Former student found guilty in murder of University of Arizona professor Thomas Meixner

A jury on Tuesday found the man accused of fatally shooting a University of Arizona professor on campus in 2022 guilty of murder after just under three hours of deliberation.

The jury also found him guilty of a slew of other charges, including one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of burglary and three counts of endangerment.

Murad Dervish, 48, was found guilty of first-degree murder after he shot Thomas Meixner, the head of the university's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, on Oct. 5, 2022.

Meixner's widow, Kathleen, broke down in tears after the judge read out the jury verdict. A group of people surrounded Kathleen and hugged her, with one saying: "We got justice for him."

University of Arizona scrutinizedReport slams handling of threats before professor's death

Dan South, an attorney representing Meixner's family, echoed that sentiment.

"The family feels like justice was served," he said.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 24 at 1:30 p.m.

Dervish was a graduate student who was eventually expelled and prohibited from being on campus. He was accused of threatening Meixner and other faculty and university staff for more than a year.

What happened to University of Arizona Professor Thomas Meixner?

During the trial, the prosecution recounted the moments before Meixner was killed, detailing how Meixner ran for his life down a hallway in the Harshbarger Building and into a classroom just before 2 p.m. Dervish emptied his magazine, shooting Meixner 11 times total.

Dervish fled the building in a van. Three hours later, he was caught driving on Highway 85 toward Mexico. Dervish refused to stop for police, leading officers on a chase for two to three miles. Authorities successfully stopped his car using a PIT maneuver.   

Dervish's attorney wanted his client to be found guilty except insane, telling the jury in closing arguments Monday his client "lost his mind in that moment."

Consultant found university failed to manage threat from Murad Dervish

A consultant's report released in March 2023 found the university's threat management process was ineffective and its security systems inadequate in the period leading up to the fatal shooting.

University President Robert Robbins acknowledged at the time that he, other school officials and the university police department made mistakes, and that the report revealed systemic issues at the university that “should have been identified and corrected.”

“I am angry at myself that I didn’t do more to prevent this tragedy,” he said at a news conference.

What did Meixner's family receive?

The report was released days after the Thomas Meixner family filed a $9 million claim against the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body for Arizona's public universities, alleging a lack of action by UA before Meixner’s death.

The family settled the claim for $2.5 million earlier this year. The settlement agreement includes provisions that require the university to establish and fund an endowed professorship in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences named after Thomas Meixner.

Provisions also require the school to provide resources to the department for continuing mental health treatment, and a tuition or fee waiver to the students most directly affected by the incident.

Reach reporter at [email protected]. The Republic’s coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America.