Idaho historian sues TikTok psychic for $10 million over false murder accusations

Rebecca Scofield, a 41-year-old University of Idaho historian, revealed in a New York Times op-ed the personal toll of being falsely accused of the 2022 murders of four students on campus by Texas TikTok creator Ashley Guillard. Scofield, who successfully sued Guillard for defamation, described standing guard outside her children's bedrooms during sleepless nights as the unfounded claims spread online. The federal jury awarded her $10 million in damages after finding that Guillard, a 41-year-old from Houston, had repeatedly posted videos alleging Scofield directed the killings and was having an extramarital same-sex affair with one of the victims, without providing any evidence.

Scofield first encountered Guillard's content on Thanksgiving, less than two weeks after the murders. Court documents detail the immediate impact on her family life, with Scofield testifying that she lay in her son's bed to watch him sleep because his bedroom was closest to the house entrance. As Guillard uploaded over 100 videos declaring Scofield committed a quadruple homicide, the professor faced a flood of disturbing and threatening calls, messages, and emails. The accusations persisted even after Moscow police publicly stated Scofield was not a suspect and after Bryan Kohberger was arrested in connection with the crimes.

The ordeal forced Scofield to stop teaching in person and move her classes online. She noted that while she felt exposed at home, the online accusations felt more real than physical threats. Even after Kohberger was arrested and convicted, the defamatory claims continued to circulate, amplified by algorithm-driven platforms and unsuspecting viewers. Scofield argued that social media companies face little accountability for spreading such harmful content, citing Section 230 of federal law, which protects online platforms from many defamation lawsuits. She stated that reform proposals range from adding exceptions for extreme cases to revoking immunity entirely, questioning what recourse individuals have if companies profit from these platforms without protecting users.

In her op-ed, Scofield drew parallels between historical communication technologies and modern social media, claiming that the printing press affected Christianity and radio helped fuel fascism across the U.S. and Europe. She argued that digital platforms rewrite reality more profoundly than previous technologies and that social media destroys the process of uncovering truth through historical analysis. While many content creators hold themselves to high research standards, she noted they are not professionally beholden to official codes of conduct or review.

Guillard has appealed the verdict to the Ninth Circuit. Scofield and a spokesperson for TikTok did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The case stems from the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, all University of Idaho undergraduates killed in a 4 a.m. home invasion stabbing on Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger admitted to the murders last year but has since petitioned the court to take back his plea. He is scheduled to attend a virtual court hearing Thursday regarding a motion to have the judge removed from his case as part of that process.