Published on Jan. 17, 2023

Updated on April 13, 2023

Dear campus community,

Today we are writing to you as we mourn the loss of one of our own. MU student Samuel Clemons was found deceased last week, several miles north of the campus in Columbia while MUPD was conducting a missing person search. The incident is currently under investigation by the Columbia Police Department, which has arrested Emma Adams, charging her with various crimes, including second-degree murder. Adams is not affiliated with the University of Missouri.

The loss of a student is devastating. Samuel was a sophomore, majoring in biological sciences. We have been in contact with Samuel’s family and are supporting them in any way that we can.

While this incident happened off-campus, the safety of our campus community is our highest priority. The MU Police Department works closely with local area law enforcement agencies, including the Columbia Police Department, 24-hours-a-day to keep our campus safe.

If you feel unsafe at any time, please call MUPD at 573-882-7201 or dial 911 in the event of any emergency.

The university also has several resources available for anyone who needs to talk with someone. These resources include the Wellness Resource Center and the Counseling Center within the Division of Student Affairs. Additionally, the Employee Assistance Program is available to faculty and staff.

Samuel will be included at our MU Remembers Ceremony in April. We will keep Samuel’s family and friends in our thoughts.

Sincerely,

Mun Y. Choi, Ph.D.
President, University of Missouri