Boise Jury Awards $10 Million to University of Idaho Professor Falsely Accused of Murder by TikToker

A Boise jury awarded University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield $10 million after TikToker Ashley Guillard falsely accused her of the 2022 Moscow murders.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 5:35 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Inside Higher Ed

Defamation and the Tarot Card Allegations

The civil case centered on a series of TikTok videos posted by Ashley Guillard, a Texas-based woman who claimed to have psychic abilities. Beginning in November 2022, Guillard used tarot card readings to "solve" the high-profile murders of four University of Idaho students, eventually naming Professor Rebecca Scofield as the responsible party. Despite having no evidence or connection to the case, Guillard continued to post defamatory content about Scofield for nearly three years, persisting until August 2025.

The Real Murderer and Legal Context

The false accusations against Scofield continued despite the December 2022 arrest of Bryan Kohberger, a former graduate student at Washington State University. Kohberger eventually pleaded guilty to the four murders in July 2025 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The resolution of the criminal case against Kohberger further highlighted the baseless nature of Guillard's online campaign against the professor.

Physical and Psychological Toll

During the trial, Scofield provided emotional testimony regarding the severe personal impact of the false accusations. She stated that the years of online harassment led to the development of severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and intense nerve pain. The professor’s legal team argued that the "psychic" allegations had effectively upended her life and reputation within the Moscow, Idaho, community and the broader academic world.