COZAD, Neb. — Authorities are investigating a devastating incident that left four members of a Dawson County family dead in what appears to be a murder-suicide at a home near Johnson Lake.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at approximately 9:45 a.m. Saturday in the Plum Creek Canyon #1 area of Johnson Lake. Inside the residence, deputies discovered the bodies of Jeremy Koch, 42; his wife, Bailey Koch, 41; and their two sons, Hudson Koch, 18, and Asher Koch, 16.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Jeremy Koch fatally stabbed his wife and sons before taking his own life. A knife believed to have been used in the killings was recovered at the scene.
The Nebraska State Patrol has taken the lead in the investigation, with assistance from the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Eustis Fire & Rescue, and the Dawson County Attorney’s Office. Autopsies have been ordered for all four individuals.
Bailey Koch’s father, Lane Kugler, confirmed the tragic discovery in a statement posted on social media Sunday.
"Yesterday morning, May 10, 2025, at 9:45 a.m., I found our two grandsons Hudson, 18, and Asher, 16, and our daughter Bailey, and our son-in-law Jeremy, dead laying in their beds,” Kugler wrote. “What I saw will haunt me the rest of my life.”
Kugler stated that Jeremy Koch had been struggling with severe mental illness for years. "Jeremy had been fighting mental illness for many, many years. His depression had turned into psychosis,” he wrote. “Bailey and Jeremy spent years and years seeking help and answers to Jeremy’s condition. Doctor after doctor, hospital after hospital, medication after medication, therapy after therapy. Treatment after treatment."
He praised Bailey Koch for her tireless advocacy for mental health awareness. “Bailey fought so hard to bring attention to those who needed help. She was a huge advocate for mental health,” Kugler wrote. “She spent countless hours on their Facebook page, Anchoring Hope for Mental Health: Jeremy & Bailey Koch. If you go to that page, you can read about how so many people thanked her for her open and honest writing about mental health.”
The tragedy comes on what should have been a celebratory day for the family—Hudson Koch was set to graduate Saturday afternoon with the Cozad High School Class of 2025. Bailey Koch was a special education teacher at Holdrege Public Schools and a former senior lecturer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She and Jeremy owned and operated Natural Escapes, a business based in Cozad.
As the community grieves, law enforcement officials continue their investigation. No further details have been released at this time.