Former University of Arizona graduate student sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting professor

Former University of Arizona (UA) graduate student Murad Dervish was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for shooting and killing his former hydrology professor, Dr. Thomas Meixner, in 2022 .

In May, a jury took just three hours to find Dervish, 48, guilty of first-degree murder, burglary, aggravated assault, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor and felony danger, reports KGUN. His lawyers had requested a verdict of “guilty unless of unsound mind”.

An independent review of the shooting found that AU had security lapses that led to the attack. The report reveals that the school's Threat Assessment Management Team (TATM) was ineffectively managed, giving the shooter multiple opportunities to continue to harass and threaten members of the UA community.

Related article: So, you want to become a threat assessment manager?

The report also highlights numerous flaws in law enforcement's response to Dervish's behavior before the attack, finding that there were “multiple missed opportunities by UAPD to engage, disrupt or arrest “. [Dervish] before the incident. »

Shooter sent threatening messages to victim and UA community before attack

Campus officials knew the shooter had a violent criminal record and had been banned from campus in early 2022. He also sent Meixner and others distressing messages for months before the shooting.

The independent review also found failures in the school's response to the crisis and identified flaws in how AU communicated internally and with the community, including problems with the UAlert system.

Following the release of the report, AU Police Chief Paula Balafas, as well as AU Provost Liesl Folks, resigned from their positions.

In January, Meixner's family reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the UA over the school's handling of Dervish before the shooting.

The AU also agreed to implement 33 security improvements recommended by the independent review, including:

• Hiring a dedicated chair for the school's Threat Assessment Management Team (TATM)
• Expand security training to individuals and units
• Automatically enroll all students and staff to receive campus alerts
• Improved interinstitutional cooperation
• A centralized security camera policy
• Installation of locks that comply with fire and safety standards on classroom doors
• Expand keyless access to buildings
• Conduct criminal background checks on graduate students