💔 Nebraska Father Kills Family in Apparent Murder-Suicide on Son’s Graduation Day
In a heartbreaking tragedy that has shaken the Dawson County community, a Nebraska father is believed to have taken the lives of his entire family—on what should have been a day of celebration.
Authorities say that on May 10, the same day his 18-year-old son was set to graduate from high school, 42-year-old Jeremy Koch allegedly killed his wife, Bailey Koch, 41, and their two sons, Hudson, 18, and Asher, 16, before turning the gun on himself.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the family’s home around 9:45 a.m., where deputies made the grim discovery. The Nebraska State Patrol is leading the investigation and believes the incident to be a murder-suicide.
What led to this devastating act remains unknown, but the community mourns the loss of a family whose lives ended far too soon.
According to the Nebraska State Patrol, 42-year-old Jeremy Koch is believed to have fatally stabbed his wife, Bailey (41), and their two sons, Hudson (18) and Asher (16), before taking his own life. (Source: Bailey Koch/Facebook)
All four family members were discovered with fatal knife wounds, and a knife was recovered at the scene.
During the 2025 Cozad Graduation Ceremony, Superintendent Dan Endorf addressed the heartbreaking tragedy and its profound impact on the graduating class.
“As many of you know, our community and senior class have faced a heartbreaking tragedy just hours ago,” Endorf said. “The bittersweet emotions felt by our graduates today—and echoed throughout this entire gymnasium—are impossible to hide. They reflect the complex journey our students are about to embark on as adults. While our Haymaker pride is being tested like never before, let’s come together over the next hour to honor and celebrate the 13 years of hard work and growth our graduates have achieved.”
In a heartfelt public Facebook post, Bailey’s parents, Lane and Peg Kugler, shared their deep frustration with the state of mental health care in the United States, revealing that Jeremy Koch had long struggled with his mental health.
The family disclosed that Koch’s battles with mental illness dated back at least to 2009, including multiple suicide attempts over the years. Beginning in 2015, they began openly sharing their experiences to reduce stigma and advocate for mental health awareness. Bailey herself, an author and early contributor to the parenting website Her View From Home, created her own Facebook page to raise awareness and offer hope to others facing similar challenges.
Bailey wrote that Jeremy’s condition worsened drastically in 2024. As recently as May 3, she reported that he had survived at least four suicide attempts.
The situation turned dire in March when Bailey woke to find Jeremy standing over her with a knife, saying, “Something is wrong.” She was able to calm him down and persuade him to seek help.
After discontinuing electroconvulsive therapy earlier this year, Bailey described her husband as having become “a shell of himself.”
In a plea to the public, she wrote,
“Mental illness is taking my husband from me, and I’m begging you to open your eyes and see the reality that is this society’s mental health crisis.”
The Nebraska State Patrol is leading the homicide investigation, and the Dawson County Attorney has ordered autopsies for all four victims. The investigation is ongoing.