After Student’s Disappearance, Lawsuit against Neb. College Dropped

The family of Tyler Thomas will not receive financial compensation from the Nebraska State College Board of Trustees but may recover damages from Joshua Keadle.
Published: August 25, 2015

The second lawsuit brought by the family of a former 19-year-old Peru State College student who disappeared in 2010 was dismissed by a judge August 20.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Tyler Thomas, who was declared dead in 2013 after disappearing three years earlier, was dismissed by District Judge Daniel Bryan Jr., according to Omaha.com.

The lawsuit asked for financial compensation from the Nebraska State College Board of Trustees, but Bryan found that Peru State College officials could not have foreseen that former student Joshua Keadle would potentially harm his classmates.

Keadle was never charged with anything relating to Thomas’ disappearance but was the last known person to see Thomas and was the primary suspect. A judgment was entered by a judge in a companion lawsuit and a jury will decide what damages be awarded to Thomas’ family by Keadle.

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Keadle, who is serving 15 years in prison for an unrelated rape charge, admitted to picking up Thomas on the night of her disappearance and bringing her to a boat ramp, where he says they had consensual sex. Keadle says he left Thomas there, however, after she threatened to accuse him of rape. Thomas was never seen again.

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