U of U honors Lauren McCluskey with memorial, reminding officers to trust victims [Video]

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A memorial plaque was recently unveiled in the University of Utah’s Public Safety Building in honor of Lauren McCluskey, a 21-year-old student-athlete who was murdered on campus in 2018.

Lauren McCluskey was shot and killed by Melvin Rowland — a man with whom she had a brief relationship — on the U of U campus. McCluskey had contacted the university’s police several times before her death, asking for security escorts and reporting suspicious messages.

Strong criticism of the campus police’s response arose after her murder, prompting an investigation led by Keith Squires — who later would be asked to “lead and restructure” the campus police department.

“Sadly, it was the case of if some things had been in place that should have been, [it] could’ve led to a different outcome,” Squires said regarding the murder.

BACKGROUND INFO: Timeline of Lauren McCluskey’s murder and events following her death

The university now …