The University of Utah revealed on Tuesday that it had struck an agreement and will pay $5 million to the parents of an overseas student who was slain last year.
On Feb. 11, 2022, a first-year Chinese student was assassinated by a fellow student and lover at a downtown Salt Lake hotel, according to authorities. According to police, the accused injected a deadly amount of narcotics into his partner as part of a suicide pact.
The accused is presently imprisoned and awaits trial in the matter. Last year, the accused was charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree murder, as well as two charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute, a second-degree crime, and a third-degree felony.
In July, the girl's parents blasted the institution for failing "to safeguard her when she needed it the most." Prior to her murder, the girl was threatened, missing, and allegedly a victim of domestic violence.
The university revealed the findings of an investigation into how its Housing and Residential Education team, Utah Global office, and public safety department handled the days and weeks preceding the girl's death in July 2022.
According to a joint statement from the university and the girl's parents, the settlement would honor her memory while also resolving any "outstanding legal claims against the university." The institution will give the family $5 million, and a memorial will be built on campus in her honor.
There will be no governmental appropriations or monies from student tuition in the settlement. The governor has accepted the settlement, and the Utah Legislature is scheduled to vote on a joint resolution to ratify it in the coming days.
