Ashley Guillard: Web sleuth countersues Prof Rebecca Scofield after falsely accusing her of being involved in Idaho murders
MOSCOW, IDAHO: A TikTok true crime sleuth is fighting back against a defamation lawsuit filed by a University of Idaho professor, Rebecca Scofield, whom she accused of playing a role in the quadruple murders of four Idaho students. Ashley Guillard, who goes by the username Ashley Solves Mysteries, denied accusations that she defamed Scofield with her claims and countersued for damages to her reputation.
In November 2022, Guillard posted a video on TikTok, claiming that Scofield ‘initiated the plan’ of killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were found dead in their rented house on November 13. The web sleuth, who makes claims about real crimes using tarot cards, asserted that Scofield committed the murders alongside another student because Goncalves was attempting to separate them and "keep from making the relationship public." “Rebecca Scofield is going to prison for the murder of the 4 University of Idaho students whether you like it or not,” she said in one video, according to MEAWW’s previous report.
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What allegations did Ashley Guillard make?
Scofield strongly denied Guillard’s allegations and filed defamation lawsuit against her. “The statements made about Professor Scofield are false, plain and simple. What’s even worse is that these untrue statements create safety issues for the Professor and her family,” Scofield’s attorney Wendy J Olson said at the time. “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, K.G,” the lawsuit added. The lawsuit was filed before authorities arrested Bryan Kohberger for his alleged role in the quadruple murder.
'I am not stopping'
Following the filing of the case, Guillard didn't back down, and told her followers that "I am not stopping," asking them, "if Scofield is so innocent, why does she need a lawyer to fight the lawyer?" Now around four months later, she launched a countersuit against Scofield in addition to denying all allegations of wrongdoing. "The 4 University of Idaho students were brutally murdered. Without the arrest of the murderers there’s a presumption of danger to the public, University of Idaho constituents and Idaho residents, Discovering and revealing the murderers with the intent to get them investigated and arrested is an act to warn others about harm or danger," she wrote on TikTok, according to Radar Online.
“The statements were made in the public interest of the public,” she continued. The TikToker claimed that her criticisms of the professor were done in jest and were therefore protected by the First Amendment. She said that a plan was carried out by Scofield and her attorney to "discredit, embarrass, and humiliate her." Her countersuit took issue with statements the professor made about her publicly.