Triple murder-suicide in central Nebraska sparks discussion on rural mental health resources

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A devastating act of violence in central Nebraska is shining a spotlight on mental health.

Authorities said Jeremy Koch killed his wife and two sons before taking his own life in the Johnson Lake area near Lexington.

SEE ALSO: State Patrol investigating triple murder-suicide in central Nebraska

According to the family, Jeremy Koch struggled with mental health for years.

Bailey Koch, Jeremy’s wife, had taken to Facebook to advocate for more resources and support.

The executive director of Blue Valley Behavioral Health, John Day, told Channel 8 there is a lack of resources in rural areas.

“The greatest thing that’s really important for anybody going through behavioral health is to access treatment,” he said. “And in the rural areas, that tends to be a limited commodity. The No. 1 reason why people often don’t get services is due to the lack of access.”

He said one of the biggest reasons is federal cuts.

“Over the last couple of years, there’s been a reduction in funding for behavioral services in Nebraska,” he said. “We’re worked with our senators to help fight against that, but at the same time, we’re still dealing with that intent to decrease funding.”

Sen. George Dungan, who has long championed for mental health resources, said he hopes this makes other senators pay attention.

“It shouldn’t take a tragedy for something like this to happen,” he said. “I think that’s what’s so frustrating for myself is we’re here in the Legislature, and we shouldn’t have to wait until something really sad happens to make us pay attention. So my hope is that my colleagues continue to care about this and continue to invest in these kinds of resources because if we don’t act now, we’re just going to see more things happen that are tragic down the road.”