A TikTok influencer who claimed a University of Idaho professor was secretly behind one of the most shocking murder cases in recent memory has been ordered to pay $10 million in damages after a federal jury concluded her accusations were defamatory and baseless.
Ashley Guillard, a social media personality known online for analyzing high-profile crimes — sometimes using tarot cards and what she calls “spiritual intuition” — was found liable for spreading false claims about professor Rebecca Scofield’s involvement in the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students.
The verdict was delivered Friday, Feb. 27, following a federal trial that examined how viral accusations on social media can devastate a person’s reputation.
Jurors ultimately ordered Guillard to pay Scofield $10 million in damages.
According to court documents, $6.5 million was awarded for the false allegations tying Scofield to the murders themselves. Another $3.5 million was awarded for additional claims Guillard made suggesting the professor had an inappropriate romantic relationship with one of the students who was killed.
The defamation case traces back to the chaotic weeks following the murders of four University of Idaho students on Nov. 13, 2022 — a crime that stunned the country and triggered widespread online speculation.
During that time, Guillard posted a series of TikTok videos claiming that Scofield was responsible for orchestrating the killings.
According to Scofield’s lawsuit, the influencer repeatedly insisted in her videos that her conclusions came from tarot card readings and spiritual insight rather than police evidence.
The posts quickly spread online.
Scofield’s complaint, filed in December 2022, alleged that Guillard directly accused her of committing the murders and implied she had been romantically involved with one of the victims. Guillard allegedly suggested that Scofield orchestrated the killings after the student threatened to reveal their relationship.
But authorities had already publicly ruled Scofield out as a suspect.
In December 2022, the Moscow Police Department issued a statement confirming that the professor was not connected to the murders.
Despite that, the lawsuit states that Guillard continued posting videos accusing Scofield of being responsible for the crime.
In June 2024, a federal judge ruled that Guillard’s statements were defamatory.
In that decision, the judge wrote that the influencer’s claims were based “only” on her “spiritual intuition about the murders,” rather than “any objective basis.”
The case then proceeded to trial to determine damages.
During the proceedings, jurors heard testimony about the devastating real-world impact that viral accusations can have on a person’s career and reputation — even after those claims are disproven.
Scofield later released a statement welcoming the jury’s decision.
“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,” she said.
Scofield also reflected on the tragedy that sparked the online rumors in the first place.
“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, was the darkest chapter in our university’s history,” she said. “Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies.”
Meanwhile, Guillard has continued pushing back against the ruling.
In a lengthy series of TikTok videos posted on March 2 and March 3, the influencer disputed the jury’s decision and called the verdict “unfair and ridiculous.”
