Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC explores the murder of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah athlete, by killer Melvin Rowland. The episode “Lauren’s Promise” airs on NBC this Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET. The official synopsis says, “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 and CNN, Lauren McCluskey’s killer, Melvin Rowland, fatally shot her on October 22, 2018. Then, later that same night, Rowland died by suicide of a fatal gunshot wound following a police chase. The killer had a criminal background and was a registered sex offender.
McCluskey and Rowland had dated for about a month, throughout which the latter lied to the 21-year-old about his age and background. He was 37 years old at the time. Moreover, after McCluskey broke off their relationship, Rowland had been harassing and stalking her. He also attempted to extort the university student.
How did Lauren McCluskey meet her killer Melvin Rowland?
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Lauren McCluskey met Melvin Rowland on September 2, 2018, at a bar named London Belle. Rowland worked at the bar as a bouncer. Shortly after, they started dating. Her friends described their relationship to be controlling and alleged that Rowland was taking advantage of her. They remained together for about a month until McCluskey learned about his actual age and criminal background and broke it off on October 9.
Per CNN, in the following weeks, Rowland harassed McCluskey through texts. He even tried to extort her of $1000 by threatening to reveal private pictures, all of which she reported to the campus authorities and the local police. The student-athlete reportedly made over 20 calls to the authorities, seeking protection until it was too late.
According to ABC News, in a subsequent lawsuit, McCluskey’s parents alleged that in the days leading up to the murder, the killer was “sexually and physically” abusing their daughter. The lawsuit claimed that he “stalked and threatened” to kill the student, but police “dismissed and avoided her requests for help.” She reportedly contacted campus security on October 10 and the Salt Lake Police Department over a week later on October 19.
On the night of October 22, 2018, Melvin Rowland attacked and killed Lauren McCluskey in a campus parking lot. The incident occurred while the latter was returning from a night call and was on a call with her mother, per The Salt Lake Tribune. Rowland attacked her in a parking lot near the residence hall. He forced her into the car and fatally shot her several times. Police found her body inside the vehicle during a search of the lot.
Later that night, while pursuing Rowland on foot, local police followed him into the Trinity AME Church. There, the killer fatally shot himself in a murder-suicide incident.
NBC Dateline’s episode on Lauren McCluskey’s slaying and her killer Melvin Rowland’s death in the murder-suicide on Sunday, April 14.
