A University of Idaho professor is suing a woman who groundlessly linked her to the brutal murder of four students in a TikTok video.
History Chair Rebecca Schofield said in a lawsuit filed in Moscow last week that TikTok user Ashley Girard accused her of being involved in the murders of Madison Morgan, Kelly Gonsalves, Shana Murder for Hire Nodel and Ethan Chapin.
Ms Guillard has falsely claimed to have uncovered the mysterious deaths of high-profile people through a tarot reading on a platform where she has over 100,000 followers. She posted several videos romantically linking Professor Schofield to one of the victims, falsely claiming that this was the motive for the murder.
Lawyers for the professor argued that none of the victims attended any of her classes, and she did not remember meeting them. On November 13, the night of the Moscow murders, Professor Schofield and her husband traveled to Portland, Oregon.
When The Independent contacted Professor Schofield’s lawyer, Wendy Olson, she said that Ms Girard’s claims had damaged the professor’s reputation and further offended the slain student’s loved ones.
Ahead of the trial, Professor Schofield’s legal team issued cease and desist letters warning Ms. Gillard to stop contributing to the conspiracy.
However, TikToker continued to post slanderous videos, boasting that she “is the only reason [Professor Schofield] can be considered a suspect.”
The authorities investigating the four stab wounds never mentioned Professor Schofield.
On December 16, Ms. Gillard posted a TikTok in which she appeared to place one of the letters in a toilet paper holder and said she was going to “wipe my [expletive] with it.”
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Ms Olson alleged in the lawsuit that Ms Girard’s TikTok videos damaged her client’s reputation and made her laugh after the videos were viewed, liked and commented millions of times.
Now, according to Ms. Olson, the professor is also concerned that she or her family could be the target of physical abuse.
“The allegations about Professor Schofield were false, clear and simple. Worse, these false statements raised concerns about the safety of the professor and her family,” Ms Olson told The Independent in a statement about her client.
“They also further exacerbate the trauma endured by the families of the victims and undermine law enforcement efforts to find the perpetrators in order to provide answers to the families and the public,” she added.
“Professor Scofield sent cease and desist letters to Ms. Guillard twice, but Ms. Guillard continued to make deliberately false statements. Thus, this suit became necessary to protect Professor Scofield’s safety and reputation.”
The Moscow police have repeatedly urged the public not to participate in the spread of disinformation and speculation online. The department warned those seeking information as part of a high-profile investigation to trust only official sources.
Other victims of the conspiracy circulating on the Internet included close friends of the victims and people seen around them hours before they died. Everyone involved in the murder investigation has now been excluded from potential suspects.
Moscow police said the two surviving roommates who were at home at the time of the murder and other friends who were at home when 911 was called are not considered suspects.
A private party where a man was seen in footage of Morgan and Goncalves in a downtown food truck before being driven home before the couple was then loaded home from the truck was also ruled out.
Investigators are still looking for occupants of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra that was spotted “near” the crime scene in the early hours of November 13.
Police have identified approximately 22,000 vehicles matching the vehicle’s description and are looking through the information for leads.
Post time: Jan-03-2023