Current:Home > NewsA woman was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a run -AssetLink
A woman was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a run
View
Date:2025-04-14 03:29:20
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A woman found dead on the University of Georgia campus was a student at a nearby nursing school, said authorities, who were checking security cameras and advising students to travel in groups and avoid the wooded area where her body was found.
Police do not have a suspect, University of Georgia Police Chief Jeff Clark said at a news conference late Thursday. University spokesperson Cole Sosebee confirmed on Friday that the victim’s name is Laken Hope Riley.
The woman was found Thursday afternoon after a friend told police she had not returned from a morning run, authorities said. She was unconscious and had “visible injuries” when officers found her, Clark said.
“When you have a suspect that’s on the loose, there’s always a danger but there’s no immediate danger at this time,” Clark said.
Riley was a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing’s Athens campus, the school said in a statement. Foul play in suspected, school officials said.
Officers searching the area found the woman’s body in a forested area behind Lake Herrick. That area is across a busy road from a large dorm and dining hall complex on what’s commonly called “East Campus.” Most of the students in those dorms are freshmen.
Clark said his department, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, were conducting the investigation. He noted that there has not been a homicide on campus in the last 20 years.
“We’re not going to leave any rock unturned in this investigation,” he said.
The University of Georgia canceled classes Friday. Augusta University canceled classes at its Athens campus but said it will remain open as a gathering place for students, faculty and staff.
The death “hits a little too close to home,” said Veronica Bennett, the mother of a University of Georgia student. She’s part of a group of moms pushing for security improvements on campus that go beyond the school’s safety app, WSB-TV reported.
“As a parent, I get tired of that being UGA’s go-to. Oh, we have the safety app. Well, the safety app is not much of a deterrent,” Bennett told the Atlanta TV station.
veryGood! (31)
Related
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Finneas says working with sister Billie Eilish requires total vulnerability
- ‘Mean Girls’ takes 1st place at the box office. So fetch.
- Bills-Steelers playoff game moved to Monday amid forecast for dangerous winter weather
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- John Kerry to step down after 3 years as Biden's top climate diplomat
- Why did someone want Texas couple Ted and Corey Shaughnessy dead?
- Mia Goth sued by 'MaXXXine' background actor for battery, accused of kicking his head: Reports
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes initially didn't notice broken helmet, said backup 'was frozen'
Ranking
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- ‘Mean Girls’ takes 1st place at the box office. So fetch.
- Republican candidates struggle with Civil War history as party grapples with race issues in present
- How Wealthy Corporations Use Investment Agreements to Extract Millions From Developing Countries
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Taiwan condemns ‘fallacious’ Chinese comments on its election and awaits unofficial US visit
- Chase Utley was one of the best second basemen ever. Will he make Baseball Hall of Fame?
- Wife of slain Austin jeweler says daughter-in-law Jaclyn Edison got away with murder
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Packers QB Jordan Love helps college student whose car was stuck in the snow
French Foreign Minister visits Kyiv and pledges solidarity as Russia launches attacks
2 Iranian journalists jailed for their reporting on Mahsa Amini’s death are released on bail
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Spoilers! Why 'American Fiction' ends with an 'important' scene of Black representation
Steve Sarkisian gets four-year contract extension to keep him coaching Texas through 2030
U.S. launches another strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen
Like
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- NFL fans are facing freezing temperatures this weekend. Here are some cold-weather tips tested at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro
- French Foreign Minister visits Kyiv and pledges solidarity as Russia launches attacks