In this Aug. 30, 2017 photo, provided by the University of Utah, shows Lauren McCluskey, a member of the University of Utah cross country and track and field team, runs in Salt Lake City. McCluskey, a University of Utah student was shot and killed on campus by a former boyfriend Melvin Rowland, who was found dead hours later inside a church Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, authorities said. (Steve C. Wilson/University of Utah via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — Newly-released documents show a murdered University of Utah student asked police for help, but they told her there was nothing they could do.
Police reports in the investigation of the murder of Lauren McCluskey show that ten days before she was murdered, she told campus police she was being harassed by Melvin Rowland, whom she called Shawn, his middle name.
She told campus police Rowland and his friends sent her harassing texts and emails, and the next day she reported he was blackmailing her over intimate photos. Repeatedly in the police reports, the investigating officer reported she said she was scared.
But they told her that without any specific threats, there wasn’t much they could do about him. They said to let them know if it escalated.
A detective was assigned to investigate the sexual extortion but police have said they saw no indication at that point that Rowland was threatening physical harm.
You can read more in the Deseret News here.