A graduation day celebration turned into a nightmare on May 10 in Johnson Lake, Nebraska, when four members of the Koch family were found dead in a suspected murder-suicide. Jeremy Koch, 42, allegedly fatally stabbed his wife Bailey, 41, and their sons Hudson, 18, and Asher, 16, before taking his own life.

Bailey’s father discovered the horrific scene and said the memory will haunt him forever. Jeremy and Bailey were known for their joint mental health advocacy through their Facebook page, Anchoring Hope for Mental Health, yet behind the scenes, Jeremy battled worsening mental illness.

Bailey had been pleading for help, revealing Jeremy’s struggles with depression, multiple suicide attempts, and psychosis. Just days before the tragedy, she created a GoFundMe and shared that Jeremy had been released from a mental health facility on May 8—two days before the killings.

In March, she described waking up to Jeremy holding a knife. Despite efforts to seek treatment, the situation escalated.

“Mental illness is taking my husband from me,” Bailey had written. Her words now echo as a painful warning.

The tragedy underscores the urgent need for better mental health care, support systems, and early intervention before it’s too late.