Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC‘s upcoming episode, “Lauren’s Promise,” explores the 2018 murder of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah Athlete. The episode will air on NBC this Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET. A synopsis reads, “When a University of Utah athlete is found murdered on campus, investigators learn she had reached out to the campus police for help multiple times before her death.”
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Lauren McCluskey’s ex-boyfriend, Melvin Rowland, a registered sex offender, fatally shot her on October 22, 2018. The incident occurred inside the University of Utah campus in a parking lot. McCluskey was returning from a night class and was on a call with her mother when Rowland attacked her. The latter then forced her into the backseat of his car, where he shot her several times.
CNN reported that before the murder, McCluskey had reported Rowland to campus authorities over 20 times. The duo dated for about a month, and upon learning of the latter’s true identity, the student broke off their relationship. A subsequent investigation revealed that Rowland was extorting McCluskey in the days leading up to the murder. Moreover, the victim had contacted local authorities regarding the ordeal.
The outlet stated that Lauren McCluskey’s killer, Melvin Rowland, died by suicide the same night he committed the crime. The incident occurred in the hours following a police chase.
Who was Lauren McCluskey’s killer, Melvin Rowland?
Lauren McCluskey met Melvin Rowland at the bar on September 2, 2018, where the latter worked as a bouncer, reported CNN and The Salt Lake Tribune. They shortly began dating. At the time, McCluskey was unaware of Rowland’s criminal background, which included a 2004 conviction for enticing a minor. He had served nearly a decade in prison and was a registered sex offender. Moreover, the then-37-year-old had lied to the athlete about his age.
About a month later, 21-year-old McCluskey learned about Rowland’s background and his real age. On October 9, she broke off their relationship after a month of dating. Then, in the following weeks until the murder, Rowland sent her threatening and harassing text messages and also tried to extort her campus. McCluskey informed campus authorities about the harassment and even contacted the Salt Lake City Police Department.
However, the University of Utah “did not handle Lauren [McCluskey]’s case as it should have,” said the University’s President Ruth Watkins. CNN stated that Watkins added, “at the time, its employees failed to fully understand and respond appropriately to Lauren’s situation.” She claimed that they not only “failed” the victim but also “her family.”
Per The Salt Lake Magazine, on the night of October 22, 2018, Melvin Rowland attacked Lauren McCluskey inside the university campus. The incident occurred in a parking lot outside the Residence Hall. Rowland forced her into the backseat of a car he drove to the scene and shot her numerous times. He left her body there inside the vehicle.
McCluskey’s parents, with whom she had been on a call when Rowland attacked her, called campus police. During a search, they found her body inside the car in the parking lot. Later that same night, police chased the suspect, Rowland, on foot into a Trinity AME Church, reported The Salt Lake Tribune. There, he died due to a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound.
CNN further reported that Lauren McCluskey’s parents sued the University of Utah. In the lawsuit, they alleged that the campus security failed to protect the 21-year-old student and prevent the murder. The university later paid the victim’s parents a settlement amount of $10.5 million. It also made a $3 million donation to the Lauren McCluskey Foundation.
Dateline NBC’s episode on Lauren McCluskey’s murder case airs on Sunday, April 14.
