A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded near Johnson Lake, Nebraska, where authorities believe a father took the lives of his wife and two sons before ending his own on what was supposed to be a day of celebration — his eldest son’s high school graduation.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the Koch family residence in Plum Creek Canyon at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 10. Inside, officers found 43-year-old Jeremy Koch, his wife Bailey, 41, and their two sons, 18-year-old Hudson and 16-year-old Asher, all dead from apparent stab wounds.
Jeremy and Bailey Koch had been married for over two decades and were known in their community for founding Anchoring Hope, a Facebook page dedicated to supporting those struggling with suicidal thoughts. Loved ones revealed that Jeremy had faced ongoing mental health issues dating back to 2009, with multiple suicide attempts over the years.
In a candid Facebook post just a week before the incident, Bailey spoke publicly about her husband’s mental health struggles. She shared that he had survived four suicide attempts and described a disturbing episode in March 2025 when she awoke to find him standing over her with a knife, distressed and confused. She had managed to defuse the situation and convince him to seek professional help.
“Mental illness is stealing my husband from me,” she wrote, pleading for broader awareness and action around mental health issues in the United States.
Bailey’s parents, Lane and Peg Kugler, voiced their grief and frustration in the wake of the tragedy, blaming a broken mental health system for failing their family. The loss occurred on the same day Hudson was set to graduate from Cozad High School.
During the graduation ceremony, Cozad Superintendent Dan Endorf addressed the mourning students and community members. “As you know, our community and our senior class experienced a tragedy within the past few hours,” he said. “The bittersweet emotions felt by the senior class, and throughout this entire gymnasium, cannot be hidden. They reflect the adult lives our graduates are stepping into. While our Haymaker pride is being tested, let us come together in this moment to honor their 13-year journey.”
Autopsies for all four family members have been ordered by the Dawson County Attorney, and the Nebraska State Patrol is continuing its investigation into the case.
