Father of slain Christian college student urges forgiveness after dorm room killing

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Father of slain Kentucky Christian college student urges son’s classmates to choose forgiveness

Joe Kilman, father of slain 18-year-old college wrestler Josiah Kilman, asked his son’s classmates to "choose forgiveness" as they grieved the teen’s dorm room murder. (Credit: Campbellsville University Chapel/Youtube)

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The father of a freshman athlete strangled to death last month in his dorm room at a Kentucky Christian university asked his son’s classmates to choose forgiveness because “it’s the center of what Jesus is.” 

Josiah Kilman, 18, was found dead in his dorm at Campbellsville University just before 1 a.m. on Feb. 24. He died of manual strangulation, according to a preliminary autopsy report from the state’s medical examiner.

Charles “Zeke” Escalera, 21, a sophomore engineering student who was also a member of the school’s wrestling team, faces a murder charge in his killing. 

The victim’s father, Joe Kilman, asked students assembled at the school’s chapel last Wednesday to yell out the emotions they were feeling in the wake of the loss of the “amazing young man.” 

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Josiah Kilman, 18, was found dead in his dorm room at Campbellsville University in the early hours of Feb. 24. Charles “Zeke” Escalera, a fellow member of the Christian university’s wrestling team, faces a murder charge in his death. (Provided by O’Brien Byrd)

Among students’ responses yelled from the crowd were “anger,” “sadness,” “mad,” “confusion,” “frustration,” “guilty,” “broken,” “emptiness” and “unforgiveness.”

The elder Kilman told the students that he had “felt every single one of those emotions simultaneously since the moment [he] got the phone call.” 

“Emotions are one thing,” Kilman said during the service, which was recorded and posted to the school’s YouTube account. “We have choices in life. Forgiveness is something I didn’t hear because it’s not an emotion – it’s a choice.”

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Joe Kilman, left, the father of slain college wrestler Josiah Kilman, asked his son’s Campbellsville University classmates to “choose forgiveness” as they grieve. At right is athletic admissions counselor Travis McIntosh. (Campbellsville University Chapel/Youtube)

“I challenge you to choose forgiveness, because in that forgiveness, we become the light of Jesus,” the father continued. “If Josiah was standing here right now, if he had the opportunity to come speak to you, he would talk to you about forgiveness.” 

“Unforgiveness, that’s a curse. It comes with things you don’t want, things you don’t need. Josiah would’ve sat here and challenged you. For the life of Josiah, I challenge you,” the teen’s father said.

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Travis McIntosh, the school’s athletics admissions counselor, spoke to the gathered students about the younger Kilman’s character and impact on campus.

“When I first met him, the second day of school, I was instantly intrigued,” McIntosh said. “Even in the brightest room, he was the brightest light. The young man showed me nothing else in this world matters but spreading the gospel and leading people to Jesus Christ. He touched a lot of people in this room and in this place.”

Kilman was a biblical studies major at the university. His cousin, Sarah Cook, previously told Fox News Digital that he had “dreams of leading others to follow the Lord through the Christian principles.”

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Tyler Gilfry, 19, Kilman’s childhood best friend from his hometown in Columbia Falls, Montana, characterized the slain student as thoughtful, humble, gracious and kind. He grappled with what could possibly have pushed the suspect to the “unthinkable” act.

“He wasn’t the dude to start fights, but he was a dude that everybody liked – I can see someone getting jealous over him just being himself,” Gilfry told Fox News Digital about Kilman. “Someone who was struggling with themselves seeing someone so outstanding and outgoing, just a great human being. That’s all I can think of. I can’t see anyone who would want to do that to Josiah.”

Charles Escalera, 21, was found hiding out in a barn by Kentucky State Police after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the death of Josiah Kilman, 18. (Taylor County Detention Center)

Escalera is currently being held at Taylor County Detention Center on $2 million bail, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. Campbellsville Police have not yet announced a motive in his suspected killing of Kilman. 

Kilman’s death is one of four homicides on college campuses nationwide in a 10-day span. Student Samuel Knopp, 24, and Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, were murdered in a dorm room at the University of Colorado at Colorado Spring campus on Feb. 16. Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley, 22, was killed on Feb. 22 while jogging on a trail on the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens.

O’Brien Byrd had been Josiah Kilman’s soccer coach since eighth grade at Columbia Falls High School and made him captain of the team in his senior year. Although he was a formidable athlete, Byrd said Kilman “always knew how to be kind and gentle and show strength by being kind and gentle to those who aren’t as big as him.” (Provided by O’Brien Byrd)

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Kilman’s parents, Jessica and Joe, have raised over $65,000 on GoFundMe to transport the undergrad’s body home and cover his funeral expenses. Members of the teen’s wrestling team will fly to Montana to join Kilman’s family for a funeral service this week. 

Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to christina.coulter@fox.com.