A wrestler from Campbellsville University in central Kentucky has been charged with murder following the death of a teammate.
According to the Associated Press, sophomore Charles Escalera, 21, is being held on $2 million bond after a state autopsy determined that freshman Josiah Kilman, 18, had been strangled. Kilman was pronounced dead at a hospital after police were called early Saturday morning after he was found unresponsive in his dorm room, the university said.
Police and school officials said Escalera, a pre-engineering major from Moore, Oklahoma, was arrested Saturday evening following a report of a suspicious person in a barn.
The arrest document said Escalera admitted to breaking into a residence and taking food, and he's also facing a charge of second-degree burglary. Police said Monday that a motive for Kilman's death remains undetermined. Escalera's arraignment was continued to March 6.
Kilman was a theology major from Columbia Falls, Montana. His family said in a statement that he had a "passionate heart on fire for the Lord" and he hoped to lead others to follow God, per WLEX-TV.
"Josiah influenced many hearts as he was a true example of compassion, kindness, and love," the family said. "His example compelled so many others to make the same changes he wished to see in the world, and his impact on their lives will never truly be forgotten."
Campbellsville University President Joseph Hopkins said in a statement that Kilman was a "bright light, and a person of incredible hope." Hopkins said he met with the wrestling team and coaches on Sunday and prayed with them.
"I told them the wrestling team is about to get much bigger as you, our staff, students, and this community, stand with them over the coming days and months," he said in his statement.
Campbellsville is a private Christian university that enrolls about 1,200 students on campus and 11,000 systemwide.
