Tarot Card Influencer Slapped With $10 Million Verdict in Idaho Murder Smear Case Against Professor

Content creator Ashley Guillard, a social media influencer, has been hit with a $10 million judgment after falsely accusing an Idaho professor of playing a role in the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students.

On February 27, a federal jury ordered Guillard to pay University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield $10 million in damages over a series of TikTok posts that claimed Scofield was responsible for the brutal murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

Guillard, who built her following by speculating about high profile crimes and consulting tarot cards, first made the allegations against Scofield in 2022, according to court documents obtained by People.

Scofield filed a complaint against Guillard in December 2022, alleging that the TikTok star falsely tied her to the murders, which Bryan Kohberger later pleaded guilty of committing. He is currently serving four life sentences behind bars.

According to the complaint, Guillard also suggested that Scofield had either implied or directly engaged in a romantic relationship with one of the victims.

The filing further stated that Scofield sent multiple cease and desist letters demanding the videos be taken down, but Guillard continued posting content accusing the professor of orchestrating the murders after a student allegedly threatened to expose their relationship.

In a June 2024 ruling, a federal judge found in Scofield’s favor, determining that Guillard’s claims were defamatory and based “only” on her “spiritual intuition about the murders” rather than “any objective basis.”

The judge also pointed out that the posts remained online even after the Moscow Police Department publicly confirmed in December 2022 that Scofield was not considered a suspect.

During last week’s trial, the jury ultimately awarded Scofield $6.5 million in damages related to the murder allegations and $3.5 million for the false statements regarding an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student, bringing the total to $10 million.

“The $10 million verdict reinforces the judge’s decision and sends the clear message that false statements online have consequences in the real world for real people and are unacceptable in our community,” Scofield said in a statement to People. “The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, was the darkest chapter in our university’s history. Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies.”

Guillard later responded in a 21-part TikTok series posted on Monday, March 2, and Tuesday, March 3, and disputed the outcome, calling it “unfair and ridiculous.”

In a statement to the publication, Guillard argued that the “verdict does not reflect the evidence,” questioned whether certain jurors were truly impartial and indicated she may pursue an appeal.