Current:Home > FinanceA woman was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a run -SovereignWealth
A woman was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a run
SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-08 09:28:26
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! (866)
Related
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
Ranking
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game