Univ. Of Utah Releases Recordings In Lauren McCluskey Case
Jan 17, 2019, 4:01 PM | Updated: 9:54 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Utah has released recordings which provide more insight into what led up to the terrible tragedy on campus, resulting in the death of track team member Lauren McCluskey.
Lauren McCluskey
Fifteen recordings were released, beginning with a call made by her mother, Jill, on October 10, and ending with a call made by her father on October 22, the night Lauren was killed.
Some calls came from Lauren herself, who at one point called 911, believing it may give her case more priority from police.
Lauren McCluskey: I called 911 because I was just concerned and wasn’t sure if it might help speed things up. I don’t know.
Dispatcher: Yeah, that totally makes sense.
McCluskey reported to University Police that her ex-boyfriend was blackmailing her over a compromising photo.
Dispatcher: Okay is there a protective order between you guys or is he just an ex?
Lauren: He is just an ex.
Nine more days would pass before University Police received a call from Lauren’s father on October 22.
Matt McCluskey: Our daughter, Lauren McCluskey, was talking to her mom and then she started saying, ‘No, no, no, no,’ and it sounded like someone might be have been grabbing her or something.
During a chilling moment during the same 911 call, another student can be heard picking up Lauren’s phone call with her mom in the parking lot.
Unidentified student: Hi I have a backpack, an I.D. and a phone.
Matt McCluskey: Okay, could you just stay there? I think she was mugged.
Unidentified student: I was about to call the cops.
Matt McCluskey: I am talking to the cops.
Dispatcher: Okay, someone found her backpack.
Matt McCluskey: Someone picked up her phone and backpack.
Dispatcher: We need to get a good location.
Lauren’s body was found a few minutes later. Her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Rowland, died a few hours later of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
University officials said releasing the recordings was part of an ongoing effort to make changes on campus.
“We have learned a lot. We have learned a lot through this situation. We fully embrace the 30 recommendations from the independent review committee, and we are working diligently as a campus over the past few months to implement those recommendations,” said university spokesman Chris Nelson.
The recordings can be heard in their entirety at this link: https://unews.utah.edu/audio-files-in-lauren-mccluskey-case/
