SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Hundreds of University of Utah students lined up to leave flowers and candles under a picture of slain student-athlete Lauren McCluskey.
McCluskey, 21, was a member of the school's track team, and many of her teammates wiped away tears during Wednesday evening's vigil on the steps of the Park Building on campus.
School officials announced that a winged foot logo has been created to honor her memory.
The Utes football team will wear the logo as a helmet decal in Friday night's game at UCLA, and the soccer team will wear wristbands with a heart logo that includes McCluskey's initials in Thursday night's home game versus UCLA.
Utah's cross country team will wear black uniforms and a patch of the heart logo at Friday's Pac-12 Cross Country Championships at Stanford.
In 2015, McCluskey graduated with honors from Pullman High School. She was the high jump state champion.
University of Utah President Ruth Watkins said McCluskey was a “highly regarded member of the track and field team, and an outstanding scholar, a senior majoring in communication.” She had a 3.75 GPA and was excited to graduate in May 2019.
Police said Melvin Rowland, the man suspected of killing McCluskey, was found dead in an off-campus church early Tuesday. The Associated Press reports Rowland and McCluskey dated.
Community members also joined friends to honor McCluskey and support her family with love and solidarity at the Pullman High School track on Wednesday Minister Steven Kuiken from the United Church of Christ – where the McCluskey family attended church – offered prayer at the vigil. Others offered words about McCluskey's life, scholarship, athleticism and outstanding character.
A statement from McCluskey's parents said she dated her killer for about one month and he lied about his criminal history. They said McCluskey ended the relationship about two weeks ago, blocked his phone number and the numbers of his friends, and complained to University of Utah police about harassment.
McCluskey's mother heard her shout, "No no no," while they were on the phone on Monday night. She kept the line open while her husband called 911.
McCluskey's mother Jill is an economics professor at Washington State University.
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The following is a full statement from Jill McCluskey.
"It is with deepest sadness that we let you know that our daughter Lauren McCluskey, age 21, was the University of Utah student who was killed last night. Lauren previously dated her killer for about one month. He lied to her about his name, his age, and his criminal history. Lauren was informed by a friend about his criminal history, and ended the relationship with her killer on October 9, 2018. He had borrowed her car, and she requested the University of Utah police accompany her on October 10, 2018 to get her car back. She blocked his and his friends' phone numbers and complained to the University of Utah Police that she was being harassed. Last night a little before 9 pm, she was returning to her university apartment from her night class and talking to me on the phone. Suddenly, I heard her yell, "No, no, no!" I thought she might have been in a car accident. That was the last I heard from her. My husband called 911. I kept the line open and in a few minutes, a young woman picked up the phone and said all of Lauren's things were on the ground.
Lauren was a senior student athlete on the University of Utah track team. She was an outstanding student majoring in Communication and was excited to graduate in May 2019. She was a 2015 honors graduate of Pullman High School where she was Washington state champion in the high jump and the school record holder in the 100 meter hurdles. She attended Capital Church in Salt Lake City. She loved to sing and had strength and determination. She was dearly loved and will be greatly missed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
