Parents and Two Sons Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide on Graduation Day

A Nebraska family of four — including two teenage sons — was found dead in an apparent murder-suicide on the day of the eldest son’s high school graduation, with investigators revealing that the father, who had a history of mental health struggles, fatally stabbed his wife and children before taking his own life.

Family of 4 Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide on Day of Son's High School Graduation

What was meant to be a milestone of pride and joy for one Nebraska family became the backdrop for a heartbreaking tragedy that has shaken the quiet community of Johnson Lake to its core.

On May 10, 2025—the very day 18-year-old Hudson Koch was set to graduate from Cozad High School—he, his 16-year-old brother Asher, their mother Bailey, and their father Jeremy were all found dead inside their home in what investigators have called an apparent murder-suicide.

According to officials, Jeremy Koch, 42, fatally stabbed his wife and two sons before turning the knife on himself. The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene around 9:45 a.m. after a family member arrived at the house and discovered the horrifying scene.

The Nebraska State Patrol has since taken over the investigation, and autopsies were ordered to confirm the cause and timeline of death. Authorities have stated that all four victims died from stab wounds, and a knife was recovered at the scene.

Family of 4 Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide on Day of Son's High School Graduation

This family of four—outwardly loving, respected, and active in their schools and community—had recently been navigating an invisible struggle that few knew the full extent of: Jeremy Koch’s declining mental health.

Bailey Koch, 41, was a dedicated special education teacher at Holdrege Public Schools, and had been candid in recent months about her husband’s ongoing battle with depression and suicidal ideation.

In March 2024, Bailey shared on social media and through a GoFundMe campaign titled “Jeremy’s Battle: Mental Health Support Needed” that her husband had stood over her with a knife during a breakdown, expressing a desire to end his own life.

That incident was a tipping point that led her to seek financial help for Jeremy’s intensive treatment.

In her campaign, Bailey wrote about the emotional toll of living with someone in crisis and the system’s failure to offer timely, effective mental health interventions.

The campaign gained traction as friends and colleagues rallied around the family. At the time, Bailey still expressed hope that Jeremy could get the help he needed and that their family could find healing.

Just days before the tragedy, she posted that Jeremy had been accepted into a mental health treatment facility and had returned home in time to be present for their son Hudson’s graduation.

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Hudson, described by classmates as kind, smart, and full of promise, was a member of the Cozad High School senior class and was expected to walk across the stage on the evening of May 10. His younger brother Asher, a sophomore, was equally admired by his peers.

The boys were known for being polite, active in school life, and devoted to their parents. The community was blindsided by the news of their deaths, as no public signs had indicated the family was in imminent danger.

During the Cozad High School graduation ceremony, which proceeded as scheduled, Superintendent Dr. Dan Endorf acknowledged the devastating loss, referring to “bittersweet emotions” surrounding the event.

A moment of silence was held in honor of Hudson and his family. Counselors were made available to students and staff, both in Cozad and in Holdrege, where Bailey had taught and was beloved by her students and colleagues.

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The Kochs’ deaths have raised painful and urgent questions about how mental health crises are handled—not just by families, but by the institutions that are supposed to provide care and support.

Bailey’s parents, Lane and Peggy Kugler, who were the ones to discover the scene, issued a statement saying, “Mental illness killed them—not Jeremy.”

They emphasized that Jeremy was not a monster but a man deeply consumed by an illness that had turned into psychosis.

Their statement, while heart-wrenching, drew attention to the desperate need for mental health system reform, highlighting how even families who seek help may find themselves unsupported or unable to access timely, comprehensive care.

In the wake of the tragedy, community members have come together to grieve, to remember, and to demand better. Vigils were held in both Cozad and Holdrege, and former students of Bailey’s have shared memories of her passion for teaching and her quiet strength.

Friends of the Koch boys have expressed disbelief that their lives were cut so short, especially on a day meant to celebrate the future.

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This incident is sadly not isolated. Across the country, families affected by mental illness have echoed similar frustrations about the difficulty of finding accessible, affordable care—particularly for those facing severe depression or suicidal ideation.

The Koch family’s story may now serve as a painful symbol of what happens when those cries for help are too late or go unheard.

What remains in the aftermath is a grieving community, unanswered questions, and the haunting reminder that mental illness, when left untreated or inadequately addressed, can devastate not just individuals, but entire families.

What should have been the proudest day of a young man’s life instead became the end of four intertwined lives—leaving a silence no graduation speech can fill.

As neighbors mourn and schools offer space for collective healing, many are asking what more could have been done. And perhaps more urgently—how many more families will be forced to carry similar pain before real change is made?