Who was Jeremy Koch? Nebraska man kills wife, kids and himself days after mental health GoFundMe launched

Jeremy Koch, 42, fatally stabbed his wife, Bailey Koch, 41, and their two sons, Hudson, 18, and Asher, 16, before taking his own life at their home near Johnson Lake in central Nebraska on Saturday.

A Nebraska man killed his wife, sons, and himself. (Pexel)

In a press release, the Nebraska State Patrol said, “This morning at approximately 9:45 a.m., the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a residence at Johnson Lake, Plum Creek Canyon #1. Upon arrival, deputies found four deceased individuals inside the residence. All four were residents of the home. All four were found with fatal knife wounds. A knife was found at the scene.”

“The Nebraska State Patrol is the lead agency in the homicide investigation. The Dawson County Attorney has ordered autopsies of all four residents. The investigation remains ongoing. The Nebraska State Patrol, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Eustis Fire & Rescue, and the Dawson County Attorney extend condolences to all, across multiple communities, who will be affected by this incident,” authorities added.

Jeremy Koch GoFundMe

Days before the tragedy, Bailey launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her husband’s ongoing mental health struggles. She described herself as a special education teacher and Jeremy as the operator of their family’s landscaping and greenhouse business, which they had run for 19 years. Their eldest son, Hudson, was set to graduate high school the following week and planned to relocate to California for a three-year bonsai apprenticeship. Their younger son, Asher, was a freshman and a member of the varsity golf team.

Bailey revealed that Jeremy had battled severe depression since his diagnosis in 2009, attempting suicide four times over the next six years.

“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, punctured lung, 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,” she wrote in the GoFundMe page.

Since August 2024, Jeremy had been largely unable to work, plunging the family into financial hardship.

“In March, just a couple months ago, I woke to Jeremy shaking me awake saying, ‘Something is wrong.’ He was standing over my bed with a knife ready to end his life. I was able to talk him down and into accepting help,” she wrote.

Jeremy began his fourth round of mental health treatment at Richard Young Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska, where doctors recommended Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) after he was denied Ketamine infusions. However, the treatment was discontinued on April 28, 2025, as his condition worsened.

“Jeremy became a shell of himself. We stopped treatments on Monday, April 28th, because symptoms were becoming progressively worse. Jeremy cannot get out of bed unless forced. He does not eat or drink unless I make him. He cannot take his meds or remember how to function as the very busy and loving adult he truly is,” she wrote.

Last week, Jeremy was diagnosed with severe dehydration and malnutrition, termed a “Mental Health Crisis – Failure to Thrive.” Due to a lack of available beds at Richard Young Hospital, he was admitted to Cozad Hospital, where staff provided hydration and nutrition under close supervision.

“Enter our local Cozad Hospital. They admitted my husband and are hydrating and feeding him with watchful eyes…and I know they’re doing it because they know I don’t know what else to do. He will die if he continues like this, and Jeremy’s doctors are doing their best with this love of my life who is both med resistant and med sensitive. By not eating or drinking, Jeremy is slowly completing suicide,” she wrote.

In her GoFundMe appeal, Bailey detailed the family’s financial strain.

“I have taken out every penny we have to pay bills. My retirement is gone. Jeremy’s retirement is gone. I have begun the process of looking into selling our family business because the stress is too much on my husband, and nothing is worth losing him,” she wrote.