I'm not even halfway through, but I had to stop and wonder why the hell someone would be eligible for parole after only serving one year for those charges. That's absurd.
Lauren and I were friends and she was actually was a student in one of the buildings I supervised. I urged the university housing to change her rooms one I found out she was dating a shady man but the university closed ranks and said "unless she comes to us for help we can't do anything." BUT SHE LITERALLY HAD. They just didn't communicate it across the board. The University of Utah is a horrible university.
University of Utah -- the very WORST. Too bad she chose to go to school; she'd very likely still be alive had she gone anyplace else. At least she wouldn't have met "Sean/Melvin" anyplace else. Talk about LUCKLESS choices.
I live in the area. He was fired from his job, tried to get another job in law enforcement in a different city, was fired from that one the moment they realized who he was, and has since been shamed and bared from any other law enforcement type jobs. Essentially his whole career was ruined.
Why are they referring to him as a boy, that just makes him sound misunderstood. He is a narcistic, evil, dangerous man who is on the sex offender register. This whole terrible incident never needed to happen if just one person stood up to help her. I am so very sorry Lauren.
society loves to shift of resppnsibility off men by calling them boys. "thats not a man thats a boy" whenever a man does sth wrong. No hes a man. end of story
To be fair he doesn't even have the right to be called a man. A real man does not purposefully hurt the woman he allegedly cares for. No he is no man. He is a monster
I had an aggressive stalker, called the police, and they told me to just buy a gun. They told me that police can’t do anything until AFTER he gets violent. I hired an attorney who sent the stalker a cease and desist. The police were zero help.
That is, unfortunately, sad & true. I was in the same situation before & my attorney told me to buy cans of that wasp spray (it shoots a powerful stream...more powerful than pepper sprays) & keep a can by each of my doors @ my home & that if you hit them in the face with it, it will temporarily mess up their vision pretty good...among other things! When my stalker showed up @ my new address (in a different town, also), I called police & told them I'd had 2 previous restraining orders on my ex & that if my ex showed up again that he'd get a face full of wasp spray. The dispatch woman told me I 'could probably be arrested' if I did that. I told her, 'lady, I'll take my chances.' It is god-awful how police are so aware of the rights of criminals, but NOT of the rights of victims.
Sadly, there isn’t much they can do, which makes me think police involvement might not have changed this situation at all. It is really punishing the victim (which I hate!), but her best option was probably to change her school. 😔
In the US, stalkers are pretty much allowed to do as they please even though they've passed specific stalking laws. I was stalked for 22 yr by a dude I dated for one month. He only quit stalking me when he drowned in the river while fishing. The police knew the whole time. I reported him at least 100 times to various law enforcement agencies. I had him beaten up three times. I had him snatched up and dumped outside OKC in December. I had pulled knives on him and twice sicced my Doberman on him. I was not easy to harass, but he kept on until the Ouachita River took care of him for me. I have never been so glad when someone died.
Stalking is one of the few crimes that truly terrifies me. Nobody will do anything about it until it's too late. There's almost nothing you can do about it until you really can't do anything at all.
As someone who has worked at a university for a while, after a few calls like that, everyone in the office ends up becoming familiar with the student and their situation. I imagine there were more calls than what was presented here. The fact that everytime her or her parents called, they had to reiterate the contex and seemingly had no idea about the situation is shocking. At that point, once she says her name, they should know the deal. She should have had a reliable person to contact who was keeping up with the situation, but they dropped the ball there. It is a tragedy seeing how many points in time this could have been prevented.
Yeah, that was extremely frustrating... the way they responded to the first call and sent someone with her to pick up the car, I thought that still looked ok, but how the heck did they miss the part about "sexual offender is harrassing our daughter"?! Not just some teen with no criminal record but an adult man, fully capable of violence towards women. How does one underestimate something like that?
@irena4545 yeah, the escalation should've set off alarms for the campus police. It seems they didn't even look into his background, because any competent agency would've seen his history and been all over this case.
Thank you for your comment! Most ppl do not want to shine a light on areas that they were personally involved in. I think that in this case, the fault lies with everyone involved, including Lauren. I am not victim blaming at all. But as a now 36 year old female, that has also dealt with a terrible share of abuse and horror from a partner as a teen, it's difficult not to react. Even as a teen, I knew what was happening was awful and I deserved better and needed to get away, I was still in somewhat of a denial and had hope. I blame myself just as I blame the other person in my situation
@@ashley_9286_ I tend to agree. I agree everyone is responsible for their own lives and the people they choose to include. I can't comment on abuse, but I am sorry that you went through that. From my perspective, she did realize it wasn't a healthy relationship, though maybe later than she should have. She knew she needed help and she asked for it, yet there were a lot of mis-steps on the part of authorities that could have otherwise prevented the outcome. Do you see the situation differently based on your experience?
As a survivor of domestic violence, I’m not surprised by the lack of action in this case. Too often the signs are ignored till it’s too late. We as a society need to do better. RIP sweet girl. Thanks Adrian for bringing light to this case.
@@hebedite4865 I once read a comment (I think it was on one of this channel's videos, or another channel's, I don't remember) but I agree with what it said... "The police aren't crime prevention, they're crime reaction."
I would love to think that more proactive laws and enforcement of such laws are in place - but they're not. Why is it allowed to remain a low priority after all these years of death after death around the world?
This made my blood boil. Stalking is not taken seriously enough. Poor Lauren had such a bright life ahead of her and Melvin robbed the world of a unique, bright and strong woman.
The police forces failed terribly. Both campus and city. A beautiful young woman senselessly murdered. And her killer dead by his own hand. No justice for Lauren. Thanks Adrian
@@ThomasSawyers If you're worried about getting 'spoiled' when a woman was stalked and murdered then you really need to take a good long look at yourself. This isn't fiction - a real person died here, and being butthurt that her murder was 'spoiled' for you is fucking vile.
@@lilychouxif you were really worried about that you wouldn't watch these...wtf are you talking about? What's the point in a storytelling when you know the outcome? You're effed in the head if that's your take from my comment. It's annoying for someone who's seen something to simply summarize. Otherwise why not just have a 30 second video? Imagine calling someone vile because they wanna learn the details throughout not just all at once. Cry more to your therapist, you need to let some emotions out clearly.
@@ThomasSawyersI know someone else already said it, but I’d like to reiterate that this isn’t a movie. It’s about someone’s actual death. I saw this information reported in the news when it first happened. Did they “spoil” the murder too? Fucking weirdo.
Omfg. This was beyond maddening. Everyone failed her. Even her parents. If I found out my child was dating a convicted felon and sex offender, I would have taken her to campus, retrieved the car, filed a report, got a restraining order, called his parole officer, stayed in town. I mean. Why is everyone expecting her to take care of this?! It’s like asking a lamb to fight a lion. How horrific.
Ya exactly, dad calls the police after all that, and after his daughter gets kidnapped on the phone- “ya, some of the kid’s friends have been harassing her a little bit…” Thanks dad, I wonder if police would have turned up a little quicker if you hadn’t sucked so much. Probably not, considering how much they sucked too. This case highlights yet another way modern college & universities are failing our kids right in front of us (as if we need more)- it’s no secret that the big difference between a school campus security gig and work as a mall cop is job security. Malls are all closing/downsizing while colleges are notorious havens for deadwood that only get more expensive to attend each year. Case in point, the creeps who kept Lauren’s nudes (and we just never hear anything more about? Wha??). You get what you pay for. Unless you happen to be the one paying to go to college, of course.
@@midwesthorrorfan5213 Exactly. Her dad gave the ex's fake name "Sean Fields" to the police officer. How do you not know his real name from your daughter at this point, after he's been harassing her this whole time? Also calls the ex "a boy" to the police. He's a 38 year old sex offender, not a boy. When officer asks "has he been making any threats", dad says "his friends have been harassing her A LITTLE BIT". So weird how he was downplaying every aspect of this.
Worked for the University off-site and got a lock-down text when the murder happened. More I learned the more I was completely horrified by the whole situation. Lauren did all the right things and the system failed her. Haunted by the fact that her mother was on the phone with her when the attack occurred. RIP Lauren you are not forgotten ❤
I wouldn't say she did everything right. He was abusive, she stayed with him, she found out he was a 37 year old sex offender with a violent past, didn't take it seriously, dude literally imprisoned her in a room and she didn't even file a false imprisonment and kidnapping case. Then all the reports she did have were so mild that you'd think it was a common breakup and no a 37 year old sex offender stalking her. Her parents too saying "our daughter was harassed a bit, and she broke up with this BOY" rather than saying she was stalked, imprisoned, and possible attacked by a criminal
Telling the blackmailer that what they’re doing is illegal won’t do anything because they probably already know and don’t care. The best course of action is to just ignore them and report their behavior immediately because once you give into their demands, they won’t stop.
I used to date a girl whos ex did a bunch of stalkerish crap. Calling/texting constantly, posting her photos and phone number online as well as showing up at her work. I convinced her to call the cops one night and ended up regretting it. They basically told her to change her phone number and consider trying to find a new job since she 'just works in the mall'. So its easy to see why people dont trust police, cause I certainly don't.
Ouch, what the fuck? My current partner called the cops to help me escape my ex, because we were in my apartment after he just showed up at night. I was supposed to quickly leave while he slept. What did they do? Just go inside, turn on the lights, have me announce to my ex that I am leaving the apartment, and then give me disgusted looks.
@@maschaorsomethingThat's really messed up, both those situations yours and the OPs are messed up. It's like they don't take these things seriously at all until someone ends up dead. I have dealt with it myself also, and my ex slashed all my tires, and all my new boyfriend's tires too SMH. This was after he had also broken into my apartment too, on a separate occasion. The police did nothing at all to help me either.
Killing someone then killing yourself is such a cowardly act. I’m also sick and tired of story after story where people that should clearly be in jail being released so that they can kill. It’s clear that these judges and police either have no common sense or just don’t care, both are deeply concerning.
They often cite excuses like 'not enough money', 'nothing we can do', 'overcrowded prisons'. More prisons are certainly needed but that's not where gov't money goes.
I mean the cops don't decide how long sentencing is, what charges are prosecuted or what the minimum time served would be. That's all the DA and judges. Cops had their hands tied by the rest of the justice system which was inexplicably lenient on this monster.
@@belmum1689well they sure didn't care to make sure SHE stayed safe. It's their damn job to know when a person is a THREAT. Don't make excuses for them or you are just as bad as they are.
The police that took her picture and said they were lucky to get it are DISGUSTING human beings. Law enforcement and campus security really failed her on this one.
It's a great tragedy what happened to her; however, if she had provided all the information to the people she contacted about the guy-such as his real name, his age, and his criminal background-the results would definitely have been different. Instead, she only shared common and brief information, so the officials didn't grasp the full magnitude of the matter. If she had disclosed all the information she found on the Internet, the listeners would have taken the matter very seriously and most probably contacted his parole officer. I don't know if she discussed all this information with her parents or not, but if she did, then the parents also should have informed the police of all these details, which would have yielded totally different results. People need to step out of their comfort zones and share all they know instead of talking in bits and pieces.
My friend's ex trapped her in a room all night like that. I randomly went to her house when she didn't answer my texts and it seemed off. I flipped out made him leave and called the police. If you think someone is dangerous in the slightest don't see them alone please.
@@aroseinwinter7719 I never had to touch him he's like 5'4" meth head like 140lbs I'm 5'6" 200lbs plus I'm the only black person in that lives in this area so I think I make everyone a little uneasy to begin with. I have fought a few guys but they were just dudes that had never been in a fight before so they didn't really know how to fight back
I reported my abusive ex to police several times but they never did anything; we were instructed to “talk it out”. He raped me, broke my jaw, teeth and nose, gave me nerve damage that I still have today, brain damage from a severe concussion as well. Thank you, officers, we sure did talk it out. I’m lucky to be alive, but not all are so lucky, obviously… this is a disturbing reminder of that solemn fact. RIP Lauren… your death was senseless and preventable. 😓 ***UPDATE*** thank you so much for support and kind words for those who showed me love, it means a lot! 💕 If you’ve been through something similar I feel for you and wish you all the best. And for the few who have nothing better to do than victim shame, spew negativity and hatred… You’re part of the problem, nobody is impressed with how “edgey” you think you are. Victim blaming or shaming others who have been through something difficult isn’t cute. Y’all need help. Take care. ✌🏻
@@davidofergals6947 men are so stupid. do y'all seriously think women date abusive men bc they like them being horrible human beings? these men pretend to be nice until they're not. that's how they get in your life. and this can happen to men too, with abusive women. stop blaming the victims
Man, the way Lauren’s situation unfolded is painful to hear. The year after I left the school, this murder happened. My Friends were in Lauren’s social sphere and had intimate knowledge of the situation. I was upset to discover that college staff and SLC police did not handle the case well, and it took years for Utah to “admit” to the mishandling of the case. Lauren’s mom advocated, publicly and legally, for years for justice. If any lesson could be taken away, it’s that reporting works when the reporting system takes your case seriously.
How do we know "that reporting works when the reporting system takes you seriously." They didn't and she was murdered. What example can you provide the system works?
This to me seems more like everyone but the cops failed her. They get a report on him and what he's doing, they have to send that to the DA's office, DA's office decides if they wanna prosecute for it or not, if they don't then the police can't get a warrant for arrest. The DA was also the one who gave him a sentence that allowed him to get out that early and wasn't monitoring the conditions of his parole at all. The cops will feel guilty about this, the DA feels good because even though he's most responsible for letting this scum out on the streets again, this is an easy case to prosecute and another W on the DA's record.
@@TheLikenessOfNormal Seemed like the local police did nothing but redirect her to the university and based on her calls with them it didn't seem like they ever did anything with the information they were getting from her. Maybe thats just how it came across to me though.
@TheLikenessOfNormal 10:39 - by the moment I saw his date of conviction, I was caught off-guard because July 19 is also my mother's birthday. Terrifying, though it's unrelated to the case.
@@TheLikenessOfNormalThe SLPD told her that they couldn’t do anything because it was campus police’s jurisdiction. She told them that campus police weren’t helping at all, but they still refused to step in.
I bet the campus would be on her case if she missed a tuition payment....but obviously could have cared less regarding her safety. What a damn shame. Poor Lauren and her family.
The campus police went out with her to get her car. Then she called up all wishy washy and went into a long speech instead of getting to the facts. She sounded like she wasn't taking it seriously herself.
My ex boyfriends friends are mean. Q. Q. Or A sexual offender with a gun is stalking me and I'm scared for my life. I wouldn't take her seriously either.
this is why you need masculine men as brothers and father, no way my sister would be calling useless police a gazillion times to no use instead of informing me of what is up
This story is actually heartbreaking. So many people failed Lauren. Very scary to know she reached out for help so many times with evidence of crimes and it all went basically ignored.
@@joec4997she definitely did not! What the actual fuck are you on ?? Him being a psychopath and manipulator is not her fault. He lied to her and she put trust in him. I can’t believe people.
It's a great tragedy what happened to her; however, if she had provided all the information to the people she contacted about the guy-such as his real name, his age, and his criminal background-the results would definitely have been different. Instead, she only shared common and brief information, so the officials didn't grasp the full magnitude of the matter. If she had disclosed all the information she found on the Internet, the listeners would have taken the matter very seriously and most probably contacted his parole officer. I don't know if she discussed all this information with her parents or not, but if she did, then the parents also should have informed the police of all these details, which would have yielded totally different results. People need to step out of their comfort zones and share all they know instead of talking in bits and pieces.
@@rose01-22 It's a great tragedy what happened to her; however, if she had provided all the information to the people she contacted about the guy-such as his real name, his age, and his criminal background-the results would definitely have been different. Instead, she only shared common and brief information, so the officials didn't grasp the full magnitude of the matter. If she had disclosed all the information she found on the Internet, the listeners would have taken the matter very seriously and most probably contacted his parole officer. I don't know if she discussed all this information with her parents or not, but if she did, then the parents also should have informed the police of all these details, which would have yielded totally different results. People need to step out of their comfort zones and share all they know instead of talking in bits and pieces.
29:39 Not everyone failed her. During this story I kept thinking of that 1st call handler doing a good job and getting her car picked up. She felt the concern in the situation
My roommate went on a date with this guy just a week before Lauren was murdered. And she matched with him on the local religious dating app. She could tell right away that something was off with him and blocked him after that first date. There were so many other women who came forward with similar stories after Lauren was murdered.
@valeriewalton Does she want a trophy for figuring out that a guy who is obviously from a group responsible for 60% of the murders in the U.S. might be dangerous? Never mind,most women are so dumb that she probably deserves one. Here's a handy tip for not getting murdered:stop dating people who are statistically THIRTY FIVE TIMES more likely to murder you,stupid.
As a victim of several SA’s, that monster getting parole after only one year is a slap in the face to anyone who’s ever suffered that abuse, especially his victims.💔😡💔😡
SA isn't taken serious by ANYONE, EVER. There are many reports of rapists getting women pregnant and going for custody when they get out. Look it up. No one really cares, no one advocates for change. We just go on to bury the shit deep inside and deal with it ourselves.
@@lisavanderpump7475 Thank you. No, I think it was just bad luck. The first time was a neighbor who I adored, until he betrayed me when I was just 6 yo. The second was my auntie’s husband, who was a miserable excuse for a human being. And lastly is the most unbelievable and definitely the worse. It was a stranger at Myrtle Beach, in broad daylight. I was maybe 14 yo. That’s why I KNOW you can’t take your eyes off of your children. Something detrimental can happen in the span of a few minutes.
this was so preventable, Law-enforcement continually drops the ball on these cases acting like these terrified women calling their stations for help are not a big deal! People should be fired!
@@RolandBullock-ej8wl They can't do anything without actual information, a simple "The guy bothering me is a sex offender with a false identity" would have helped.
That's just how it is here in the US. The number of times I was told "Give us a call when he actually attacks you" when I was being stalked was shameful. I ended up having to uproot my entire life because the police just did not care. Hundreds of calls, dozens of reports, multiple peace orders. They just do not care.
Men(who are usually cops) will take the man’s side. Just automatic bias. It’s rage inducing. Police departments need to be rebuilt from the ground up where domestic cases are completely separate from other cases.
I must preface this by saying I do not blame the victim or her family. Melvin is to blame. This is guidance for anyone out there who finds themselves in a similar situation. When you call the police, if there is time, write a script first. "My name is X. I am being stalked by Y. He is a registered sex offender. I need to file a police report. Send an officer to (address)." If you are a parent, prepare to be very firm and not hesitant: "My name is X. My daughter/son is Y. He/she/they is a student at Z. Send police to (address) immediately. On a phone call, she was heard screaming, "No no no no no," before the line went dead. She was being stalked by an armed sex offender. She is in imminent danger." In these calls, father and daughter were not conveying the sense of urgency that was needed. I don't know if a change of tone would have made a difference here. It sounds like these police were incompetent. But, if you run into this kind of danger, make sure the police have no doubt that your life is threatened or that you are being hunted by a convicted parolee. Just say whatever you need to say to break through the operator/dispatcher's polite indifference.
Yes, I agree. None of the calls sounded urgent in the least, and nobody had their thoughts together enough to be clear to the dispatch operater. Writing down the essential information first is a really great suggestion! What a terrible shame that he was ever let out of jail.
You are so right. I thought the same thing during majority of those calls. They just weren't clear enough or conveyed the urgency/seriousness of the situation. Although, if you have never met a monster before, you may downplay their threat & not believe he would ever cause her physically harm
I was looking for a comment like this. I was beginning to think it was just me who thought the calls weren't delivering the valid concern of her true risk. Thank you for sharing these excellent suggestions!! ❤
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like the calls weren't urgent enough, I literally had no idea what she was asking the campus to do in one of the calls, she was piecing together different bits of info , he borrowed her car, his friends were texting her , she knew it was him though ??? I just wanted her to tell them he is a dangerous sex offender , that he faked his ID and the person she was dating was a fake person , he had a gun , he was threatening her all this should have been conveyed to the campus police, I cant think why she didn't.
@@steve10 Yes, a couple of those calls just sounded like she and her friend had simply had a spat. There’s not much the campus police or the regular police could do about something like that. I’m thinking that she perhaps felt some embarrassment about having gone back to him, lent him her car again, etc. That happens to a lot of people, and not just women. Where you know that a person is definitely toxic for you, but for whatever reason you just go back anyway. And when her parents called, I think that most likely she had not really explained the entire extent of what was going on to them, probably for the same reason (embarrassment). So if they really didn’t understand, it would make sense that the parents would not necessarily sound terribly alarmed over the phone. As the person who made the original post that we are all commenting on said, this is not victim blaming or shaming. This happens to people of all races, creeds, genders and ages. Far too often, in fact, and sometimes ending in physical violence and even death, as this case unfortunately did.
I'm not quite sure at which point Campus Security became Agony Aunt. My advice: If you feel your life is in danger... go to the police and report it, with clear evidence (eg. threatening texts/messages, etc). Document the circumstances and details (eg. report that a fake ID is being used, or that you've done research and found previous convictions or something). Ask the police to do a background check. Don't just phone Campus Security every time your ex (that you didn't realize is 20 years older than you) sends you a funny text message. Go into an actual Police Station, and demand a case number... maybe even go as far as a restraining order or something. If you're feeling threatened consider pepper spray or a buddy system. Stay at a friend. Don't move around alone. Don't loan your car out to the person you're afraid of... You could say that a lot of this advice is "after the fact" - but it seems logical to me. If you're going to phone the police on behalf of someone else... make sure you have the facts... the chronology... the details... the suspicions... what you expect the desired outcome to be. The amount of intervention required or sought. I'm not saying this would have prevented what happened... but... seriously... if it's serious enough to get the police involved... make sure you have a case to present. Explain that you fear for your life. Even just start with an Campus counsellor? (I don't live in the US... but was surprised that Campus Security had jurisdiction and were regarded as fully fledged police for matters like this).
@@Jonathan_Strange abusers don't go usually go for a confident person that is quick to speak up they like the friendly trusting anxious ect personalities. Also the police told her to go back to security and wouldn't help her. It's easier said than done to get away from abusers in Australia being murdered by a former spouse is very common even when the police take it seriously your not protected. It can be a pretty shit world
It’s so scary what obsessed individuals will do. I also had a situation with an individual that had an unhealthy obsession and infatuation with me in college. He was my lab partner and I even failed classes due to the situation. My teacher didn’t believe me, so I went to a lawyer and then I threatened to go to the police and press charges if my stalker didn’t stop. Luckily he listened and left me alone.
What happened to the officers who had her nude photos??? Were they fired or even charged bc if he's still allowed to be a officer I'm truly disappointed and horrified for those students on campus. Rip Lauren nobody protected her and she could have been saved! Every officer that overlooked this case should be fired
The one who downloaded and showed people the photos quit in September 2019 and took a job with Logan police in northern Utah, and was later fired because of the mishandling of Lauren's case. To name and shame him, he was named Miguel Deras. He's trying to sue the university for $10 million, saying they were treated as "scapegoats". I hope he never gets a single penny from that case, as he deserves nothing. He was recently interviewed for a documentary about the case, where (from the transcripts I've read) he doesn't fully own up to his actions.
Absolutely agree! This whole video was a hard watch, but that fact actually turned my stomach. Not enough you didn't do anything for her in life, you can't even give her dignity in death?? What kind of monster do you have to be?
Sadly she should have broke it off with this man before it ever started. She continued to stay with him even after finding out his name was false & his age wasn’t what she was told. Instead she started “investigating”, & they hadn’t been dating for not even a month at the time. She could have easily walked away at that time & been done with him. When she confronted him is when it began & he felt she was going to put his business on the street. Had she let it go, left the relationship & then not told him she was going to tell others, she’d still be alive today. You can’t blame others for her own actions and behavior.
You’re right Adrian, this is infuriating on all levels. The psycho ex-boyfriend, the earnest young lady who’s still learning life lessons, the inadequate but well-meaning parents, the drop-kick campus police and regular police, the complexity of shame, fear and embarrassment when reaching out for help and getting none. They’re all recipes for impending doom. We’ve had another similar case here a few days back. An ex-partner shot his baby mama (toddler unharmed) set the house on fire, drive off and shot himself. What is going on with the world washing their hands of domestic violence?
@@garrysekelli6776 4 years of anti-racist american college propaganda at work. All black people aren't shitty but stereotypes exist for a reason and no amount of white guilt will change that
I am going to be honest. One of my hs classmates stabbed his ex to death after she got an order of protection and I'm still upset about it. I have a feeling it's going to go almost exactly like this. If someone gets away from their abuser, they should be protected. People wonder why "they don't just leave" and then there's stories like this.
Yeah there needs a huge support system that protect people leaving abusive relationships. Right now it’s kinda just a flip of a coin if they will be harmed or not.
I live in the area. He was fired from his job, tried to get another job in law enforcement in a different city, was fired from that one the moment they realized who he was, and has since been shamed and bared from any other law enforcement type jobs. Essentially his whole career was ruined.
Even the parents have some fault here, she got abducted over the phone and when her father calls 911 he says "They've been harassing her a bit". There was very little sense of urgency in those 911 calls. If I were the dispatcher I would just think this was another common break-up case as well.
Honestly that call shook me, so I am glad someone else mentioned it. I don't think he's to blame as I get panic and shock might be setting in, but the difference between "Yes, he's a convicted violent sex offender out on parole, who's been trying to lure her out alone for months now; even going as far as to impersonate the police" and "his friends have kind of been harrasing her a bit" is incredible. I mean one of those is a life and death situation that officers need to get to the scene of now, and the other is a description of teens being mean on social media. I mean it's definitely Law Enforcement's fault she died, as I don't think there was any chance of them getting to her in time thanks to the previous screw ups, but still; it makes me wonder if he even knew what was going on there?
@@DJCPreston He's man. That's all. The mother calls because she's worried about her getting a car and makes sure to explain things in details and to explain why it could be dangerous, even though it wasn't an actual emergency. The father hears she's been attacked on the phone and he's just like "Well, she's been a bit bothered in the past sooooo" Women's emergencies aren't taken seriously in any fields because 99% of men don't give a f*ck or always think they're overreacting (all women are just an overdramatic 5 yo who doesn't know what she's saying for those men). It's disgusting, yet absolutely not surprising. Just like the officer enjoying the nudes, showing them, and the other officer being all "Huehuehue lucky you," disgusting, yes, but surprising ? Absolutely not. Cops do that constantly to rape and blackmail victims. Heck, they themselves will rape the victims if they can. And if the woman is too "ugly" for them, instead they humiliate her.
Seeing her walking around alone with all that she's facing is tragic and upsetting, I wish she had at least one person to accompany her back to her door.. RIP
All she had to do was give the real police all the information she had when she discovered it at her parents house and told them his real name and that he was a felon in possession of a firearm and in violation of his parole. Then never leave her parents house until he was arrested and returned to jail.
So often that’s true, but there really isn’t a lot they can do even if they do want to help. Other than warning the stalker, and suggesting the victim get a restraining order, stalking is very difficult to prove.
The girl and her family were also very lax with this nonsense. They allowed it to go on for far too long. When my sister wasn't getting anywhere with the police in a similar situation she went to the DA's office. She literally blasted their ass for their dismissal and made them understand their bullshit. This girl and her parents layed down and acted like the sex offender following their daughter was a little puppy dog. Laziness all around
Just about managed to get through the whole video, listening to. This was infuriating. Can't imagine how she must've felt going through all this. RIP, Lauren.
It’s honestly so sad that they say “they haven’t done anything yet so there’s nothing we can do.” STALKING IS SOMETHING! May she R.I.P I hope we really do something about the police one day. They don’t do anything
This is truly sickening, saddening and despicable case, she did everything right and still was failed, and on a side note thank you Adrian for the extra content each week (an extra video), I have been wanting to see more of your content Sir more than once a week for awhile now.
These phone conversations are just crazy. I would have more panic and more substance to say go freaking help my daughter or go get her and pull her back home. Just disgusting. This man is just disgusting.
Yeah, I was disturbed by the dads Phone call. He sounds way too calm for somebody whos daughter was harassed by an ex con and potentially kidnapped. Most terrified parents will talk in extremes when it comes to their family members - He downplayed the extent of the harassment against his daughter..."they harassed her a little bit" ...really?
I understand Lauren's calls, the feeling you get after being put down so many times, you feel like a bother, you know the more you try to explain the seriousness the more likely they are to brush it off and label you as 'emotional' or 'dramatic'. So you try to stay calm and show you are being level headed, dont give anyone an excuse to think 'you're drunk' or 'she was histerical'. Unfortunate that this is often the way people react to cries for help, but i digress. The dads call I dont understand at all, was he out of the loop? was he in denial of how serious the situation was? did he really not know the full extent of the situation or was he just in shock? I can't quite get my head around how disconnected he sounded. Would be really interested to know what his situation was because the call is just so..... disjointed.
21:35 this whole interaction is making my blood boil especially when it gets to the point where the operator on the phone asks her if she texted the literal guy thats been harassing her if she has texted him to stop calling it's like... no um.. the guy is HARASSING me heLLO??
Authorities absolutely suck at protecting victims from partners or ex partners, maybe the laws are to blame but it's almost hopeless in a situation like this. The best thing to do is protect yourself unfortunately.
Most cops are violent offenders. Most of the serial killers had been cops. Cops are often stalkers too, and have a high rate of violence against women. I would say that explains everything about why cops don't ever care about protecting victims of stalkers.
Gabby Petito. They had that killer pulled over and took his side! Bros for bros I guess, but I hope they at least learned something from it because I’m pretty sure they don’t lose any sleep. Smdh
The father's call to the police pissed me off. He used the guy's fake name instead of the real name they already knew and did not disclose that it has him making the threats all along.
She probably did not tell her dad half of what went on is my guess, he may not have known he was using a fake name. I assume she did not want to look bad in front of her dad, so downplayed what went on. The fact is she was an adult, an attractive adult female with lots of options....who chose a completely unsuitable, unhinged and dangerous looking man to date. That is on her and no one else. Her choice, and the consequences of those choices as an adult is often hard to take.
@@lukebignell7846 This is NOT something she chose. HE is the only one who's responsible for the actions HE did. For the CRIMES HE COMMITTED! Stop putting the fucking responsibility on people who are not the perpetrators.
@@MelMel-sz2gd If she had chosen a nice boy from her University to date from a good family, would she have ended up where she ended up? YES OR NO?? We all know the answer to that. She would most likely have had men from her University queueing up to date her too.
@@lukebignell7846so because she didn’t get with anyone from her university, this is her fault? Absolutely ridiculous. Being from or at a university doesn’t mean you’re a good person, and assuming that’s what would’ve kept her alive is gross. Hindsight is 20/20, especially as a commenter behind a screen. She realized she made a mistake, and ceased the relationship. He did not want to. She reported his behavior. She did the most she could when she realized he was a bad guy. Saying this is the consequences to her actions is directly blaming her for her own death, not the man who wouldn’t leave her alone.
However, it's critical to look at each case individually as well as consider the big picture. These types of cases are rare, yet they get a lot of attention.
This one hit home a little too hard. I was in an 8 year relationship with a man who was emotionally abusive. When I finally had the courage to leave, it took three days to leave him. He would not let me sleep, eat, or potty without him being on the phone until I took him back. After 4 days of not eating, I finally was free. I ate a slice of cake as a reward and got sick from it. That is the proudest moment of my life and I truly hope no one ever has to go through anything like that. I hate that she was in an abusive relationship where he wouldn't let her go. I'm so grateful I didn't die. I now have a 6 month old daughter and a husband I love and job I love. I would never have that opportunity if I met a man like Melvin. I hope Lauren's family finds peace. I can't imagine their pain. I wish he could have just let her go.
It’s important to communicate clearly when reporting concerns to authorities. It’s better to overstate concerns than minimise them. Make a list of bullet points prior to contacting authorities if necessary. Clearly state the names of people concerned and press for immediate action. I understand how difficult it is to contact authorities when frightened or after having been somewhat groomed to take on a submissive role, but clear, unambiguous communication is so important in these situations.
Also always ask to file reports and talk to actual police officers if given the chance, don’t just talk to operators on the phone and expect them to remember you. All calls by Lauren were so confusing and she did not give the proper information. I also think that showing or saying you’re scared, in distress and freaking out is important to communicate the urgency of the situation. Also her father in his call sounded like he had no clue what was going on in his daughter’s life. He still called the guy Sean and that his ‘friends’ were harassing her a little bit… it’s weird he didn’t know and he would maybe have protected her had he known the details. ofc authorities failed miserably and should have taken action way sooner! Im not blaming the victim just thinking about what else went wrong
Yeah, when listening to the calls of her speaking, personally, I wasn’t very confused as to why the cops were confused too. Not trying to victim blame, especially because everyone has different personalities, her being so passive and timid when reporting makes me think they didn’t grasp how serious this situation was because she didn’t communicate effectively
@@whosaidthat9265 sadly a lot of victims often become shy after a period of abuse because their self-esteem is damaged and they often feel a false sense of guilt that they are reporting their abuser.. operators and officers should know this and take anyone very seriously no matter the tone but its often not the case.
@@Rosiestoned it's quite possible that they also knew that she'd let him use her car again after she had a security officer go with her to get it back the first time. then she paid him the blackmail money which was a terrible thing to do on so many levels. she should have given each and every text and email to both the campus police and the city police. documentation is the best way to get their attention. she just didn't have much as far as "street smarts" and was extremely naive. her parents, imo, failed her as much as the police did. when she discovered every thing about him she should have discussed it with them and made arrangements to keep her safe once she got back to utah. both of them sounded clueless and didn't articulate the danger she was in very well at all during their calls. they were both college professors and have probably seen similar things that were happening to their daughter at their own campus. just a sad case all the way around.
A prime example of why law enforcement officers should be held accountable in cases of neglecting their duties. Neglect is unacceptable in any other public servants job, so why are law enforcement officers allowed to get away with this time and time again? Absolutely appalling..
Okay I can’t be the only one who was in AGONY listening to the mother and Lauren try and explain themselves on the phone. I am not trying to be rude but they didn’t exactly do a good job being fully clear and explaining the situation. RIP
Wish they wrote out what was happening, so they could explain better. Save evidence in a google drive. Because the darn police will won’t do anything with out “proof”. I mean a victim’s words I guess ain’t enough.
And the dad! His daughter is being attacked, and he's all "well...ummmm...there was a boy...." Just walking around the point instead of saying "SOMEONE IS ATTACKING MY DAUGHTER AT THIS LOCATION AND ITS MOST LIKELY THIS PERSON. WE'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH HIM HARASSING HER"
This case made me so upset because there were many opportunities to do something to protect her from this tragedy. Makes me worry for my sister who’s in uni and what could happen to her and how little the campus would do if she ever got into a situation like this. RIP Lauren 💔
I have to say something about the way Lauren and her parents reported all these incidents. They were all so low-key and cagey about the situation. So hesitant to convey the true threat that Melvin posed. Almost like none of them wanted to be a bother and were just embarrassed by the whole situation. Only the mother had the sense to tell campus police some of the severity of her concern - and they acted immediately! Everyone else said, "Well, he's not a nice guy. He's saying mean things... he lied... I'm uh, scared..." No. Seriously. I don't want to victim blame because the situation should have been handled much more seriously by the police and the officer who kept and showed her nudes is absolute vile, but why was this young girl and her father so hesitant with critical, vital information?! "Hello. I'm being stalked by a registered sex offender who lied to me about his age, criminal record, and name. He is huge, he won't leave me alone, he has stalked in front of my apartment, and he keeps trying to lure me out. I am terrified for my life!" If she had acted more directly and given the police real details instead of skirting around the issue, this would have gone much differently, I think. She didn't even tell campus security to relocate her to another apartment! Being so wishy-washy with the police about something so serious is like going to the doctor and concealing your gangrenous limb. Save your life. Be direct!
I agree that she and both her parents seemed to be holding back on giving the authorities all the details. On the phone call recordings, there were long pauses, gaps like they were distracted or something. Of she would have documented everything that was going on and taken it to the police, at the very least, she could have shown them the level of threat that he was and hopefully gotten them to take the situation more seriously.
It seemed like she was invalidated and felt like a bother or that she wasn’t sure if she should be calling the police, like am I overreacting type deal.
It’s so different when you are actually in this situation. People all around you downplay your hysteria and panic about serious things until it is too late. It happens all the time. And you wonder if it truly is all in your head and you are wasting energy and time of the authorities which is illegal to do. Yes it’s a real serious threat, but until you are in that kind of scary environment, you are hoping it’s all in your head so you can live life without being paranoid. Hoping for it to end and wishing someone would scream for you, but no one does until it’s too late. It’s a real dilemma for many victims of this. Stalking is terrifying.
Thanks you so much for covering this case! I've suggested it in the past, but I never knew if it was a case you'd get into. I always felt like you were the perfect person to tell her story with empathy. This case was local to me, and it always felt particularly tragic and unnecessary. Thanks Adrian!
Haven't finished the video but it's bothering me enough that i wanted to comment on it, realizing that maybe they just didn't play the relevant section of the calls made: If you want to get law enforcement to help. Do NOT sugar coat things when you make your requests. Be DETAILED and tell your story, give the most relevant facts....this guy is a registered sex offender, he was using a false identity, he was involved in blackmail, he was sending threatening messages. This family must be very kind because all these recorded phone calls beat around the bush and they seem to want to downplay what kind of monster they are dealing with. If you believe your safety is in danger- be direct! YOUR safety is what is at risk! It's not a time to "be nice" or to not "bad mouth" someone. How one doesn't lead off with "registered sex offender" each time you mention him to law enforcement is doing yourself a disservice. The above isn't to blame the victim or her parents. It's to hopefully help someone else that finds themselves in a bad situation who needs help. I have worked in a operations center and have experience working with law enforcement and I can tell you, they are far from perfect...just like we all are. Help ensure your safety, don't be nice and tell the situation as it is to make sure the seriousness of it is conveyed.
As someone who lives in UT and was living there when this happens, it is very frustrating knowing they look they other way when women are in trouble. Way too many cases like this could be and should be prevented.
I know exactly how horrific this situation is .. I’m also a victim of stalking .. and it’s wrong just wrong how little law enforcement do to help victims of stalking it really upsets me .. Thank you Adrian for covering this very tragic story .. And fir showing the victim as the good person she was
That poor young woman... too often, reports like hers go ignored, and it's just inexcusable on the part of law enforcement and/or anyone in a position of authority to which she'd spoken of her fears and his behavior. These cases hurt a lot, because at the end of the day, they truly are entirely avoidable tragedies. As always, sending Love & Light from Mississippi. Y'all stay safe and keep taking care of each other. ✌🏼🖤☕
Really does seem as if nobody told the police about Melvin's background and criminal past. Even the father said "she was going out with this boy" He should have said she had broken up with a grown man who had lied about his age and name, and was an ex-convict on parole, and a sex offender!
All that evidence …her voice cracking…you can feel the pain and fear in her voice. Poor girl. Shameful from the law enforcement not doing their job to protect this girl. They should be ashamed and embarrassed! Her death is on their hands. Melvin was a coward. Killing himself before he faced justice. Disgusting. I pray that God gives her family comfort and peace.
it is so appalling that stalking and harassment is never taken seriously anywhere in the world. almost every stalking cases ends up violent or in death, still it is taken very lightly. there should be strong legislation to put stalker in prison no matter their gender. i feel so sad for lauren, she seems to be such a sweet girl. hope she rests in peace❤
@@taramay8174not being confident in those phone calls is understandable - given she sounded scared and unsure on account that she knew she was in a really bad situation. I have no clue where people get that she had low self esteem, though.
You always cover cases with empathy and compassion where due. Thank you for your content. Poor poor girl. This case is so troubling thank you for telling it with such grace. Good evening Adrian x
They could have just put his name into a computer, found out he was a sex offender on parole, and then had him arrested for parole violations. They wouldn't have even needed to leave their chairs.
Wild, I was working nearby when we got alerts of a shooting on campus. Security and the law definitely failed her. Wish he hadn't been let free to continue being a monster but also wish she had bailed earlier at signs of control and paranoia and had left school until the issue had a resolution. It's hard with youth and inexperience to know how to handle these terrible situations
This whole time I was just thinking "Call his parole officer". Shame on the cops for not hearing about someone on parole, a sex offender, violent crimes, and they just said "Campus security can help you". I hope her parents sued the shit out of the police.
I’m unclear if he was still on parole at the time of the stalking. If he was, calling the parole officer is definitely the first step. (He was very likely to be violating his parole somehow, given his personality.). If parole is over, all they are going to get is the parole officer’s opinion on how dangerous this man can be. That is useful in evaluating the potential threat but wouldn’t help stop him.
19:00 - I've never experienced campus security / campus police doing the right thing before. Never. Its usually about covering up crime so it doesn't get reported anywhere or referred to the real police.
She did everything she could! Her concern and cry for help fell on death ears. My heart breaks for her and her family, the compensation pales in comparison to their loss. I hope they heal or find some peace thereafter to move forward. RIP to Lauren.
It's official... Your channel is my favorite crime channel... Your do your homework and your presentation skills are good enough to host shows like 48 hours... Keep them coming, sir...👍
This makes me so sad. I dealt with a similar situation with an ex (not the false identity) but the abuse, harassment, stalking etc, and the police never took me seriously. They assumed since its an ex that they were welcomed interactions. Without going into the other details, I still have over 200 phone numbers blocked, he would just make one after another and would do anything to get to me. I feel fortunate to have made it out alive. I wish that these things would be taken seriously, my heart goes out to her and her family.
Unfortunately stalking is one of the precursors to violence/sa/murder and theres just not enough laws in most countries to prevent tragedies like this... If we had better regulations/incentives for people to take action/allowing enforcement to get involved much earlier to document, not only could we help victims of stalkers, but we could also get people who have stalking tendencies in the system to help deter/incriminate for future related crimes.
A thousand times yes, I still don't understand how is the law so lax with stalking offenders because there's literally no other outcome to stalking other than eventual physical assault. No stalker eventually says "oh well I guess I was wrong to try and force my way into this person's life, guess I'll just move on now", unless they get help or are physically stopped somehow. We need these levers in order to be able to prevent inappropriate behavior ASAP. I've been stalked twice and the only reason both stalkers stopped is that they were put into a mental institution for other reasons, which did cease the stalking behavior as well.
@@kingrama2727If our votes actually meant something, the last few years would've been different. Law Enforcement has more pull to take in everyone they personally know/like before the people have a choice.
This one is so sad. As a former graduate of the U and from having kids in collegiate track, this one hits close. So sad. ESPN has a great documentary about this. Well done Adrian.
Thank you for covering this. I’m from SLC and this story was so frustrating and heartbreaking to hear about. Even more frustrating is that last year the same exact thing happened to an exchange student named Zhifan Dong. She went to the university for help and was later murdered by her ex boyfriend whom She had reported as dangerous.
@@arynasabalenka3173 I think it's a matter of taking the right and proportionate action. So many police forces worldwide have instances of either under or overreacting to a situation, or not acting in the appropriate manner that would yield the best results on their end, and many preventable tragedies have occurred as a result.
I have no way of knowing if Lauren's parents tried this, or if Lauren considered it or not. If it were my daughter, I would have had her come home after she got her car back. You can always finish your degree another time, or even in another place. But you've got to get out of a situation like that. I'm not blaming Lauren or her parents. Like I said, I don't know what they did or didn't do. And even if they didn't try to get her home, or she decided to stay in school, Lauren and her parents are not to blame in any way.
That's what I was thinking. Transfer somewhere and leave the area (vanish literally) back home and disappear from his life (or return later when things calm down). After all, your life being at risk is the top priority, the rest can wait.
Agree it would have been a good idea just for L to remove herself from the situation, return home and if it were me, I'd go to another university to finish my studies. After all, she already found out he was a sx offender, that would scare the hell out of me.
I agree, but I can see how you could talk yourself out of it. Why should I be punished? He hasn’t been violent *to me*. Very few stalking cases end in murder. And so on.
They should have gotten her out of there after finding out who he really was. Given the steadily escalating situation she was in. At least until proper action was done by the authorities.
Unfortunately, it is often horrible tales such as this that seem to "have to" happen, often to a more well-known individual, before much needed legal and social changes can occur. May she rest in peace and prayers for her loved ones.
I had a stalker for years and had nothing to do with him. Didn't know who it was, flowers and cards left on my car at work and at my mother's home. Then at my home. Every time I moved it would stop for awhile and start up again. It turned out to be mom's neighbor. Absolute creep who worked for the telephone company and tracked me. Moved to a new area and he couldn't find me. Then he started sending my mother flowers with note speaking about our great romance so she figured it out. Freaked me out for three years.
I literally can't believe these officers... both campus and city... all they had to do was report hom to his PO.... it makes me sick!! Thank you for being awareness to this case!!!
It frustrates me to no end that a woman can be so terrified, file multiple reports, and still be fobbed off as authorities just couldn't be fucked to assist! I truly pray each person who turned her away feel the guilt of her life for the rest of their lives
Yep, every woman has had a bad experience with men. Not all men target women, but it makes sense that we fear them. It's labelled as misandry, but actually we are just scared of men because we have all experienced some type of harassment since the age of 12 years old
As someone who worked with a registered sex offender who also lied to me, and tried to date me before spilling the beans, this hits home. He's allowed around children and still has a job even though he's tier 2 in regards to a small child. The law is too lenient with these evil creatures. He also tried to tell me that what he did was not that bad and stalks me on social media
This was such a miscarriage of justice! Also I went through the exact same thing when I broke up with my ex, threatening to send my nudes and a sex video to family and friends of mine on Facebook, making multiple Facebooks to message me, pretending to be someone else etc. But lucky for me he was 1900 hundred miles away from me, because if he wasn't I would have had the same fate. Stalking really needs to be taken more seriously, this is so sad.
Don't feel too bad, I broke up with an ex like 10 years ago and he is still obsessed with me. I flattered though, guess I really am the best at 👄📯💦 after all. I would imagine if someone found someone different that did it better my ex wouldn't have time to think about me constantly. 🤣
The campus police officer saving her nudes and showing them to others… that is BEYOND disgusting. He needs to be charged if he hasn’t already. 😡
ACAB
He definitely wasn't charged
Yes, that’s beyond sick. He could save millions of nude photos online but chose to keep photos of a dead woman?
yikes that is just so wrong!
@shannonigans2220 : You'd be amazed at how many weirdos end up as campus security officers at universities.
I'm not even halfway through, but I had to stop and wonder why the hell someone would be eligible for parole after only serving one year for those charges. That's absurd.
Liberals
John Wayne Gacy only served eighteen months of a ten year sentence. 🤷
They are a protected class
@dartdude4084 lol, nice try puddin' ron.
That’s the justice system. It’s a joke .
Lauren and I were friends and she was actually was a student in one of the buildings I supervised. I urged the university housing to change her rooms one I found out she was dating a shady man but the university closed ranks and said "unless she comes to us for help we can't do anything." BUT SHE LITERALLY HAD. They just didn't communicate it across the board. The University of Utah is a horrible university.
I'm so sorry 😞
University of Utah -- the very WORST. Too bad she chose to go to school; she'd very likely still be alive had she gone anyplace else. At least she wouldn't have met "Sean/Melvin" anyplace else. Talk about LUCKLESS choices.
@@sharonpolome3033 You almost make it sound like it was her fault.
I'm so sorry
@@maschaorsomethingfalse.
Another officer said he was lucky he got that case because he was able to get nude pics of her?! What a sick, sick world. 🤮
🤡🤡right
Yeah, that's flat out disgusting.
Sick creeps
What! This is terrible
Men am I right?
The officer who kept her nude photos and shared them around should lose their job, and be forced to register as a sex offender themselves.
I live in the area. He was fired from his job, tried to get another job in law enforcement in a different city, was fired from that one the moment they realized who he was, and has since been shamed and bared from any other law enforcement type jobs. Essentially his whole career was ruined.
thank goodness @@mugiwarabon3374
@@mugiwarabon3374what's his full name
@@mugiwarabon3374 Good. Thank you for telling us this. :)
@@mugiwarabon3374 When I first heard that he was barred I was honestly shocked that Utah was capable of doing something right for once.
Why are they referring to him as a boy, that just makes him sound misunderstood. He is a narcistic, evil, dangerous man who is on the sex offender register. This whole terrible incident never needed to happen if just one person stood up to help her.
I am so very sorry Lauren.
It's infuriating hearing them call some jacked up 37 year old murderer a 'boy'.
society loves to shift of resppnsibility off men by calling them boys. "thats not a man thats a boy" whenever a man does sth wrong. No hes a man. end of story
To be fair he doesn't even have the right to be called a man. A real man does not purposefully hurt the woman he allegedly cares for.
No he is no man. He is a monster
@@yendevus1747huh???
He has B privilege.
I had an aggressive stalker, called the police, and they told me to just buy a gun. They told me that police can’t do anything until AFTER he gets violent. I hired an attorney who sent the stalker a cease and desist. The police were zero help.
That is, unfortunately, sad & true. I was in the same situation before & my attorney told me to buy cans of that wasp spray (it shoots a powerful stream...more powerful than pepper sprays) & keep a can by each of my doors @ my home & that if you hit them in the face with it, it will temporarily mess up their vision pretty good...among other things! When my stalker showed up @ my new address (in a different town, also), I called police & told them I'd had 2 previous restraining orders on my ex & that if my ex showed up again that he'd get a face full of wasp spray. The dispatch woman told me I 'could probably be arrested' if I did that. I told her, 'lady, I'll take my chances.' It is god-awful how police are so aware of the rights of criminals, but NOT of the rights of victims.
Sadly, there isn’t much they can do, which makes me think police involvement might not have changed this situation at all. It is really punishing the victim (which I hate!), but her best option was probably to change her school. 😔
Did you buy a gun?
@@deedle6073 yes, I finally bought a gun for sure.
The reality is though, if he twisted enough to attack you, then a gun would have been the best option.
In the US, stalkers are pretty much allowed to do as they please even though they've passed specific stalking laws. I was stalked for 22 yr by a dude I dated for one month. He only quit stalking me when he drowned in the river while fishing. The police knew the whole time. I reported him at least 100 times to various law enforcement agencies. I had him beaten up three times. I had him snatched up and dumped outside OKC in December. I had pulled knives on him and twice sicced my Doberman on him. I was not easy to harass, but he kept on until the Ouachita River took care of him for me. I have never been so glad when someone died.
Very sad you had to go through this love from India😢😢😢😢😢
🫂
Ding dong!
Stalking is one of the few crimes that truly terrifies me. Nobody will do anything about it until it's too late. There's almost nothing you can do about it until you really can't do anything at all.
As someone who has worked at a university for a while, after a few calls like that, everyone in the office ends up becoming familiar with the student and their situation. I imagine there were more calls than what was presented here. The fact that everytime her or her parents called, they had to reiterate the contex and seemingly had no idea about the situation is shocking. At that point, once she says her name, they should know the deal. She should have had a reliable person to contact who was keeping up with the situation, but they dropped the ball there. It is a tragedy seeing how many points in time this could have been prevented.
Yeah, that was extremely frustrating... the way they responded to the first call and sent someone with her to pick up the car, I thought that still looked ok, but how the heck did they miss the part about "sexual offender is harrassing our daughter"?! Not just some teen with no criminal record but an adult man, fully capable of violence towards women. How does one underestimate something like that?
@irena4545 yeah, the escalation should've set off alarms for the campus police. It seems they didn't even look into his background, because any competent agency would've seen his history and been all over this case.
Thank you for your comment! Most ppl do not want to shine a light on areas that they were personally involved in. I think that in this case, the fault lies with everyone involved, including Lauren. I am not victim blaming at all. But as a now 36 year old female, that has also dealt with a terrible share of abuse and horror from a partner as a teen, it's difficult not to react. Even as a teen, I knew what was happening was awful and I deserved better and needed to get away, I was still in somewhat of a denial and had hope. I blame myself just as I blame the other person in my situation
It's criminally negligent resulting in a preventable death. The officers and security involved need to be judged and made an example of
@@ashley_9286_ I tend to agree. I agree everyone is responsible for their own lives and the people they choose to include. I can't comment on abuse, but I am sorry that you went through that. From my perspective, she did realize it wasn't a healthy relationship, though maybe later than she should have. She knew she needed help and she asked for it, yet there were a lot of mis-steps on the part of authorities that could have otherwise prevented the outcome. Do you see the situation differently based on your experience?
As a survivor of domestic violence, I’m not surprised by the lack of action in this case. Too often the signs are ignored till it’s too late. We as a society need to do better. RIP sweet girl. Thanks Adrian for bringing light to this case.
This this so much this
i was gonna say the same thing. It's way too common.
@@hebedite4865 I once read a comment (I think it was on one of this channel's videos, or another channel's, I don't remember) but I agree with what it said... "The police aren't crime prevention, they're crime reaction."
@@HoffMattYou are exactly right.
I would love to think that more proactive laws and enforcement of such laws are in place - but they're not. Why is it allowed to remain a low priority after all these years of death after death around the world?
This made my blood boil. Stalking is not taken seriously enough. Poor Lauren had such a bright life ahead of her and Melvin robbed the world of a unique, bright and strong woman.
Totally agree 12 national records still standing is some going+mighty impressive such a tragedy, she'll be Heavens champion now-bless her 🙏
What about the rest of us who are not track stars? Are we more deserving of murder?
Poor girl she was so naive 😭. She has got into this herself.
@@siennaioana6763🤡
This was sad. Failed for sure but police.
The police forces failed terribly. Both campus and city. A beautiful young woman senselessly murdered. And her killer dead by his own hand. No justice for Lauren. Thanks Adrian
Thx for spoiling it bud, always appreciated when some reveals a bunch of details before someone else has seen it simply because they already have.
@@ThomasSawyers If you're worried about getting 'spoiled' when a woman was stalked and murdered then you really need to take a good long look at yourself. This isn't fiction - a real person died here, and being butthurt that her murder was 'spoiled' for you is fucking vile.
Fuck did you expect them to do? Provide her 24/7 security? Her fault for fucking a black
@@lilychouxif you were really worried about that you wouldn't watch these...wtf are you talking about? What's the point in a storytelling when you know the outcome? You're effed in the head if that's your take from my comment. It's annoying for someone who's seen something to simply summarize. Otherwise why not just have a 30 second video? Imagine calling someone vile because they wanna learn the details throughout not just all at once. Cry more to your therapist, you need to let some emotions out clearly.
@@ThomasSawyersI know someone else already said it, but I’d like to reiterate that this isn’t a movie. It’s about someone’s actual death. I saw this information reported in the news when it first happened. Did they “spoil” the murder too? Fucking weirdo.
Omfg. This was beyond maddening. Everyone failed her. Even her parents. If I found out my child was dating a convicted felon and sex offender, I would have taken her to campus, retrieved the car, filed a report, got a restraining order, called his parole officer, stayed in town. I mean. Why is everyone expecting her to take care of this?! It’s like asking a lamb to fight a lion. How horrific.
Even her dad downplayed it. No wonder they didn't rush to her when he basically said she wasn't really being harassed.
Ya exactly, dad calls the police after all that, and after his daughter gets kidnapped on the phone- “ya, some of the kid’s friends have been harassing her a little bit…”
Thanks dad, I wonder if police would have turned up a little quicker if you hadn’t sucked so much. Probably not, considering how much they sucked too.
This case highlights yet another way modern college & universities are failing our kids right in front of us (as if we need more)- it’s no secret that the big difference between a school campus security gig and work as a mall cop is job security. Malls are all closing/downsizing while colleges are notorious havens for deadwood that only get more expensive to attend each year.
Case in point, the creeps who kept Lauren’s nudes (and we just never hear anything more about? Wha??).
You get what you pay for. Unless you happen to be the one paying to go to college, of course.
Her parents and friends absolutely failed her.
@@midwesthorrorfan5213 Exactly. Her dad gave the ex's fake name "Sean Fields" to the police officer. How do you not know his real name from your daughter at this point, after he's been harassing her this whole time?
Also calls the ex "a boy" to the police. He's a 38 year old sex offender, not a boy.
When officer asks "has he been making any threats", dad says "his friends have been harassing her A LITTLE BIT".
So weird how he was downplaying every aspect of this.
@RolyatArik absolutely. When he said that I literally screamed "BOY!? He is a whole a$$ dangerous MAN" like wtf Dad!? 😳
Worked for the University off-site and got a lock-down text when the murder happened. More I learned the more I was completely horrified by the whole situation. Lauren did all the right things and the system failed her. Haunted by the fact that her mother was on the phone with her when the attack occurred. RIP Lauren you are not forgotten ❤
That poor mother has to live the rest of her life with the sound if her daughter getting kidnapped burnt into her memory
I lived in Washington and this is my first time hearing of this case but I am affected so deeply please feel sorry for me
@@Nuttypro-f No
I wouldn't say she did everything right. He was abusive, she stayed with him, she found out he was a 37 year old sex offender with a violent past, didn't take it seriously, dude literally imprisoned her in a room and she didn't even file a false imprisonment and kidnapping case. Then all the reports she did have were so mild that you'd think it was a common breakup and no a 37 year old sex offender stalking her. Her parents too saying "our daughter was harassed a bit, and she broke up with this BOY" rather than saying she was stalked, imprisoned, and possible attacked by a criminal
@@InteriorDesignStudent racist bigot
Telling the blackmailer that what they’re doing is illegal won’t do anything because they probably already know and don’t care. The best course of action is to just ignore them and report their behavior immediately because once you give into their demands, they won’t stop.
I used to date a girl whos ex did a bunch of stalkerish crap. Calling/texting constantly, posting her photos and phone number online as well as showing up at her work. I convinced her to call the cops one night and ended up regretting it. They basically told her to change her phone number and consider trying to find a new job since she 'just works in the mall'. So its easy to see why people dont trust police, cause I certainly don't.
Don't regret it. Y'all have a paper trail which can help in an emergency or lawsuit
Ouch, what the fuck?
My current partner called the cops to help me escape my ex, because we were in my apartment after he just showed up at night. I was supposed to quickly leave while he slept. What did they do? Just go inside, turn on the lights, have me announce to my ex that I am leaving the apartment, and then give me disgusted looks.
@@maschaorsomethingThat's really messed up, both those situations yours and the OPs are messed up. It's like they don't take these things seriously at all until someone ends up dead. I have dealt with it myself also, and my ex slashed all my tires, and all my new boyfriend's tires too SMH. This was after he had also broken into my apartment too, on a separate occasion. The police did nothing at all to help me either.
Killing someone then killing yourself is such a cowardly act. I’m also sick and tired of story after story where people that should clearly be in jail being released so that they can kill. It’s clear that these judges and police either have no common sense or just don’t care, both are deeply concerning.
They often cite excuses like 'not enough money', 'nothing we can do', 'overcrowded prisons'. More prisons are certainly needed but that's not where gov't money goes.
I mean the cops don't decide how long sentencing is, what charges are prosecuted or what the minimum time served would be. That's all the DA and judges.
Cops had their hands tied by the rest of the justice system which was inexplicably lenient on this monster.
@@TheLikenessOfNormal But they can *act* on the reports. They are the front-line.
@@cdes1776They are only human, they didn't know he was going to murder anyone
@@belmum1689well they sure didn't care to make sure SHE stayed safe. It's their damn job to know when a person is a THREAT. Don't make excuses for them or you are just as bad as they are.
The police that took her picture and said they were lucky to get it are DISGUSTING human beings. Law enforcement and campus security really failed her on this one.
Maybe she shouldn't have sent nude pictures if she didn't want them out there 🤷♂️
‼️😡🤮
@@sneed4987 BZZZZT wrong answer!
@@sneed4987 your lack of empathy and understanding is truly shocking
@@sneed4987and the dick of the day award goes to you !
She literally gave so much evidence but they chose to ignore it and took their sweet time. Disgusting.
It's a great tragedy what happened to her; however, if she had provided all the information to the people she contacted about the guy-such as his real name, his age, and his criminal background-the results would definitely have been different. Instead, she only shared common and brief information, so the officials didn't grasp the full magnitude of the matter. If she had disclosed all the information she found on the Internet, the listeners would have taken the matter very seriously and most probably contacted his parole officer.
I don't know if she discussed all this information with her parents or not, but if she did, then the parents also should have informed the police of all these details, which would have yielded totally different results. People need to step out of their comfort zones and share all they know instead of talking in bits and pieces.
My friend's ex trapped her in a room all night like that. I randomly went to her house when she didn't answer my texts and it seemed off. I flipped out made him leave and called the police. If you think someone is dangerous in the slightest don't see them alone please.
You, as a woman, wresled him out of the appartment… you must be scary when you’re angry.
@@aroseinwinter7719 I never had to touch him he's like 5'4" meth head like 140lbs I'm 5'6" 200lbs plus I'm the only black person in that lives in this area so I think I make everyone a little uneasy to begin with. I have fought a few guys but they were just dudes that had never been in a fight before so they didn't really know how to fight back
@@WyldFyreFliYou go girl 💪
@angelaschlosser3215 Angela!!! I can't tag you for whatever reason, but THANK YOU for saving a girl! You're awesome!
Good for you sweetie. Need more friends like you and me!!❤
I reported my abusive ex to police several times but they never did anything; we were instructed to “talk it out”. He raped me, broke my jaw, teeth and nose, gave me nerve damage that I still have today, brain damage from a severe concussion as well.
Thank you, officers, we sure did talk it out. I’m lucky to be alive, but not all are so lucky, obviously… this is a disturbing reminder of that solemn fact.
RIP Lauren… your death was senseless and preventable. 😓
***UPDATE*** thank you so much for support and kind words for those who showed me love, it means a lot! 💕 If you’ve been through something similar I feel for you and wish you all the best.
And for the few who have nothing better to do than victim shame, spew negativity and hatred… You’re part of the problem, nobody is impressed with how “edgey” you think you are. Victim blaming or shaming others who have been through something difficult isn’t cute. Y’all need help. Take care. ✌🏻
oh my god i'm so sorry that happened to you... i'm glad you're here.
that's terrible, i'm sorry you went through that. also glad you're still here in spite of it and hope you are able to heal ❤
Maybe chose a nice guy next time.
@@davidofergals6947 men are so stupid. do y'all seriously think women date abusive men bc they like them being horrible human beings? these men pretend to be nice until they're not. that's how they get in your life. and this can happen to men too, with abusive women. stop blaming the victims
@@davidofergals6947you're a sad little keyboard gremlin for saying that to an abuse victim.
Having been in a abusive relationship, this is awful! This young woman did everything she should have. This story broke my heart.
She could have abused him back. Why didn't she?
Wrong. Her first mistake was meeting him in the first place.
@@suspiciousactivity4266but how was she supposed to know?
The 13% don't value white lives. They don't see whites as human.
@@Confessions089sent him 1,000$? She couldve refused at least.
Man, the way Lauren’s situation unfolded is painful to hear. The year after I left the school, this murder happened. My Friends were in Lauren’s social sphere and had intimate knowledge of the situation. I was upset to discover that college staff and SLC police did not handle the case well, and it took years for Utah to “admit” to the mishandling of the case. Lauren’s mom advocated, publicly and legally, for years for justice. If any lesson could be taken away, it’s that reporting works when the reporting system takes your case seriously.
How do we know "that reporting works when the reporting system takes you seriously." They didn't and she was murdered. What example can you provide the system works?
I am not against police doing their jobs when they are doing them properly but this is the entire justice system failing this poor girl.
This to me seems more like everyone but the cops failed her.
They get a report on him and what he's doing, they have to send that to the DA's office, DA's office decides if they wanna prosecute for it or not, if they don't then the police can't get a warrant for arrest.
The DA was also the one who gave him a sentence that allowed him to get out that early and wasn't monitoring the conditions of his parole at all.
The cops will feel guilty about this, the DA feels good because even though he's most responsible for letting this scum out on the streets again, this is an easy case to prosecute and another W on the DA's record.
@@TheLikenessOfNormal Seemed like the local police did nothing but redirect her to the university and based on her calls with them it didn't seem like they ever did anything with the information they were getting from her. Maybe thats just how it came across to me though.
@TheLikenessOfNormal 10:39 - by the moment I saw his date of conviction, I was caught off-guard because July 19 is also my mother's birthday. Terrifying, though it's unrelated to the case.
@@TheLikenessOfNormalThe SLPD told her that they couldn’t do anything because it was campus police’s jurisdiction. She told them that campus police weren’t helping at all, but they still refused to step in.
I just can't believe he is black. Usually this kind of stuff and child touching is white job.
I bet the campus would be on her case if she missed a tuition payment....but obviously could have cared less regarding her safety. What a damn shame. Poor Lauren and her family.
The campus police went out with her to get her car. Then she called up all wishy washy and went into a long speech instead of getting to the facts. She sounded like she wasn't taking it seriously herself.
@@madsdee7803 she clearly sounded distressed and in shock.
My ex boyfriends friends are mean. Q. Q. Or
A sexual offender with a gun is stalking me and I'm scared for my life.
I wouldn't take her seriously either.
@@sassywolf1🌷It is very intimidating for people to call police when they are in a stalking situation. They are afraid to make the stalker more angry.
@@madsdee7803 You definitely sound like the same type of people as the campus police. Glad to know that there are people more useless than I am
When you’re not prioritizing safety, you cease to call yourself “public safety”.
These bleeding heart snowflakes are delusional.
Girls who date the bad boy often regret it later.
The system exists to perpetuate itself. "Public safety" is not the priority.
this is why you need masculine men as brothers and father, no way my sister would be calling useless police a gazillion times to no use instead of informing me of what is up
@@0000SYLthis is why you need anyone who can kick ass. Like my sister did.
And if they are no longer “public”, then they better no longer be funded by our tax money.
This story is actually heartbreaking. So many people failed Lauren. Very scary to know she reached out for help so many times with evidence of crimes and it all went basically ignored.
She failed herself. Choices.
she failed herself with her choice in "men"
@@joec4997she definitely did not! What the actual fuck are you on ?? Him being a psychopath and manipulator is not her fault. He lied to her and she put trust in him. I can’t believe people.
It's a great tragedy what happened to her; however, if she had provided all the information to the people she contacted about the guy-such as his real name, his age, and his criminal background-the results would definitely have been different. Instead, she only shared common and brief information, so the officials didn't grasp the full magnitude of the matter. If she had disclosed all the information she found on the Internet, the listeners would have taken the matter very seriously and most probably contacted his parole officer.
I don't know if she discussed all this information with her parents or not, but if she did, then the parents also should have informed the police of all these details, which would have yielded totally different results. People need to step out of their comfort zones and share all they know instead of talking in bits and pieces.
@@rose01-22 It's a great tragedy what happened to her; however, if she had provided all the information to the people she contacted about the guy-such as his real name, his age, and his criminal background-the results would definitely have been different. Instead, she only shared common and brief information, so the officials didn't grasp the full magnitude of the matter. If she had disclosed all the information she found on the Internet, the listeners would have taken the matter very seriously and most probably contacted his parole officer.
I don't know if she discussed all this information with her parents or not, but if she did, then the parents also should have informed the police of all these details, which would have yielded totally different results. People need to step out of their comfort zones and share all they know instead of talking in bits and pieces.
29:39 Not everyone failed her. During this story I kept thinking of that 1st call handler doing a good job and getting her car picked up. She felt the concern in the situation
Because it was the mother that called. They felt compelled at that point
@@adminvrm1192 I didn't say it wasn't the mother and I am still correct in saying not everyone failed her
My roommate went on a date with this guy just a week before Lauren was murdered. And she matched with him on the local religious dating app. She could tell right away that something was off with him and blocked him after that first date. There were so many other women who came forward with similar stories after Lauren was murdered.
@valeriewalton
Does she want a trophy for figuring out that a guy who is obviously from a group responsible for 60% of the murders in the U.S. might be dangerous?
Never mind,most women are so dumb that she probably deserves one.
Here's a handy tip for not getting murdered:stop dating people who are statistically THIRTY FIVE TIMES more likely to murder you,stupid.
Clout chasers
@@selfishstockton6123 Nah, I think the person posting the above comment is compelled to share, due to it genuinely having happened.
Never used them but I've heard the Christian dating sites can be the most dangerous and they use it to target vulnerable ladies. So disgusting.
@@MzCheecharellaNope. Clout chasing at its finest.
As a victim of several SA’s, that monster getting parole after only one year is a slap in the face to anyone who’s ever suffered that abuse, especially his victims.💔😡💔😡
SA isn't taken serious by ANYONE, EVER. There are many reports of rapists getting women pregnant and going for custody when they get out. Look it up. No one really cares, no one advocates for change. We just go on to bury the shit deep inside and deal with it ourselves.
skill issue
Because of his victim status
Wait how are you several ???? Did u live in a bad area . I'm so sorry
@@lisavanderpump7475
Thank you. No, I think it was just bad luck. The first time was a neighbor who I adored, until he betrayed me when I was just 6 yo. The second was my auntie’s husband, who was a miserable excuse for a human being. And lastly is the most unbelievable and definitely the worse. It was a stranger at Myrtle Beach, in broad daylight. I was maybe 14 yo.
That’s why I KNOW you can’t take your eyes off of your children. Something detrimental can happen in the span of a few minutes.
This is one of the most upsetting stories you have covered yet. That poor poor girl. My heart goes out to her family and friends.
this was so preventable, Law-enforcement continually drops the ball on these cases acting like these terrified women calling their stations for help are not a big deal! People should be fired!
@@RolandBullock-ej8wl They can't do anything without actual information, a simple "The guy bothering me is a sex offender with a false identity" would have helped.
@@willfanofmanyii3751her mother did tell them that
That's just how it is here in the US. The number of times I was told "Give us a call when he actually attacks you" when I was being stalked was shameful. I ended up having to uproot my entire life because the police just did not care. Hundreds of calls, dozens of reports, multiple peace orders. They just do not care.
I'm so, so sorry! 😢
Laura died lol
Men(who are usually cops) will take the man’s side. Just automatic bias. It’s rage inducing. Police departments need to be rebuilt from the ground up where domestic cases are completely separate from other cases.
Womp womp
@@kingofracism If you want to get people riled up, don't have such an obvious username. Do something better with your time.
I must preface this by saying I do not blame the victim or her family. Melvin is to blame. This is guidance for anyone out there who finds themselves in a similar situation. When you call the police, if there is time, write a script first. "My name is X. I am being stalked by Y. He is a registered sex offender. I need to file a police report. Send an officer to (address)."
If you are a parent, prepare to be very firm and not hesitant: "My name is X. My daughter/son is Y. He/she/they is a student at Z. Send police to (address) immediately. On a phone call, she was heard screaming, "No no no no no," before the line went dead. She was being stalked by an armed sex offender. She is in imminent danger."
In these calls, father and daughter were not conveying the sense of urgency that was needed. I don't know if a change of tone would have made a difference here. It sounds like these police were incompetent. But, if you run into this kind of danger, make sure the police have no doubt that your life is threatened or that you are being hunted by a convicted parolee. Just say whatever you need to say to break through the operator/dispatcher's polite indifference.
Yes, I agree. None of the calls sounded urgent in the least, and nobody had their thoughts together enough to be clear to the dispatch operater. Writing down the essential information first is a really great suggestion! What a terrible shame that he was ever let out of jail.
You are so right. I thought the same thing during majority of those calls. They just weren't clear enough or conveyed the urgency/seriousness of the situation. Although, if you have never met a monster before, you may downplay their threat & not believe he would ever cause her physically harm
I was looking for a comment like this. I was beginning to think it was just me who thought the calls weren't delivering the valid concern of her true risk. Thank you for sharing these excellent suggestions!! ❤
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like the calls weren't urgent enough, I literally had no idea what she was asking the campus to do in one of the calls, she was piecing together different bits of info , he borrowed her car, his friends were texting her , she knew it was him though ??? I just wanted her to tell them he is a dangerous sex offender , that he faked his ID and the person she was dating was a fake person , he had a gun , he was threatening her all this should have been conveyed to the campus police, I cant think why she didn't.
@@steve10 Yes, a couple of those calls just sounded like she and her friend had simply had a spat. There’s not much the campus police or the regular police could do about something like that. I’m thinking that she perhaps felt some embarrassment about having gone back to him, lent him her car again, etc. That happens to a lot of people, and not just women. Where you know that a person is definitely toxic for you, but for whatever reason you just go back anyway. And when her parents called, I think that most likely she had not really explained the entire extent of what was going on to them, probably for the same reason (embarrassment). So if they really didn’t understand, it would make sense that the parents would not necessarily sound terribly alarmed over the phone. As the person who made the original post that we are all commenting on said, this is not victim blaming or shaming. This happens to people of all races, creeds, genders and ages. Far too often, in fact, and sometimes ending in physical violence and even death, as this case unfortunately did.
Imagine paying ridiculous amounts of money for an education and when asking security for help you're ignored 😞
I'm not quite sure at which point Campus Security became Agony Aunt.
My advice: If you feel your life is in danger... go to the police and report it, with clear evidence (eg. threatening texts/messages, etc). Document the circumstances and details (eg. report that a fake ID is being used, or that you've done research and found previous convictions or something). Ask the police to do a background check. Don't just phone Campus Security every time your ex (that you didn't realize is 20 years older than you) sends you a funny text message. Go into an actual Police Station, and demand a case number... maybe even go as far as a restraining order or something. If you're feeling threatened consider pepper spray or a buddy system. Stay at a friend. Don't move around alone. Don't loan your car out to the person you're afraid of... You could say that a lot of this advice is "after the fact" - but it seems logical to me. If you're going to phone the police on behalf of someone else... make sure you have the facts... the chronology... the details... the suspicions... what you expect the desired outcome to be. The amount of intervention required or sought. I'm not saying this would have prevented what happened... but... seriously... if it's serious enough to get the police involved... make sure you have a case to present. Explain that you fear for your life. Even just start with an Campus counsellor?
(I don't live in the US... but was surprised that Campus Security had jurisdiction and were regarded as fully fledged police for matters like this).
@@Jonathan_Strangeshe did go to the police, they sent her back to campus police. So good job on writing your ignorant novel.
@@Jonathan_Strangeyou are so right. And the number of people apparently not realising this is sad.
@@Jonathan_Strange abusers don't go usually go for a confident person that is quick to speak up they like the friendly trusting anxious ect personalities. Also the police told her to go back to security and wouldn't help her. It's easier said than done to get away from abusers in Australia being murdered by a former spouse is very common even when the police take it seriously your not protected. It can be a pretty shit world
It’s so scary what obsessed individuals will do. I also had a situation with an individual that had an unhealthy obsession and infatuation with me in college. He was my lab partner and I even failed classes due to the situation. My teacher didn’t believe me, so I went to a lawyer and then I threatened to go to the police and press charges if my stalker didn’t stop. Luckily he listened and left me alone.
What happened to the officers who had her nude photos??? Were they fired or even charged bc if he's still allowed to be a officer I'm truly disappointed and horrified for those students on campus. Rip Lauren nobody protected her and she could have been saved! Every officer that overlooked this case should be fired
The one who downloaded and showed people the photos quit in September 2019 and took a job with Logan police in northern Utah, and was later fired because of the mishandling of Lauren's case. To name and shame him, he was named Miguel Deras. He's trying to sue the university for $10 million, saying they were treated as "scapegoats". I hope he never gets a single penny from that case, as he deserves nothing. He was recently interviewed for a documentary about the case, where (from the transcripts I've read) he doesn't fully own up to his actions.
@@chrisk5985thankyou for this info 🙏
Absolutely agree! This whole video was a hard watch, but that fact actually turned my stomach.
Not enough you didn't do anything for her in life, you can't even give her dignity in death?? What kind of monster do you have to be?
@@chrisk5985so what's the point of firing them if they just let them move on to another force, that doesn't make sense.
@@omadjourney Due diligence on the part of a potential employer.
It's really disheartening to see that many of these cases could have been easily prevented :(
It's sickening
So heartbreaking! Can't fathom how scared and helpless Lauren must have felt!
Yeah. You can hear it in her voice, in her calls. 😢
She didn't feel any of that when she was taking that BBC, she deserved it
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Sadly she should have broke it off with this man before it ever started. She continued to stay with him even after finding out his name was false & his age wasn’t what she was told. Instead she started “investigating”, & they hadn’t been dating for not even a month at the time. She could have easily walked away at that time & been done with him. When she confronted him is when it began & he felt she was going to put his business on the street. Had she let it go, left the relationship & then not told him she was going to tell others, she’d still be alive today. You can’t blame others for her own actions and behavior.
My ex best friend was the dude who provided the gun… this case is chilling to me
You’re right Adrian, this is infuriating on all levels. The psycho ex-boyfriend, the earnest young lady who’s still learning life lessons, the inadequate but well-meaning parents, the drop-kick campus police and regular police, the complexity of shame, fear and embarrassment when reaching out for help and getting none. They’re all recipes for impending doom.
We’ve had another similar case here a few days back. An ex-partner shot his baby mama (toddler unharmed) set the house on fire, drive off and shot himself. What is going on with the world washing their hands of domestic violence?
Yeah that case happened in my city. I saw cops camera footage. They coulda intervened before it happened
This is so disgusting. How can these officers be so blase about so much evidence. They all caused her death.
FACTS! 💯 😠 😡
Because they're afraid to be called racist. You can't arrest black men these days. Safer to let them murder white girls.
It was also pretty stupid on the victim's part though. Like oh I'm a preppy girl so I'll go off and date some shady felon guy.
@@garrysekelli6776 thanks for calling the victim who now deceased stupid. Classy
@@garrysekelli6776 4 years of anti-racist american college propaganda at work. All black people aren't shitty but stereotypes exist for a reason and no amount of white guilt will change that
I am going to be honest. One of my hs classmates stabbed his ex to death after she got an order of protection and I'm still upset about it. I have a feeling it's going to go almost exactly like this. If someone gets away from their abuser, they should be protected. People wonder why "they don't just leave" and then there's stories like this.
Yeah there needs a huge support system that protect people leaving abusive relationships. Right now it’s kinda just a flip of a coin if they will be harmed or not.
No one knows what happens behind doors so don't judge unless you've been there. It's very scary!!!!🤬
The fact one of the security people at the university saved her photo is just sick!!!
I live in the area. He was fired from his job, tried to get another job in law enforcement in a different city, was fired from that one the moment they realized who he was, and has since been shamed and bared from any other law enforcement type jobs. Essentially his whole career was ruined.
Adrian, I'm always impressed by how compassionately you tell the stories of the victims. Thank you. 🌷🕊
Even the parents have some fault here, she got abducted over the phone and when her father calls 911 he says "They've been harassing her a bit". There was very little sense of urgency in those 911 calls. If I were the dispatcher I would just think this was another common break-up case as well.
Honestly that call shook me, so I am glad someone else mentioned it. I don't think he's to blame as I get panic and shock might be setting in, but the difference between "Yes, he's a convicted violent sex offender out on parole, who's been trying to lure her out alone for months now; even going as far as to impersonate the police" and "his friends have kind of been harrasing her a bit" is incredible.
I mean one of those is a life and death situation that officers need to get to the scene of now, and the other is a description of teens being mean on social media. I mean it's definitely Law Enforcement's fault she died, as I don't think there was any chance of them getting to her in time thanks to the previous screw ups, but still; it makes me wonder if he even knew what was going on there?
@@DJCPrestonI mean everyone in the family was nonchalant on the phone, even Rachel herself so I'm not even surprised for some reason
Those parents were useless
@@DJCPreston
He's man. That's all.
The mother calls because she's worried about her getting a car and makes sure to explain things in details and to explain why it could be dangerous, even though it wasn't an actual emergency.
The father hears she's been attacked on the phone and he's just like "Well, she's been a bit bothered in the past sooooo"
Women's emergencies aren't taken seriously in any fields because 99% of men don't give a f*ck or always think they're overreacting (all women are just an overdramatic 5 yo who doesn't know what she's saying for those men).
It's disgusting, yet absolutely not surprising.
Just like the officer enjoying the nudes, showing them, and the other officer being all "Huehuehue lucky you," disgusting, yes, but surprising ? Absolutely not. Cops do that constantly to rape and blackmail victims. Heck, they themselves will rape the victims if they can. And if the woman is too "ugly" for them, instead they humiliate her.
It’s almost as if they were trying to be polite and non-judgmental….. I don’t get it.
Stalking and murder. My worst fears. Stay safe, everyone. ❤️
@@ahmedp8009so white and other race killers, rapists and stalkers don't exist??
🫶✌️🥹
around blax never relax.
@@nelsonricardocostaIgnorance smh... WOW
Will do. Thanks.
She was a victim of an abusive & stalker boyfriend, as well as a failed justice system that didn't take her seriously, absolute disgrace.
100 percent agree 💯
She deserved it🥹😇
She was failed by campus security and law enforcement. She was also failed by the system who allowed this predator to roam free. Rest in peace 🌹
So sorry love from India😢😢😢😢😢😢
She failed herself for being attracted to and fooled by a predator
Seeing her walking around alone with all that she's facing is tragic and upsetting, I wish she had at least one person to accompany her back to her door.. RIP
Sadly she was alone no protecting at all
Init it’s so sad, and it pissed me off that the coward killed himself 😢
Made me wish if I knew her and was nearby knowing her situation I would've checked on her and be there for her ;0;
Time and time again police do not take stalking seriously. Such a shame.
All she had to do was give the real police all the information she had when she discovered it at her parents house and told them his real name and that he was a felon in possession of a firearm and in violation of his parole. Then never leave her parents house until he was arrested and returned to jail.
So often that’s true, but there really isn’t a lot they can do even if they do want to help. Other than warning the stalker, and suggesting the victim get a restraining order, stalking is very difficult to prove.
lousy authority😢
Really? Did you listen to her calls? I wouldn't have taken her seriously, either. She couldn't string two coherent sentences together.
I’d say the police and campus security have gone beyond incompetence, and straight up to purposeful negligence.
I hope they lost their jobs and never work again.
@@yendevus1747 tell me this is satire lmAO
The girl and her family were also very lax with this nonsense. They allowed it to go on for far too long. When my sister wasn't getting anywhere with the police in a similar situation she went to the DA's office. She literally blasted their ass for their dismissal and made them understand their bullshit. This girl and her parents layed down and acted like the sex offender following their daughter was a little puppy dog. Laziness all around
Just about managed to get through the whole video, listening to. This was infuriating. Can't imagine how she must've felt going through all this. RIP, Lauren.
It’s honestly so sad that they say “they haven’t done anything yet so there’s nothing we can do.” STALKING IS SOMETHING! May she R.I.P I hope we really do something about the police one day. They don’t do anything
Many police are overweight and not remotely fit enough for the job.
This is truly sickening, saddening and despicable case, she did everything right and still was failed, and on a side note thank you Adrian for the extra content each week (an extra video), I have been wanting to see more of your content Sir more than once a week for awhile now.
These phone conversations are just crazy. I would have more panic and more substance to say go freaking help my daughter or go get her and pull her back home. Just disgusting. This man is just disgusting.
Yeah, I was disturbed by the dads Phone call. He sounds way too calm for somebody whos daughter was harassed by an ex con and potentially kidnapped. Most terrified parents will talk in extremes when it comes to their family members - He downplayed the extent of the harassment against his daughter..."they harassed her a little bit" ...really?
I thought I was the only one felt like that!
I understand Lauren's calls, the feeling you get after being put down so many times, you feel like a bother, you know the more you try to explain the seriousness the more likely they are to brush it off and label you as 'emotional' or 'dramatic'. So you try to stay calm and show you are being level headed, dont give anyone an excuse to think 'you're drunk' or 'she was histerical'. Unfortunate that this is often the way people react to cries for help, but i digress.
The dads call I dont understand at all, was he out of the loop? was he in denial of how serious the situation was? did he really not know the full extent of the situation or was he just in shock? I can't quite get my head around how disconnected he sounded. Would be really interested to know what his situation was because the call is just so..... disjointed.
21:35 this whole interaction is making my blood boil especially when it gets to the point where the operator on the phone asks her if she texted the literal guy thats been harassing her if she has texted him to stop calling it's like... no um.. the guy is HARASSING me heLLO??
Authorities absolutely suck at protecting victims from partners or ex partners, maybe the laws are to blame but it's almost hopeless in a situation like this. The best thing to do is protect yourself unfortunately.
Amen
It's not the law, it's the people we're paying to enforce them. Absolute garbage people, every single one of them.
Most cops are violent offenders. Most of the serial killers had been cops. Cops are often stalkers too, and have a high rate of violence against women. I would say that explains everything about why cops don't ever care about protecting victims of stalkers.
Gabby Petito. They had that killer pulled over and took his side! Bros for bros I guess, but I hope they at least learned something from it because I’m pretty sure they don’t lose any sleep. Smdh
well it is a misdemeanor. If it was a stranger, it would be a felony,
The father's call to the police pissed me off. He used the guy's fake name instead of the real name they already knew and did not disclose that it has him making the threats all along.
She probably did not tell her dad half of what went on is my guess, he may not have known he was using a fake name. I assume she did not want to look bad in front of her dad, so downplayed what went on. The fact is she was an adult, an attractive adult female with lots of options....who chose a completely unsuitable, unhinged and dangerous looking man to date. That is on her and no one else. Her choice, and the consequences of those choices as an adult is often hard to take.
@@lukebignell7846 This is NOT something she chose. HE is the only one who's responsible for the actions HE did. For the CRIMES HE COMMITTED!
Stop putting the fucking responsibility on people who are not the perpetrators.
@@lukebignell7846 Sad but true!
@@MelMel-sz2gd If she had chosen a nice boy from her University to date from a good family, would she have ended up where she ended up? YES OR NO??
We all know the answer to that. She would most likely have had men from her University queueing up to date her too.
@@lukebignell7846so because she didn’t get with anyone from her university, this is her fault? Absolutely ridiculous. Being from or at a university doesn’t mean you’re a good person, and assuming that’s what would’ve kept her alive is gross. Hindsight is 20/20, especially as a commenter behind a screen.
She realized she made a mistake, and ceased the relationship. He did not want to. She reported his behavior. She did the most she could when she realized he was a bad guy. Saying this is the consequences to her actions is directly blaming her for her own death, not the man who wouldn’t leave her alone.
And yet people wonder why you cant trust anyone let alone the cops
and 🐖 wonder why A.C.A.B is written on so many walls and other structures. (atleast here in europe)
However, it's critical to look at each case individually as well as consider the big picture. These types of cases are rare, yet they get a lot of attention.
Why trusting a bouncer in first place
🤐
@khalilissami4877 : One would assume an establishment would be doing thorough background checks on the people they hire to work as security.
This one hit home a little too hard. I was in an 8 year relationship with a man who was emotionally abusive. When I finally had the courage to leave, it took three days to leave him. He would not let me sleep, eat, or potty without him being on the phone until I took him back. After 4 days of not eating, I finally was free. I ate a slice of cake as a reward and got sick from it. That is the proudest moment of my life and I truly hope no one ever has to go through anything like that. I hate that she was in an abusive relationship where he wouldn't let her go. I'm so grateful I didn't die. I now have a 6 month old daughter and a husband I love and job I love. I would never have that opportunity if I met a man like Melvin. I hope Lauren's family finds peace. I can't imagine their pain. I wish he could have just let her go.
It’s important to communicate clearly when reporting concerns to authorities. It’s better to overstate concerns than minimise them. Make a list of bullet points prior to contacting authorities if necessary. Clearly state the names of people concerned and press for immediate action. I understand how difficult it is to contact authorities when frightened or after having been somewhat groomed to take on a submissive role, but clear, unambiguous communication is so important in these situations.
Also always ask to file reports and talk to actual police officers if given the chance, don’t just talk to operators on the phone and expect them to remember you. All calls by Lauren were so confusing and she did not give the proper information. I also think that showing or saying you’re scared, in distress and freaking out is important to communicate the urgency of the situation. Also her father in his call sounded like he had no clue what was going on in his daughter’s life. He still called the guy Sean and that his ‘friends’ were harassing her a little bit… it’s weird he didn’t know and he would maybe have protected her had he known the details. ofc authorities failed miserably and should have taken action way sooner! Im not blaming the victim just thinking about what else went wrong
Yeah, when listening to the calls of her speaking, personally, I wasn’t very confused as to why the cops were confused too. Not trying to victim blame, especially because everyone has different personalities, her being so passive and timid when reporting makes me think they didn’t grasp how serious this situation was because she didn’t communicate effectively
@@whosaidthat9265 sadly a lot of victims often become shy after a period of abuse because their self-esteem is damaged and they often feel a false sense of guilt that they are reporting their abuser.. operators and officers should know this and take anyone very seriously no matter the tone but its often not the case.
@@Rosiestoned it's quite possible that they also knew that she'd let him use her car again after she had a security officer go with her to get it back the first time. then she paid him the blackmail money which was a terrible thing to do on so many levels. she should have given each and every text and email to both the campus police and the city police. documentation is the best way to get their attention. she just didn't have much as far as "street smarts" and was extremely naive. her parents, imo, failed her as much as the police did. when she discovered every thing about him she should have discussed it with them and made arrangements to keep her safe once she got back to utah. both of them sounded clueless and didn't articulate the danger she was in very well at all during their calls. they were both college professors and have probably seen similar things that were happening to their daughter at their own campus. just a sad case all the way around.
If you're concerned, and the officer asks if there have been threats, the answer is "YES!" Always, always convey the concern you feel!
A prime example of why law enforcement officers should be held accountable in cases of neglecting their duties. Neglect is unacceptable in any other public servants job, so why are law enforcement officers allowed to get away with this time and time again? Absolutely appalling..
We need a whole new department that can handle this. You can tell police think these cases are not important.
Okay I can’t be the only one who was in AGONY listening to the mother and Lauren try and explain themselves on the phone. I am not trying to be rude but they didn’t exactly do a good job being fully clear and explaining the situation. RIP
Absolutely ... they both sounded like 5th graders trying to explain it...😡
Exaxtly, they never stated the point.
Wish they wrote out what was happening, so they could explain better. Save evidence in a google drive. Because the darn police will won’t do anything with out “proof”. I mean a victim’s words I guess ain’t enough.
And the dad! His daughter is being attacked, and he's all "well...ummmm...there was a boy...." Just walking around the point instead of saying "SOMEONE IS ATTACKING MY DAUGHTER AT THIS LOCATION AND ITS MOST LIKELY THIS PERSON. WE'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH HIM HARASSING HER"
@@dietdrpepper15 Well proof is very important, innocent until *proven* guilty, right?
This case made me so upset because there were many opportunities to do something to protect her from this tragedy. Makes me worry for my sister who’s in uni and what could happen to her and how little the campus would do if she ever got into a situation like this. RIP Lauren 💔
I have to say something about the way Lauren and her parents reported all these incidents. They were all so low-key and cagey about the situation. So hesitant to convey the true threat that Melvin posed. Almost like none of them wanted to be a bother and were just embarrassed by the whole situation. Only the mother had the sense to tell campus police some of the severity of her concern - and they acted immediately! Everyone else said, "Well, he's not a nice guy. He's saying mean things... he lied... I'm uh, scared..." No. Seriously. I don't want to victim blame because the situation should have been handled much more seriously by the police and the officer who kept and showed her nudes is absolute vile, but why was this young girl and her father so hesitant with critical, vital information?! "Hello. I'm being stalked by a registered sex offender who lied to me about his age, criminal record, and name. He is huge, he won't leave me alone, he has stalked in front of my apartment, and he keeps trying to lure me out. I am terrified for my life!" If she had acted more directly and given the police real details instead of skirting around the issue, this would have gone much differently, I think. She didn't even tell campus security to relocate her to another apartment! Being so wishy-washy with the police about something so serious is like going to the doctor and concealing your gangrenous limb. Save your life. Be direct!
I agree that she and both her parents seemed to be holding back on giving the authorities all the details. On the phone call recordings, there were long pauses, gaps like they were distracted or something.
Of she would have documented everything that was going on and taken it to the police, at the very least, she could have shown them the level of threat that he was and hopefully gotten them to take the situation more seriously.
It seemed like she was invalidated and felt like a bother or that she wasn’t sure if she should be calling the police, like am I overreacting type deal.
It’s so different when you are actually in this situation. People all around you downplay your hysteria and panic about serious things until it is too late. It happens all the time. And you wonder if it truly is all in your head and you are wasting energy and time of the authorities which is illegal to do.
Yes it’s a real serious threat, but until you are in that kind of scary environment, you are hoping it’s all in your head so you can live life without being paranoid. Hoping for it to end and wishing someone would scream for you, but no one does until it’s too late. It’s a real dilemma for many victims of this. Stalking is terrifying.
It's because they were cowards and didn't want to seem racist by blaming the poor innocent black guy who dindu nuffin wrong. Toll paid
Exactly. And it’s bleeding obvious why they were so low-key!
Thanks you so much for covering this case! I've suggested it in the past, but I never knew if it was a case you'd get into. I always felt like you were the perfect person to tell her story with empathy. This case was local to me, and it always felt particularly tragic and unnecessary. Thanks Adrian!
Haven't finished the video but it's bothering me enough that i wanted to comment on it, realizing that maybe they just didn't play the relevant section of the calls made:
If you want to get law enforcement to help. Do NOT sugar coat things when you make your requests. Be DETAILED and tell your story, give the most relevant facts....this guy is a registered sex offender, he was using a false identity, he was involved in blackmail, he was sending threatening messages.
This family must be very kind because all these recorded phone calls beat around the bush and they seem to want to downplay what kind of monster they are dealing with. If you believe your safety is in danger- be direct! YOUR safety is what is at risk! It's not a time to "be nice" or to not "bad mouth" someone. How one doesn't lead off with "registered sex offender" each time you mention him to law enforcement is doing yourself a disservice.
The above isn't to blame the victim or her parents. It's to hopefully help someone else that finds themselves in a bad situation who needs help. I have worked in a operations center and have experience working with law enforcement and I can tell you, they are far from perfect...just like we all are. Help ensure your safety, don't be nice and tell the situation as it is to make sure the seriousness of it is conveyed.
As someone who lives in UT and was living there when this happens, it is very frustrating knowing they look they other way when women are in trouble. Way too many cases like this could be and should be prevented.
I know exactly how horrific this situation is .. I’m also a victim of stalking .. and it’s wrong just wrong how little law enforcement do to help victims of stalking it really upsets me .. Thank you Adrian for covering this very tragic story .. And fir showing the victim as the good person she was
That poor young woman... too often, reports like hers go ignored, and it's just inexcusable on the part of law enforcement and/or anyone in a position of authority to which she'd spoken of her fears and his behavior. These cases hurt a lot, because at the end of the day, they truly are entirely avoidable tragedies.
As always, sending Love & Light from Mississippi. Y'all stay safe and keep taking care of each other. ✌🏼🖤☕
Just horrendous. Poor Lauren. She deserved to have a long and wonderful life. Utterly tragic.
When reporting a crime be precise and be your biggest advocate.
Really does seem as if nobody told the police about Melvin's background and criminal past. Even the father said "she was going out with this boy" He should have said she had broken up with a grown man who had lied about his age and name, and was an ex-convict on parole, and a sex offender!
Yes, make a google folder to save evidence/texts/threats/proof, cause clearly a victim’s word hold no weight.
All that evidence …her voice cracking…you can feel the pain and fear in her voice. Poor girl. Shameful from the law enforcement not doing their job to protect this girl. They should be ashamed and embarrassed! Her death is on their hands. Melvin was a coward. Killing himself before he faced justice. Disgusting. I pray that God gives her family comfort and peace.
it is so appalling that stalking and harassment is never taken seriously anywhere in the world. almost every stalking cases ends up violent or in death, still it is taken very lightly. there should be strong legislation to put stalker in prison no matter their gender. i feel so sad for lauren, she seems to be such a sweet girl. hope she rests in peace❤
She sounds also not confident and no self esteem. So makes her an easy target sadly
@@taramay8174not being confident in those phone calls is understandable - given she sounded scared and unsure on account that she knew she was in a really bad situation. I have no clue where people get that she had low self esteem, though.
You always cover cases with empathy and compassion where due. Thank you for your content. Poor poor girl. This case is so troubling thank you for telling it with such grace. Good evening Adrian x
They could have just put his name into a computer, found out he was a sex offender on parole, and then had him arrested for parole violations. They wouldn't have even needed to leave their chairs.
Wild, I was working nearby when we got alerts of a shooting on campus. Security and the law definitely failed her. Wish he hadn't been let free to continue being a monster but also wish she had bailed earlier at signs of control and paranoia and had left school until the issue had a resolution. It's hard with youth and inexperience to know how to handle these terrible situations
This whole time I was just thinking "Call his parole officer". Shame on the cops for not hearing about someone on parole, a sex offender, violent crimes, and they just said "Campus security can help you".
I hope her parents sued the shit out of the police.
I’m unclear if he was still on parole at the time of the stalking. If he was, calling the parole officer is definitely the first step. (He was very likely to be violating his parole somehow, given his personality.). If parole is over, all they are going to get is the parole officer’s opinion on how dangerous this man can be. That is useful in evaluating the potential threat but wouldn’t help stop him.
They got 10 million
19:00 - I've never experienced campus security / campus police doing the right thing before. Never. Its usually about covering up crime so it doesn't get reported anywhere or referred to the real police.
I really appreciate the respect you show the victim! Many other channels make them little more then side notes! Thank you so much! ❤
The incompetence of the police is outrageous this case really got under my skin rip Lauren
She did everything she could! Her concern and cry for help fell on death ears. My heart breaks for her and her family, the compensation pales in comparison to their loss. I hope they heal or find some peace thereafter to move forward. RIP to Lauren.
It's deaf ears not death ears😂
@@mariavilla4294 lolz my bad.
The things I really like about UA-cam true crime is unlike TV shows they don't gloss over police incompetence.
ACAB.
It's official...
Your channel is my favorite crime channel...
Your do your homework and your presentation skills are good enough to host shows like 48 hours...
Keep them coming, sir...👍
This makes me so sad. I dealt with a similar situation with an ex (not the false identity) but the abuse, harassment, stalking etc, and the police never took me seriously. They assumed since its an ex that they were welcomed interactions. Without going into the other details, I still have over 200 phone numbers blocked, he would just make one after another and would do anything to get to me. I feel fortunate to have made it out alive. I wish that these things would be taken seriously, my heart goes out to her and her family.
Unfortunately stalking is one of the precursors to violence/sa/murder and theres just not enough laws in most countries to prevent tragedies like this... If we had better regulations/incentives for people to take action/allowing enforcement to get involved much earlier to document, not only could we help victims of stalkers, but we could also get people who have stalking tendencies in the system to help deter/incriminate for future related crimes.
It is not even issues with laws. Trying to prove it is extremely hard.
Naw. I pursue what I want. And the government has no right to deny my love. LOVE IS LOVE**
A thousand times yes, I still don't understand how is the law so lax with stalking offenders because there's literally no other outcome to stalking other than eventual physical assault. No stalker eventually says "oh well I guess I was wrong to try and force my way into this person's life, guess I'll just move on now", unless they get help or are physically stopped somehow. We need these levers in order to be able to prevent inappropriate behavior ASAP. I've been stalked twice and the only reason both stalkers stopped is that they were put into a mental institution for other reasons, which did cease the stalking behavior as well.
the ONLY option for her was to leave the city and do not leave forwarding address. that's what I've done.
@gucci3541 nobody is after you.
I'm more upset with the weak judges and prosecutors who let Melvin off easy than the cops.
You should be upset with the people who vote in these people…
@@kingrama2727If our votes actually meant something, the last few years would've been different. Law Enforcement has more pull to take in everyone they personally know/like before the people have a choice.
Change the word, weak to woke, and you might get your answer.
@@kingrama2727 lol stop. if you're going to infer anything here please use actual examples.
@@bobloss2269 ummm examples?? Radical DAs all over the USA, 80+ year olds in congress and the White House. Are you blind or just ign0rant?
This one is so sad. As a former graduate of the U and from having kids in collegiate track, this one hits close.
So sad.
ESPN has a great documentary about this.
Well done Adrian.
Thank you so much for all you do. These videos really help to show just how precious life is and can be. ❤
Thank you for covering this. I’m from SLC and this story was so frustrating and heartbreaking to hear about. Even more frustrating is that last year the same exact thing happened to an exchange student named Zhifan Dong. She went to the university for help and was later murdered by her ex boyfriend whom
She had reported as dangerous.
And the police are seldom held accountable for lack of action.
To be fair, they're seldom held accountable for their actions either.
If they take action they get in trouble too
@@arynasabalenka3173 I think it's a matter of taking the right and proportionate action. So many police forces worldwide have instances of either under or overreacting to a situation, or not acting in the appropriate manner that would yield the best results on their end, and many preventable tragedies have occurred as a result.
I have no way of knowing if Lauren's parents tried this, or if Lauren considered it or not. If it were my daughter, I would have had her come home after she got her car back. You can always finish your degree another time, or even in another place. But you've got to get out of a situation like that.
I'm not blaming Lauren or her parents. Like I said, I don't know what they did or didn't do. And even if they didn't try to get her home, or she decided to stay in school, Lauren and her parents are not to blame in any way.
That's what I was thinking. Transfer somewhere and leave the area (vanish literally) back home and disappear from his life (or return later when things calm down). After all, your life being at risk is the top priority, the rest can wait.
Agree it would have been a good idea just for L to remove herself from the situation, return home and if it were me, I'd go to another university to finish my studies. After all, she already found out he was a sx offender, that would scare the hell out of me.
I agree, but I can see how you could talk yourself out of it. Why should I be punished? He hasn’t been violent *to me*. Very few stalking cases end in murder. And so on.
They should have gotten her out of there after finding out who he really was. Given the steadily escalating situation she was in. At least until proper action was done by the authorities.
She didn't tell her parents because then they would have known that she had dated a black guy and she could have been disinherited.
I've never seen you so angry about a case, but you are absolutely right to be so!
Unfortunately, it is often horrible tales such as this that seem to "have to" happen, often to a more well-known individual, before much needed legal and social changes can occur. May she rest in peace and prayers for her loved ones.
Lame
I had a stalker for years and had nothing to do with him. Didn't know who it was, flowers and cards left on my car at work and at my mother's home. Then at my home. Every time I moved it would stop for awhile and start up again. It turned out to be mom's neighbor. Absolute creep who worked for the telephone company and tracked me. Moved to a new area and he couldn't find me. Then he started sending my mother flowers with note speaking about our great romance so she figured it out. Freaked me out for three years.
Damn, how did it resolved?
I literally can't believe these officers... both campus and city... all they had to do was report hom to his PO.... it makes me sick!! Thank you for being awareness to this case!!!
It frustrates me to no end that a woman can be so terrified, file multiple reports, and still be fobbed off as authorities just couldn't be fucked to assist!
I truly pray each person who turned her away feel the guilt of her life for the rest of their lives
Yep, every woman has had a bad experience with men. Not all men target women, but it makes sense that we fear them. It's labelled as misandry, but actually we are just scared of men because we have all experienced some type of harassment since the age of 12 years old
As someone who worked with a registered sex offender who also lied to me, and tried to date me before spilling the beans, this hits home. He's allowed around children and still has a job even though he's tier 2 in regards to a small child. The law is too lenient with these evil creatures. He also tried to tell me that what he did was not that bad and stalks me on social media
They are already a protected class. If you beat up a pedo in prison it is a hate crime due to POC being a large contributer.
Thank You for all you do! Such detail & background on all your stories! They’re amazing
This was such a miscarriage of justice! Also I went through the exact same thing when I broke up with my ex, threatening to send my nudes and a sex video to family and friends of mine on Facebook, making multiple Facebooks to message me, pretending to be someone else etc. But lucky for me he was 1900 hundred miles away from me, because if he wasn't I would have had the same fate. Stalking really needs to be taken more seriously, this is so sad.
Don't feel too bad, I broke up with an ex like 10 years ago and he is still obsessed with me. I flattered though, guess I really am the best at 👄📯💦 after all. I would imagine if someone found someone different that did it better my ex wouldn't have time to think about me constantly. 🤣
Thank you for spreading awareness!