Current:Home > ContactA woman was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a run -ProsperityStream Academy
A woman was found dead on the University of Georgia campus after she failed to return from a run
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 13:44:33
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! (46765)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine