High School Grad Killed After Dumping Her Boyfriend: The Murder of Lauren Astley

"Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them." - Margaret Atwood

I’ve been diagnosed clinical depressed since the age of 12, depression does not make you commit murder

Parents need to be better at teaching their sons to accept rejection. It's been disturbing over the years seeing a lot of cases of young men murdering someone because they were told no

You’re such a baby when you’re finishing high school. No one’s life should end when it’s only just beginning.

His mom asking Lauren to talk to him is so wildly in appropriate. No matter what's happening to your child, it's not another kids responsibility to help them.

“She will never be called mom or mommy again” broke me. Lauren’s parents are absolutely amazing for advocating towards prevention and helping others. Lauren’s memory will live on. What a selfish disgusting human being he is for taking that beautiful girl full of potential and a whole life ahead of her away from the world. Hugging my child extra tight.

My daughter’s high school had a program about dating and break up violence. So happy they offered that to the students!

What stuck with me since I was a teen was: When you think ‘I can’t live without you’, remember you were living before you met them..

This happened to my high school friend. Shortly after graduation, she broke up with her boyfriend. She went missing. Her mother was reaching out to everyone trying to find her. Eventually, someone sent her a news link. The police found a body with her tattoo and she needed to be identified. He killed her, put her in the trunk of her own car for days using her cards and spending her money before dumping her like she was nothing. Her name is Laura Hunt. Plant City, Florida.

Sometimes people complain about girls/women being too guarded and standoffish when it comes to men and dating but this is why. When womens biggest threat is their own partner, we HAVE to be guarded. And even then, once you trust someone, you never know. Those who don't understand will probably understand once they have teenage daughters.

Her dad giving his parents a hug, broke me. What a human.

I smoke weed everyday. I’ve been mad on weed. I’ve been sad on weed. I have never wanted to hurt anyone on weed.

I’m a teacher in Ma. and have not heard of this case. I’m definitely going to reach out to her parents/foundation and bring this program to my daughter’s high school !

The amount of empathy in her father…the fact that his programme not only educates potential victims about warning signs, but it also provides support to would-be perpetrators and attempts to show them compassion, so they don’t turn disillusioned and go on to commit violence. It’s truly inspiring and I’m not sure I could be as gracious as he’s been

My high school boyfriend when I was 17 was mentally and emotionally abusing me to the point that I had panic attacks and stomach ulcers from anxiety. I was being belittled and talked down to all the time and no one knew. This is very important to bring awareness.

I was a victim of breakup violence right after high school. My ex kidnapped me in my own car and told me he’d be taking me to a hiking trail and throwing me off a cliff where no one would find me. Luckily we ran out of gas and he left the keys in the ignition and I was able to get away. But this needs to be talked about more often. My condolences to her family ♥️

I’ve two sons and I tell them, “if someone dumps you, leave them alone!” and other things that are more in-depth but I really hope that sticks. Being in either parent’s position is the worst nightmare. Rest in peace Lauren. She looked like an incredible person and I’m sure the tragedy of losing her has helped her parents save other lives throughout the years. Thanks for the donation, generous Kendall 💜

I watched this case years ago. Although I don’t remember everything, I remember Lauren’s compassion, which she probably got from her dad. The absolute grace of that man to console the parents of his daughter’s killer and to view it as them losing their child too. I have no words.

As a woman that has been sa'd at 14 and r*ped at 19 I'm genuinely so heartbroken and tired of the constant violence we have to endure from men. I myself knew women who lost their lives by the hands of their bf/ spouse. I'm just so tired. Sometimes this makes me spiral into a deep depression, I feel like the violence it's only getting worse and I have very little hope for the future. I'm sending all my love and thoughts on this poor girl's family as well as the ones of every single woman who lost their lives because of a man.

"Approximately 75% of women who are killed by their batterers are murdered when they attempt to leave or after they have left an abusive relationship." With numbers like that it's ASTONISHING that all schools are not educating our youth on this subject.