A wave of sorrow has gripped the small town of Cozad in Dawson County, Nebraska, after state authorities responded to a tragic homicide call on Saturday. The Nebraska State Patrol has launched a full investigation into what appears to be a heartbreaking murder-suicide involving a local family.
A wave of sorrow has gripped the small town of Cozad in Dawson County, Nebraska, after state authorities responded to a tragic homicide call on Saturday. The Nebraska State Patrol has launched a full investigation into what appears to be a heartbreaking murder-suicide involving a local family.
While law enforcement officials have not yet released the names of the victims, several local media outlets and journalists have reported that the deceased may be Jeremy Koch, his wife Bailey Koch, and their two young sons, Hudson and Asher. An official confirmation is still awaited.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation,” the Nebraska State Patrol said in a statement. “At this time, there is no danger to the public.”
The tragic news has left the Cozad community reeling. Cozad Community Schools issued a statement calling this a “difficult time” for the entire town and expressed their support for those impacted.
“Our thoughts are with all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time,” the school’s statement read.
Mental health history resurfaces as community tries to make sense of tragedy
As the investigation continues, more information is emerging about the possible victims and their struggles. According to public records and reports, Jeremy and Bailey Koch were co-founders of Anchoring Hope for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization devoted to raising awareness and support for individuals battling mental illness.
In fact, the couple had shared publicly about their own experiences with mental health. A GoFundMe page, created by Bailey several years ago, revealed Jeremy’s long history with depression.
The description in the fundraiser shared heartbreaking details:
“Jeremy Koch was diagnosed with ‘severe depression’ in 2009,” Bailey had written. “We spent years living in the dark… telling nobody our truth. We finally began sharing our reality in 2015 after Jeremy had survived at least four attempts, the worst was near-fatal in 2012… a car accident in which he drove straight into a semi on the highway. He was left with a leg broken in four places, a punctured lung, a fractured pancreas, complete colon reconstruction, brain bleed, and… still depression. When he awoke, I was in awe and relieved. He was destroyed his attempt hadn’t worked.”
The fundraiser had raised over $20,000 to help the family manage medical and mental health expenses. Jeremy’s battle with depression, as outlined by Bailey, was long and painful.
Recent signs of struggle
Just days before the tragedy, Bailey posted an update indicating that Jeremy had been recently released from the hospital and was starting a new medication for his mental health condition. However, she mentioned that the adjustment hadn’t gone well.
“He had a very hard time getting out of bed this morning, then after I left, he called me while I was on my way to work and told me he was going back to bed,” Bailey wrote.
While investigators have not officially confirmed whether the deaths involved the Koch family, the community is bracing for the worst as facts continue to unfold.
