Professor Accused of Murder by TikToker Awarded $10M

A Boise jury awarded $10 million in damages to a University of Idaho professor who was falsely accused of murdering four students in Moscow, Idaho. 

Rebecca Scofield, an associate professor of American history, sued Ashley Guillard, a Texas-based woman who for years said in TikTok videos that Scofield was responsible for the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Guillard claimed to have psychic abilities and testified that she read tarot cards to try to solve the murders, The Idaho Statesman reported. She began posting video content about Scofield in November 2022 and continued to do so until August 2025. 

In July, Bryan Kohberger, a former Washington State University graduate student, pleaded guilty to the murders and was sentenced to life without parole. He was first arrested Dec. 30, 2022.

The $10 million total is more than the $1 million Scofield’s attorneys asked for in their closing arguments, the Statesman reported. It was left up to the jury to decide how much should be awarded. About $7.5 million of the sum is for punitive damages and the remaining amount is compensatory. Scofield testified that she developed severe anxiety, PTSD and intense nerve pain as a result of the accusations. 

The jury’s decision “sends the clear message that false statements online have consequences in the real world for real people and are unacceptable in our community,” Scofield told the Statesman in a statement. “The murders of the four students on Nov. 13, 2022, was the darkest chapter in our university’s history. Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies.”