Naman Shrestha
A talented student-athlete named Lauren McCluskey had a bright future ahead of her, but her life was cut short in October 2018 on the University of Utah campus. The weeks before her passing were far from ideal, as she was receiving constant threats from an unknown individual. As the investigators zeroed in on the perpetrator, they uncovered some dark secrets about his past. The entire case and all the intricate details related to it are covered extensively in ABC’s ’20/20: Running Out Of Time,’ which also features emotional interviews with her parents and other loved ones.
Lauren McCluskey Held Impressive Records in Several Athletic Events
Born on February 12, 1997, in Berkeley, California, to Jill and Matthew D. McCluskey, Lauren Jennifer McCluskey relocated to Pullman, Washington, where her parents worked as professors at Washington State University. Growing up alongside her brother, Ryan, she was very athletic, which earned her recognition among her peers in school as she won multiple awards and set records. At the age of 8, she participated in her first Junior Olympic (JO) association track meet, where she set records in the 400-meter run, high jump, and long jump. The following year, she qualified for nationals and not only set multiple records but also earned USA Track and Field All-American (top 8) 19 times.
Lauren’s records in her high school years were also impressive, finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles and becoming the WA State High School Champion in High Jump. In her junior year, she also trained at SPIRE and attended Andrews Osborne Academy in Ohio, before returning to Pullman to complete her high school. She also reportedly volunteered for Special Olympics and the YMCA. After graduating from Pullman High School, she attended the University of Utah through a Track and Field scholarship. While majoring in communication, Lauren participated in several athletic events and earned MPSF All-Academic Awards. Besides athletics, she was also passionate about dancing, singing, and stand-up comedy.
Lauren McCluskey Was Looking Forward to Having a Successful Career
The multi-talented young woman was also known for being a great writer. As she grew up in a Christian family, she attended Community Congregational United Church of Christ and later, Capital Church in Salt Lake City. At the University of Utah, Lauren was an integral member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Given her love for animals, especially cats, she volunteered at the Whitman County Humane Society, which was dedicated to helping cats become more adoptable. She was a cat mom herself to Fuzzy and Victory. While attending college, she crossed paths with Sean Fields at a downtown bar, where he worked as a bouncer.
He told her that he attended Salt Lake Community College and was employed at a General Dynamics call center. As the two began dating at the beginning of her senior year, he frequented her dorm to spend time with her. Lauren was also a Communication Intern at Courtland Place Retirement Community and aspired to find a job in public relations or academic advising. Unfortunately, her dreams for the future were shattered on October 22, 2018, when she was found dead inside her car near a residential hall on the University of Utah campus. As the authorities rushed to the crime scene, they learned that she had died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Lauren Had Filed Multiple Complaints Against Her Alleged Killer
When the police began investigating the case, they learned that Lauren McCluskey had been getting blackmailed and threatened by an unknown individual. She had also filed a report at the college campus regarding the same, but the authorities at the campus allegedly didn’t take any serious action against it. Upon delving deeper into her personal life, they found out that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend, Sean Fields, on October 9, 2018, after she realized that he had lied to her about his identity. He was actually Melvin Shawn Rowland, a registered sex offender with ties to a 2004 sex crime against a minor.
Following the break-up, Melvin reportedly started threatening and extorting Lauren, who reached out to the campus police for their assistance on October 12. The 21-year-old student reported that her ex-boyfriend was likely behind the harassment she had been receiving from unknown phone numbers. She claimed that he was threatening to post some personal photos of her online if she didn’t give him a fair sum of money. She reportedly sent $1,000 to an account in order to stop the blackmail. When the University of Utah Police didn’t do anything about it, she then reached out to the Salt Lake City police on October 19.
The Alleged Killer Died by Suicide Hours After Killing Lauren McCluskey
In 2004, Melvin pleaded guilty to trying to lure a minor girl in order to sexually abuse her, for which he spent about a decade behind bars. Although he was paroled quite a few times, he was sent back to prison after he violated the orders a couple of times. According to reports, he also admitted to being a womanizer and getting what he wanted by manipulating them. Melvin was granted parole in April 2018 after claiming that he was a changed man and lived at a halfway house in the area. While the investigators were looking into Lauren’s claims against Melvin, she was allegedly abducted by him on the evening of October 22, 2018, while she was returning to her residence hall from a class.
The 21-year-old woman was on the phone with her mother, who heard her yell, “No, no, no!” Melvin reportedly ambushed her and forced her into her car on the college campus, where he shot her seven times from close range. After fleeing the scene, the alleged shooter met another woman, with whom he had dinner. He also reportedly went to her apartment to take a shower, after which she dropped him off at a coffee shop. As the police closed in on him, he went to a church, where he took his own life.
Read More: Where is Lauren McCluskey’s Family Now?
