Lauren Burk was walking through campus on her way back from her boyfriend’s dorm when she was abducted, shot, and left fatally wounded on Alabama Highway 147. Her killer then drove back to campus and set her car on fire.
She was 18 years old when she was killed on March 4, 2008.
Courtney Lockhart was convicted of her murder a year later, and sentenced to death by lethal injection in 2011.
Lauren was a petite brunette with dark hair and eyes from Marietta, Georgia. She was studying art at Auburn University.
Her memorial service was held in the Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, and approximately 6,000 students attended to remember a student with a “contagious smile.”
Since her death, Lauren’s parents, James Burk and Viviane Guerchon, have fought vigorously to provide better safety for students at Auburn University.
They believe that if the University had an on-campus police force, then Lauren might still be alive.
“I went and saw that there were video cameras in the parking lot the night Lauren was abducted,” James said. “So how come no one noticed that the killer sat in the parking lot all day, left and came back? That’s ridiculous.”
Burk and Guerchon filed an official claim against Auburn University in 2009. However, that lawsuit was dismissed because of sovereignty laws that prevent the University from being sued directly.
They then changed the subject of the $1 million claim from Auburn University to the City of Auburn with Alabama’s Board of Adjustment. The Alabama Board of Adjustment denied that claim in 2014. However, Burk’s family refused to give up.
“We are still very concerned that they don’t have an on-campus police department,” Burk said. “Auburn is one of the only universities in the country that doesn’t have on-campus police. It’s no better now than it was in 2008.”
The campus police force was merged with the city’s in 2000 to save the University money. However, Guerchon said she expected that to change after her daughter’s murder.
“We found out that the area Lauren was abducted was a hot spot,” Guerchon said. “You’d think they would have reinstated the campus police after that, but it hasn’t changed.”
Robbie Treese, Lee County district attorney and prosecutor in the criminal trial, said although he has no part in handling the legal claims happening now, he believes the City of Auburn Police Division and Auburn University are collaborating to improve safety.
“I understand that the University is re-doing a police course,” Treese said. “The way I understand it, there may be more of a police presence on campus.”
Along with providing an on-campus police force, James and Guerchon are frustrated in the manner the murder was handled.
The Cleary Act of 1990 requires all colleges and universities to record and disclose a list of crimes reported on campus.
“Auburn had some serious issues that they didn’t take care of,” James said. “In the official record next to her name it says, ‘robbery,’ but then has an asterisk in really small print that says, ‘murdered off campus.’ So that is kind of a slap in the face.”
Guerchon and James know their efforts may not be achieved for years more to come, but they are not backing down.
“I want to see them reinstate the on-campus police force so that what happened to Lauren will never happen again to another student,” Guerchon said.
The family has now sought federal help.
“We’ve had people come down from Washington to help,” James said. “The next move going forward is to get this implemented.”
Melvin Owens, executive director of the Department of Public Safety and Security at Auburn University, said campus security is re-evaluated and elevated each year.
“The Lauren Burk incident was a tragic reminder that we must be ever vigilant,” Owens said. “Each campus review examines physical and personal safety and results in increased security measures in multiple areas.”
Recent improvements include the addition of safety courses and increased surveillance.
“In recent years, the University has installed more than 1,000 security cameras,” Owens said. “We continue to offer multiple safety education classes, such as RAD, [Rape Aggression Defense] Active Shooter and Personal Safety. We have increased the nighttime hours for the on-campus student transportation system, augmented regular police patrols and increased building safety with security officers in parking lots and residence hall areas.”
The Burk family will continue to fight for on campus police because they believe it is a necessity for a university.
“Auburn [University] needs to wake up, because I’m not giving up,” James said.
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