On an April evening in 1992, the halls of an Indiana University dormitory became the scene of a tragic and violent event that would claim the lives of two students and their assailant. Susan Clements, a 23-year-old female graduate student in English, had been the recipient of harassing phone calls from her ex-boyfriend following their separation. She had reported the calls, but did not feel she was in immediate danger.
On the evening of April 23rd, her ex-boyfriend, Andreas Drexler, a 29-year-old graduate student from Stanford University, appeared on the 14th floor of Eigenmann Hall, a residence primarily for graduate and international students on the Bloomington campus. An argument broke out in the hallway outside of Susan's room, where her keys were later found still in the door, suggesting she hadn't yet entered. During the confrontation, Drexler, armed with a 9mm pistol, shot Susan.
Another graduate student, Steven Molen, who was a friend of Susan's, attempted to intervene in the altercation. For his heroic efforts, the 31-year-old was also shot by Drexler. Following the shootings, Drexler fled the scene. A little over an hour later, he was found a few blocks away, having taken his own life with the same firearm. Susan Clements was pronounced dead at the scene, and Steven Molen succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
The investigation revealed the premeditated nature of Drexler's attack. He had driven from California to Indiana with a significant amount of ammunition, a hunting knife, gasoline cans, and a campus map with Susan's dormitory circled. His actions were the tragic culmination of months of harassment that began after their relationship ended. The incident, noted as the first murder of a student on the Indiana University campus, highlighted the serious and devastating potential of stalking behaviors and is credited with contributing to the eventual passage of anti-stalking legislation in the state of Indiana. As the perpetrator committed suicide, there were no arrests, charges, or a trial.
