Lawyer of Fired Detective Says U of U Using Her As Scapegoat
Aug 23, 2019, 7:11 PM | Updated: Jan 4, 2023, 11:37 am
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The attorney for a former University of Utah detective who was fired said the university is using her as a scapegoat in the tragic Lauren McCluskey murder case.
According to university documents obtained by KSL, Kayla Dallof was let go back in March for a domestic violence case that happened in February. Dallof was at the center of attention in the handling of the murder case of McCluskey back in October of last year.
According to the university documents in the February case, Dallof “should have signaled an alarm” and acted “immediately, without hesitation” and found “the male student and place him under arrest,” after he allegedly made threats to a 17-year-old girl he would not let out of his dorm.
Dallof is accused of going home instead of following up with the victim and making an arrest of the suspect.
“She did everything she was supposed to do. She raised the alarm. She did so repeatedly she kept her supervisor up to date with all facts of the case,” said attorney Jonathan Thorn during a one-on-one interview with KSL’s Dan Rascon. “She didn’t do anything wrong here.”
Thorn said the university just needed someone to blame.
“I believe she was wrongfully terminated,” Thorn said. “I believe the university had ulterior motives to her termination. I don’t see any other reason.”