Cozad homicide: Police respond to murder suicide, investigate ‘tragic situation’

The Nebraska State Patrol responded to a homicide call in Cozad, Dawson County, on Saturday. Officials said they were conducting a complete investigation amid reports of a murder suicide involving a family. Cozad Community Schools said that it is a ‘difficult time’ for the local community. 

Police investigated a homicide case in Cozad(Unsplash)

While police did not identify the victim/s, local journalists and reports identified the victims as Jeremy Koch, his wife Bailey Koch, and their two sons, Hudson and Asher Koch. No official statement has been issued yet. 

The Nebraksa State Patrol, meanwhile, said that ‘there is no danger to the public’. Cozad Community Schools confirmed that the situation ‘deeply affects our Cozad community’.

“Our thoughts are with all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement read.

According to local reports, Jeremy and Bailey were co-founders of Anchoring Hope for Mental Health, a program aimed at raising awareness around mental illness. We found a GoFundMe for Jeremy, who tried to ‘kill himself’. 

Created by his wife, it revealed that Jeremy Koch was diagnosed with ‘severe depression’ in 2009. 

“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 description reads. The fundraiser raised over $20,300. 

Only days ago, Bailey said that Jeremy was released from the hospital, but reacted ‘negatively to our attempt with a new mental health med…one he’s been on for a whole three nights’.

“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.”

We cannot confirm at the moment if Jeremy and his wife are the victims in the homicide case.