim’s advocate read a statement from Kilman’s mother during the hearing.

“Every moment I have shared things over and over again in my mind. I replay his life every single day. And I always will,” the statement read.

Escalera addresses the court

Escalera spoke during the hearing and asked Kilman’s family for forgiveness.

“If I could trade 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,” Escalera said.

He also acknowledged that no words could bring comfort to the family.

Both Escalera and Kilman had been members of Campbellsville University’s wrestling team. Because Escalera pleaded guilty, the Commonwealth agreed to drop the other charges against him.