Professor sues Houston Tiktok creator, alleging defamation in videos on deaths of 4 Idaho students
University of Idaho #UniversityofIdaho
A Houston TikToker who claims to solve crimes through Tarot readings is facing a defamation lawsuit from an Idaho professor who says the “purported internet sleuth” is falsely linking her to the murders of four University of Idaho students.
On Nov. 13, four students at the University of Idaho were murdered in Moscow, Idaho. So far, no suspects have been identified in the crime, according to police.
The TikToker, Ashley Guillard (@asheyisinthebookoflife), began posting videos in late November, recording herself talking about the murders. Guillard alleged University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield is involved in the murders, claiming her “inner spirit” told her so.
According to the lawsuit filed in Idaho, “two of the TikToks directly and falsely state that Professor Scofield ordered the execution of the four students. Three of the TikToks either falsely implied or directly stated that Professor Scofield had been involved in a relationship with one of the murdered students.”
Guillard used Scofield’s photograph without the professor’s consent and also posted several more videos that Scofield’s lawyers say falsely assert Scofield’s involvement in the murders, the lawsuit also alleges.
The Moscow Police Department on Dec. 27 acknowledged that investigators are aware of Guillard’s TikToks but “do not believe the female associate professor and chair of the history department at the University of Idaho suing a TikTok user for defamation is involved in this crime.” The department’s statement also said that “no suspect(s) has been identified and only vetted information that does not hinder the investigation will be released to the public.”
Guillard has made past TikToks in which she consulted Tarot cards and performed readings that she claimed would help her to obtain information about murders or deaths in the news. She has more than 111,000 followers on the social media site.
In a statement to the Houston Chronicle, Guillard wrote that “the lawsuit Rebecca Scofield and her team of attorneys filed against me is false, defamatory, frivolous and perjurious,” adding that she looks forward to presenting the evidence she claims to have gathered related to the case.
Scofield’s lawyers say the professor did not know any of the students involved in the University of Idaho murders, nor did those students take any of her classes. They also say Scofield was not in Moscow, Idaho, during the time of the murders and had no knowledge of anything happening in or around the town that day.
“The statements made about Professor Scofield are false, plain and simple,” said Elijah Watkins, a lawyer representing Scofield. “Professor Scofield twice sent cease and desist letters to Ms. Guillard, but Ms. Guillard has continued to make false statements, knowing they are false. Thus, this lawsuit became necessary to protect Professor Scofield’s safety and her reputation.”
The four students found dead at an off-campus residence were identified on Nov. 14 as Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21.
The students were reportedly stabbed to death after two of them came home from a bar on Nov. 13. Goncalves’ father recently went on CNN expressing hope that the community could help police identify a suspect bring the killer to justice.