Tarot TikToker must pay $10M to professor she accused in Moscow murders, jury says

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — A federal jury on Friday awarded $10 million in damages to a University of Idaho professor who sued a Texas woman for defamation after the woman repeatedly and falsely accused her on social media of being responsible for the 2022 Moscow college student murders.

The seven-member jury deliberated for just under two hours before unanimously deciding in favor of professor Rebecca Scofield. The award was 10 times higher than the amount her attorneys requested during closing arguments.

Scofield, 40, testified during the four-day trial that the online accusations caused her severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and intense nerve pain. The Moscow resident said the emotional and physical toll has made it difficult to continue her work as chair of the University of Idaho’s history department and caused lasting reputational harm.

The case stems from a series of TikTok videos posted by Ashley Guillard, 41, of Houston, beginning about two weeks after four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in November 2022. In the videos, Guillard claimed Scofield was involved in the killings.

Guillard, who represented herself at trial and traveled to Idaho for the proceedings, testified that she believes she has psychic abilities and used tarot card readings in an attempt to identify the perpetrator. She said those readings led her to Scofield. Her videos continued through August 2025, repeating the allegations without evidence.

Guillard also posted Scofield’s photos and contact information online, claiming that the professor had an affair with one of the victims and orchestrated her death to conceal it.

Of the $10 million awarded, $7.5 million was designated as punitive damages, intended to punish Guillard and deter similar conduct. The remaining amount covers compensatory damages for economic losses such as medical expenses, as well as non-economic damages including emotional distress.

The award exceeds several other recent civil judgments in Idaho. In 2024, a drag performer received $1.1 million in a defamation case. That same year, a coffee shop owner was awarded $4 million in a dispute with Boise State University. In 2023, activist Ammon Bundy and an associate were ordered to pay $52.5 million to St. Luke’s Health System in a separate defamation case.

Defense centers on ‘spiritual journey’

On the final day of trial, Guillard called only one witness — herself. Earlier in the week, Scofield’s lead attorney, Wendy Olson, a former U.S. attorney for Idaho, had called Guillard to testify during the plaintiff’s case. Representing herself, Guillard at times questioned herself in a question-and-answer format before the jury.

Guillard described her background as an Army veteran who later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business-related fields. She said she left a federal government job in human resources to begin what she called a “spiritual journey,” during which she studied tarot, numerology and various religions.

She testified that she trained herself to read tarot cards through YouTube videos and practice sessions, including attempting to predict outcomes of reality television shows.

Throughout her testimony, Guillard said she believed her statements about Scofield were true. She also told jurors she sought access to investigative records to support her claims but was denied by law enforcement and court officials.

Scofield testified that watching the TikTok videos felt like seeing herself written into a story she could not control.

“There was a moment where it felt like I lost ownership of my face and my name,” she said through tears. “It was utterly terrifying.”

Meanwhile, Bryan Kohberger, a Washington State University doctoral student at the time of the killings, was arrested in December 2022. He pleaded guilty in June 2025 to avoid the death penalty and is serving four life sentences without the possibility of parole at Idaho’s maximum-security prison.

In the civil case, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco previously ruled in June 2024 that Guillard was liable for defamation. The Boise trial was held to determine the amount of damages.

Emotional testimony and tense exchanges

The trial included emotional testimony from Scofield’s therapist, family members and expert witnesses in public relations. Her mother testified that the family skipped a campus vigil for the victims in November 2022 to avoid attention fueled by the online accusations.

Scofield’s husband told jurors the family felt unable to fully grieve alongside the Moscow community they had chosen as home.

As her own attorney, Guillard challenged witnesses directly, leading at times to tense exchanges that required intervention from the judge.

More than three years after the murders, and months after Kohberger was sentenced, Scofield and Guillard met face to face for the first time in the Boise courtroom. During cross-examination, Scofield addressed Guillard directly.

“You spoke lies into a camera, about me and my husband,” Scofield said. “You were making dozens of videos about someone you had never met, never talked to. I don’t know how anyone could not feel threatened by that level of interest from someone they had never met.”

original source