An independent review later found the university police had done little to investigate her fears about Rowland, including failing to verify whether he was on parole and making no attempts to contact him or his parole officer. The investigation was launched after the Salt Lake Tribune printed a story in May alleging Deras had bragged about having photos on his phone that McCluskey, 21, had sent to him to prove that she was being blackmailed by Melvin Shawn Rowland, 37, a registered sex offender and Utah State Prison parolee. The University of Utah has settled two lawsuits with the parents of Lauren McCluskey, a 21-year-old student who was killed by an ex-boyfriend she had complained about to police more than 20 times. Lauren McCluskey's parents, Jill and Matthew McCluskey, made a cozy home for their family on a quiet cul-de-sac in Pullman, Washington, after moving there more than two decades ago, when Lauren was just 18-months-old. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of FILE-Jill and Matt McCluskey announce lawsuit against University of Utah. The McCluskey family originally sued the University of Utah, some of its employees and the state of Utah in June 2019 for $56 million in federal court. I just wish a responsible adult would have listened and believed. window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} Lauren McCluskey, a 21-year-old student at the University of Utah, told campus police she was being blackmailed Credit: AP. August 9, 2020 9:23am. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Two officers remember hearing some unprofessional comments being made when the pictures were displayed. The third officer denies having any knowledge about this event.. hitType: 'event', In the process, Lauren dropped her cellphone and belongings. Yet she did it with ease and grace on a regular basis with everyone she knew. KYLE KEPLER, U OF U TRACK AND FIELD COACH, As a Communications major, Lauren was enrolled at the U in Professor Dan Clarks Advanced Public Speaking class. 2.1 Lauren McCluskey; 3 Assailant. McCluskeys teachers, coaches and teammates had a high respect and regard for her as a multi-event athlete, for maintaining a high GPA and as a person, She was someone who really cared about other people and her friendships. Rowland shot her multiple times once he had her inside the car. Officer Miguel Deras presented her case to campus police on Oct. 12, 2018, to report she was being harassed. And while youre here,subscribeand get six issues ofSalt Lakemagazine, your guide to the best of life in Utah. Fans baffled by singer's sudden exit. The agreement includes a settlement payment to the McCluskeys and a charitable donation to the Lauren McCluskey Foundation. He showed the photos to other officers on at least four occasions, including to the officer in charge after receiving them, at a meeting where he walked around a table with multiple officers showing pictures to each one of them, in a hallway where inappropriate comments were made, and at the scene of Laurens murder, which is especially hurtful, she said in the statement. In the two years since McCluskey's passing, the university has introduced plans to implement changes to campus safety, including a $13 million building to house the school's police department. The university will also rename the newly launched Center for Violence Prevention as the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention. Police had assigned a detective to follow up on possible sexual extortion charges . document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Authorities think Rowland sent the text in an attempt to lure Lauren McCluskey out of her dorm. By then, Deras had already left his job with the University of Utah Police. The photos were part of her ex's extortion plan. 1.1 911 calls; 2 Victim. },false) As it turns out, theres an easy, straightforward way to reduce the endemic poverty and hunger in America: money. Life is not fair, really. Discovery Company. Apparently, Giving Money To People Reduces Poverty & Hunger. (Officer) Deras egregious misconduct in betraying a victims trust by displaying private evidence photos to officers who are not involved in the investigation is a crime, she said in a statement. But when she does, there's a lot of barriers and obstacles that victims face," Hamra Ahmad, director of legal services of the New York-based legal nonprofit organization, Killer Blackmailed Lauren McCluskey With Revenge Porn, There is a battle being fought in the city of Atlanta. . On Monday, Rowland confronted McCluskey after she came back from a night class, forced her into a car, and fatally shot her. Here is our latest episode. The officer showed the explicit photos to 3 officers who were not working on the case, allegedly saying he could look at them 'whenever I want' By Namrata Tripathi Published on : 08:06 PST, Aug 6, 2020.photos to 3 officers who were not Lauren begged campus police for protection 15 times before her death. This report directly falsifies virtually every aspect of the Tribunes original reporting and roundly corroborates officer Deras account of events, attorney Jeremy Jones said. SALT LAKE CITY A former University of Utah police officer showed explicit photos of Lauren McCluskey to other officers, including in a hallway and at the scene of her murder, according to an independent investigation. Cops Shouldve Kept Susana Morales Safe. Former University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy, who received a full year's salary and a $6,000 party when he retired amid criticism of his department's handling of Lauren McCluskey's . gads_event = event; McCluskeys body was found in the back seat of a car on campus two years ago. ga('ads.send', { Major Scott Stephenson, who oversees police training under the Utah Department of Public Safety in Utah, earlier this year had said that the discovery could be grounds for action against Deras' police certification. Dallof did not read the email until after Lauren was killed. A report commissioned by the university identified dozens of ways that it could have responded to the case better. As CrimeOnline previously reported, McCluskey, a University of Utah student, was found deceased in October 2018, in her car near the medical towers on campus. Portrait of the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark , left to right, Malcolm Holmes, Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, and Martin Cooper at the Park. }); He told her that he was in the military and trained as a security officer, and afterwards they met up a few times. The state of Utah has agreed to pay more than $10 million to the family of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student whose nude photographs were shared by a campus police officer from whom . But attorneys for Deras say the Utah Department of Public Safety report reached the complete opposite conclusion. On Oct. 15, Deras allegedly showed the pictures to a sergeant and again asked for guidance on how to proceed with handling the pictures, the report states. Her message was one of keeping hope alive, that overcoming obstacles is part of life, and that practicing self-love is the way for you to fully love others., Over two years have passed since Lauren was found dead in the back of a car outside her campus dorm. } The officer shared the photographs just days before McCluskey was shot dead in her car by the same person. And some who saw the pictures allegedly as part of their police duties recalled crass and unprofessional comments being made, according to the final report looking into the situation. }); The notice also claims that the university police department updated its employee policy just before the DPS report was released to remove protections for officers. McCluskey wired the money to an account after someone sent text messages threatening to post the photos online. "They would've very quickly found his parole status in one call and it would we wouldn't be sitting here today.". An image of University of Utah student and track athlete Lauren McCluskey, who was fatally shot on campus, is projected on the video board before the start of an NCAA college football game between Oregon and Utah in Salt Lake City, Nov. 10, 2018. He then allegedly saved the photos on his personal phone and bragged to at least one officer that he could look at them whenever he wanted, according to court documents. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Justice needs to be served and our demands need to be metno student should ever be worried about being killed on campus.. On Monday, members of the House Judiciary Committee met in New York for a hearing on violent crime in the city. Lauren McCluskey Facebook. I wish he had used his time to arrest Laurens killer rather than ogling at her image, Jill McCluskey said. On October 19, Lauren again contacted the police after receiving another text message. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? -Lauren McCluskey paid Melvin Rowland $1000 to keep compromising photos private -He was on campus Fri to Mon, looking for McCluskey -He texted her, posing as cop Monday AM to lure her outside According to the University of Utah Police Lt. Brian Wahlin, a convicted sex offender, identified as 37-year-old Melvin Rowland, is accused of fatally shooting the student. The complaint states in the weeks leading up to Lauren's murder, she was being "sexually and physically abused, stalked and threatened by her killer" and that the police "dismissed and avoided her requests for help.". hitType: 'event', A University of Utah police officer saved explicit pictures of college student Lauren McCluskey and shared them with at least three men after a staff briefing about the 21-year-old's complaints of being blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend. Lax dormitory security and a macho culture of minimizing coeds complaints also contributed to her death. According to the complaint, Chatman found the university police "distributed compromising images of Lauren McCluskey for prurient purposes unrelated to any legitimate law enforcement activity." University police officers characterized his internal investigation into the photos as a witch hunt, but Chatman ultimately fired several officers . After the Uvalde Shooting, We Need Gun Control Not More Border How To Help Those Affected By The Texas School Shooting. As We Mourn The Death Of Lauren Smith-Fields, Where Is The Justic How Republicans & Democrats Weaponize Latinx Trauma to Get Votes. The University of Utah and Jill and Matt McCluskey announced on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, that they have settled two lawsuits filed in the death of the McCluskeys' daughter, Lauren. McCluskey says, The U has never admitted that Laurens death could have been prevented, or apologized or taken responsibility for their failures. They issued a 2 1/2 page statement of their own Wednesday, saying the report actually backs their client. She shared her stories about being on the track team, the thrill of victory as well as her injuries and enduring disappointment and physical pain. On October 22 at around 10:39 a.m., McCluskey contacted police and said she received a text from someone claiming to be Deputy Chief Rick McLenon and asking her to go to the police station. At 8:23 p.m. Matt McCluskey, Laurens father, alerted campus security that his daughter was in danger. The 37-year-old took his own life after the shooting. She had been shot and killed by 37-year-old Melvin Rowland, a convicted sex offender who had spent more than a decade in prison. The federal suit contends that Ms. McCluskeys civil rights under Title IX, the 1972 federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in programs that receive federal funding, were violated. Rowland made frequent attempts (sometimes successful) to visit her at her university dorm. eventAction: 'view' bad. She had lived in Salt Lake City a few years when she met Melvin Rowland at a popular downtown bar where Rowland was working as a bouncer. I am deeply disturbed by this finding and disappointed in the officers who were present and who did not report this incident through appropriate university channels, University of Utah Police Chief Rodney Chatman said in a prepared statement. "'He was long gone before we had any inkling that that incident with the photo being shown had occurred," campus police department's Lt Jason Hinojosa told the paper. The lawsuit was filed on Monday in state court in Salt Lake County by the parents of Lauren McCluskey against the University of Utah, where Ms. McCluskey was a college senior when she was killed in October 2018 by a man she had dated for just a few weeks. Lauren McCluskey, who was a track-and-field star, had already shelled out $1,000 to the man who would ultimately kill her in hopes of keeping him from releasing the explicit photos of her. University of Utah plans for renewed criticism following ESPN+ Lauren McCluskey documentary. The McCluskeys joined U President Ruth . "LISTEN," ESPN's new documentary on the 2018 murder of . On Oct. 13, 2018, she reported extortion. After the police took her statement, they could have easily found out that Rowland was on parole and put him in jail right then. According to new data from the U.S. On Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation amid a slew of allegations and scandals. "And then they found out that he's also a felon. Now, two years later, we found out that one of the officers involved in ignoring McCluskey's pleas for help, kept explicit photos of her on his cellphone and bragged about them to his coworkers and he will face no charges. Avery Scott. } eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Steve Griffin, Deseret News. }) Death Photos And Case Update. The DPS report shows that officer Miguel Deras accessed the photo email attachments unnecessarily on his phone multiple times. He was fired after the release of the DPS investigation. Lauren McCluskey was found dead in a parked car near a residential hall on campus in October 2018. McCluskey and Rowland had met at a bar and dated for about a month. A Utah cop who showed off explicit photos of a sexploitation victim days . McCluskey's parents, who were on the . Sign up for The Hive. ABC News' Catherine Thorbecke, Sabina Ghebremedhin and Candace Smith contributed to this report. FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2018, file photo, a photograph of University of Utah student and track athlete Lauren McCluskey, who was fatally shot on campus, is projected on the video board before the . When Lauren McCluskey went to campus police to ask for help, she had just discovered that the man she was dating was a registered sex offender. 2023 Cable News Network. The report notes that Deras was interviewed by the internal affairs unit of the Logan Police Department, where he currently works, about the pictures. When Lauren McCluskey decided to attend the University of Utah, she was recruited to become a member of the Womens Track & Field Team. Lauren McCluskey shared the explicit photos of herself with the cop who was ultimately fired in hopes that the campus police force would help protect her from Rowland. Its origin tale is wrapped up with the Bible 2.0 Exodus of Brigham Young and his 2022 Copyright JES Publishing | Website by, subscribing to our City Life newsletter, The Hive, Experience History in Park City This Summer. A Utah officer who responded to a call from Lauren McCluskey in 2018 was given photos taken of her by an ex. We share with the McCluskeys an interest in working to improve safety for all students, not only on our campus but on campuses across the country. One of the comments Deras made, according to one officer, was that he could look at them whenever he wanted, the report states. McCluskey made numerous calls to police after the breakup, but her parents claim that authorities mishandled the case and waited until it was too late. The man who killed University of Utah senior and track star. eventAction: 'render' McCluskey broke off her month-long relationship with Melvin Rowland, a 37-year-old registered sex offender, after learning he had lied about his name, age, and criminal past. ga('ads.send', { eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), As part of the campus safety improvements, the university has also consolidated evening classes in neighborhood clusters to help keep students safer. Two years to the day after the brutal murder of University of Utah athlete Lauren McCluskey, her parents, Jill and Matt McCluskey, and the university announced a $10.5 million settlement in a lawsuit against the school. Its more than likely that the singular officer who is quoted misremembers what occurred nearly two years ago, especially when others do not share that recollection and when this account was not raised during two prior investigations., Jones said the real takeaway from the report is that Deras account of events has been confirmed. Meanwhile, Deras was never disciplined for the incident and left the University of Utah in September 2019. Lauren J. McCluskey 1997 - 2018Lauren Jennifer McCluskey, 21 years old, a beautiful young woman in all respects, was murdered on the University of Utah campus on October 22, 2018. Campus surveillance footage showed Rowland prowling around the college campus from October 19 through October 22. Rowland fatally shot himself hours later as police were closing in to make an arrest. Stephenson, however, in a recent statement said that authorities have not yet decided whether to revoke Deras' police certification. Instead, One Was C Why Kamala Harris Feels Optimistic About The Future What Abortion Rights Will Look Like in Your State. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ She told police she sent $1,000 to an account in the hopes of keeping compromising photos of her private, according to a review of the incident. Lauren McCluskey killing A former University of Utah police officer is accused of sharing an explicit photo of slain student Lauren McCluskey, 21, days before her Oct. 22, 2018, murder at the . CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. And Sept. 3rd of the 2020-21 academic year started with another large on-campus rally from UnsafeU demanding the resignation of President Ruth Watkins for withholding evidence in this and other cases and calling for the abolition of the UUPD. Nearly nine days after McCluskey filed the report, she was shot dead by Rowland on campus. Almost two years after her death, McCluskeys parents received the devastating news about the photos. McLenon resigned from the university police in June 2020 and declined to participate in the DPS investigation. The man who killed University of Utah senior and track star Lauren McCluskey . On Oct. 22, 2018, Rowland shot and killed McCluskey on campus near her dorm after weeks of stalking and harassing her. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Contrary to the prior reporting, Deras did not inappropriately download images to his phone. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Lauren McCluskey and Melvin Rowland University of Utah; Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. They havent updated or done anything. hitType: 'event', Lauren stated she sent $1000 to an account as demanded in hopes of keeping the photos private. ga('ads.send', { let gads_event; As part of the settlement, the University of Utah said it will raise funds to construct an indoor track facility that will be named after Lauren McCluskey, who was a track athlete at the school. eventAction: 'load' The messages demanded money in exchange for not posting compromising photos of Lauren and Rowland on the internet. }); McCluskey, 21, had reported to the university police that Rowland, 37, was harassing and stalking her. A public information officer for the Utah attorney general's office also declined to comment. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Miguel Deras saved the personal photos Lauren shared with him in 2018, along with messages from Rowland threatening to release them unless she paid him $1,000.. . Its hard for them to change if they dont acknowledge their failures, and that has to happen going forward.. On October 22, 2018, 21-year-old track and field athlete, Sean Fields Lauren McCluskey, was tragically murdered on the campus of the University of Utah by Melvin Rowland, a man she had briefly dated. He was a bouncer and was really charming so Lauren began inviting him over to her residence on her campus. As a result, we failed Lauren and her family.. Somewhat an introvert, if you got to know her you quickly found out that she was full of things to say, and genuinely cared about other people, says her mother. She was always present and in the moment with her teammates and friends. Because Rowland was a con and highly manipulative, things were difficult to discernshe didnt always believe he was a threat, or that her life was in danger, and she wished to take care of the situation by herself. Three former university police officers were accused of misconduct or failing to report misconduct, while former chief Dale Brophy and former deputy Rick McLenon were said to have overseen the department's alleged mishandling of McCluskey's reports. Browse 2,985 mccluskey photos and images available, or search for karyn mccluskey or lauren mccluskey to find more great photos and pictures. All Rights Reserved. McCluskey was killed in October 2018; she was shot inside a parked car at the University of Utah after she had received suspicious messages threatening to post compromising photos on the web. The university said in the settlement that the murder of Lauren McCluskey was a brutal, senseless, and preventable tragedy and acknowledges the unspeakable loss the McCluskey family has suffered and continues to suffer.. eventAction: 'click_adunit' It tells the story of McCluskey's tumultuous relationship with her killer . We made it. At around 8:20 p.m. on October 22, McCluskey was talking to her mother on the phone as she left a night class. Your regular rundown of food, adventures, fun for the kids and art and culture in Utah. pg.acq.push(function() { Student protesters pictured in September 2017 on the University of Utah campus. As Rowlands actions escalated, McCluskey began voicing concerns to her immediate family and closest friends. Her final exam was a student presentation called the Last LectureIf you had only one hour left to live, what would you say? Lauren was the first to volunteer. A University of Utah spokesperson declined to comment when approached for comment. hitType: 'event', media-tech companies with hubs around the world. On October 18, Deras, after a briefing, showed the explicit photos to three officers who were not working on the case, allegedly saying he could look at them "whenever I want." Five ex-officers from University of Utah Police, including the former chief, are claiming at least $10 million for "permanent and irreparable career damage" after they were accused of mishandling the case of slain student Lauren McCluskey. The allegations also resulted in the McCluskey family filing a second lawsuit against the university. As we now know, Deras downloaded those pictures onto his personal phone and was overheard boasting to colleagues, remarking about her looks and being cute. McCluskey had told the officers that Rowland had access to some of her personal images and he was threatening to release them if she did not pay him $1000, according to the Lake Tribune. Lauren's mother stated all the money from the settlement will go to support the Lauren McCluskey Foundation to help improve campus safety. Sometimes some people do despicable acts and get away with it. Speech, Jim Jordan's Crime Hearing Takes Surprising Turns, China's 'Artificial Sun' Smashes Nuclear Fusion Record, Putin Issues Ominous Warning About How Russian Navy Could be Deployed, Who Is Ralph Yarl? window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { $56 million lawsuit last year alleging the University of Utah had failed to protect their daughter. Rowland was on parole and could have been taken into custody. On Oct. 19, 2018, McCluskey emailed detective Kayla Dallof with Rowlands offender information. That is more difficult than we all realize in todays world. A sex extortion investigation was opened into Rowland, but even though he was on parole, authorities failed to report him to the Utah Department of Corrections. Jeremy Harmon/The Salt Lake Tribune . If these employees had more complete training and protocols to guide their responses, the university believes they would have been better equipped to protect Lauren.". McCluskey was killed Monday Oct. 22, 2018. Her pleas for help were ignored. As a blogger and feature writer, Jen follows the pulse of the community with interests in urban agriculture, business, fitness & beauty and anything that allows her to get out of the office and into the mountains. Her body was found just before 10 p.m. Salt Lake City Police officers spotted . We are engaged in making meaningful and lasting changes in our approach to campus safety, particularly in how we respond to and assist crime victims and through focusing on research-based approaches to violence prevention, Watkins said. Brophy retired with a full year's salary of $151,000, as well as a $6,000 send-off party. According to court documents, terms of the settlement include a payment to the McCluskey family of $10.5 million by early 2021, a $3 million donation to the Lauren McCluskey Foundation no later than March 31, 2021, an indoor track for the track and field team and the University of Utah's Center for Violence Prevention will be renamed the McCluskey Center for Violence and Prevention. Stay up to date with the latest by subscribing to our City Life newsletter, The Hive. A worldwide outpouri Two days later, he again showed the photos to a second supervisor, asking how to attach them to a case file. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It's Not the Role of Government to Protect Us From Apps, Don't Put Tiktok Out of Business Based on Hypotheticals, Biden Admin Uses Trump's Own Words to Blast McCarthy's Wall St. In hindsight, he said it became apparent that the initial investigation had fallen short of answering the eventual allegations raised by the Tribune, according to the report. He later took his own life. The University of Utah has settled two lawsuits with the parents of Lauren McCluskey, a 21-year-old student who was killed by an ex-boyfriend she had complained about to police more than 20 times. Lauren and her friends reported incidents of abusive behavior to university officials in addition to their fears of violence, according to the complaint. She had broken up with him 2 weeks earlier after she learned he had lied about his name, age, and that he was a sex offender. Deras reportedly showed the pictures initially to a supervisor on October 13, 2018, and asked how the photos could be uploaded on the department's evidence database. },false) A former University of Utah Police officer saved explicit photos of Lauren McCluskey on his personal phone, showed at least one to a coworker and bragged abo. Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Mr. McConkie said that campus police failed to do its due diligence in looking into Mr. Rowlands criminal background. There is still so much to be done, her friend Brooke Martin says. University officers are accused of dismissing the stalking claims made by McCluskeysuggesting she was the victim of an online scam, according to the 51-page lawsuit. Jill McCluskey, who is a professor at Washington State University, also introduced the Lauren's Promise initiative, where professors can pledge in their syllabus that they will help any student that feels threatened find the resources that they need.