Found Deceased GA - University of Georgia Laken Hope Riley, 22, found dead near University of Georgia intramural fields, foul play suspected, 22 Feb 2024

[Inthedetails]

I have a close family member who attends UGA, lives on campus, and uses that track. I've never heard any worries about safety on campus and this brutal crime comes as a shock. It is very scary for us to know the perp is on the loose.

The sinking feeling I got is it was not personal, but another case of Murdered While Running.

I'm glad locals are on the thread - local insight is always very helpful in a thread. I'm sorry this happened in your community.

imo

 

[Inthedetails]

I'm wondering about a friend reporting her missing by noon after she went for a jog that morning. I was close with my roommate and still wouldn't have called police/security in this situation--UNLESS there was an ex-boyfriend or some other situation that would make me more concerned about her.

She was a member of a sorority and the term "roommate" likely does not describe the friendship which is probably closer than merely "roommate." That is my hunch.

Perhaps the friend had plans with the jogger and when she didn't return from the jog, it was instantly a worry. I'm assuming the friend tried to reach the jogger by phone/text and couldn't, which increased her worry.

jmo

 

[Katiegam]

I have a close family member who attends UGA, lives on campus, and uses that track. I've never heard any worries about safety on campus and this brutal crime comes as a shock. It is very scary for us to know the perp is on the loose.

The sinking feeling I got is it was not personal, but another case of Murdered While Running.

I'm glad locals are on the thread - local insight is always very helpful in a thread. I'm sorry this happened in your community.

imo

You bring up a good point about safety on campus. I'm not going to say UGA and Athens are the safest places on earth because there certainly are pockets of crime. However, this part of campus, in my opinion as an alum and local resident, is definitely on the safe side of campus. Certainly unsettling. My husband works at UGA. Though classes are cancelled today, he is on campus and say it is just a different world right now.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Authorities identified the nursing student found dead Thursday on the University of Georgia campus as Laken Hope Riley, a resident of Athens.
Riley was 22 years old, Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson said Friday morning.

The official cause of death is still pending and Wilson said Riley’s body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab in DeKalb County.

A UGA spokesman said in an email late Thursday that the woman “was an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia until the spring of 2023, and then she became a nursing student at the Augusta University nursing program in Athens.”

According to student records, Riley was from Woodstock, Georgia. She made the fall 2023 dean’s list at Augusta University, where she enrolled in the nursing program to take classes at its Athens site.

UGA says suspect arrested in death of nursing student

Authorities identified the nursing student found dead Thursday on the University of Georgia campus as Laken Hope Riley.

www.ajc.com

 

[jbennett]

I just have to say, as a female runner, I AM SO SICK OF RUNNERS BEING TARGETED... and also sick of the fear that we have to feel just to go out and get some exercise. This is so unacceptable and frustrating!!

Also, I can't help to think about Rachel Morin. Wasn't she also bludgeoned? He traveled from CA to MD if I remember correctly... GA is not that far at all in comparison.

Praying for her family and the whole community... and hoping for justice. (Is there every REALLY justice in these situations though?)

 

[cocaine-jesus-cat]

It is possible the friend could track her location on life 360 or a similar app. If it was not moving for an extended period of time that could explain how the police found her so quickly.

I think this could be a high possibility. I am at UGA (not saying all college kids are the same, but still) and me and my friends all utilize life 360 or just the standard Find My Friends built into apple devices with each other. I would be much more likely to call for help with someone I know the location of who I know what they are doing, is not moving and stopped responding from the normal schedule, versus a friend who I can not track so I assume they just had a nonstandard meeting/class thing. I used to regularly track my roommate when she was running at the Greenway in Athens (though I personally consider this MUCH more dangerous). As others have said, tracking could have helped facilitate the search for her... if she was visible enough to find quickly I thought it would be odd that no foot traffic saw her (granted, some of these are dense trails), but if the police knew a general area from a map location this could help.

<modsnip - quoted post was not an approved source>

 

[acutename]

She was a member of a sorority and the term "roommate" likely does not describe the friendship which is probably closer than merely "roommate." That is my hunch.

Perhaps the friend had plans with the jogger and when she didn't return from the jog, it was instantly a worry. I'm assuming the friend tried to reach the jogger by phone/text and couldn't, which increased her worry.

jmo

maybe they were going to go to lunch and she did not show up.... I think in daylight, I might have gone to look for a friend myself, not called the police immediately....they seem to have found her within minutes so I am guessing she was not hidden.... IMO ? creepy. seems there will be people who were in the park at the time this happened ...Abbie & Libby? hate these murders.

 

[Valen2]

I think this could be a high possibility. I am at UGA (not saying all college kids are the same, but still) and me and my friends all utilize life 360 or just the standard Find My Friends built into apple devices with each other. I would be much more likely to call for help with someone I know the location of who I know what they are doing, is not moving and stopped responding from the normal schedule, versus a friend who I can not track so I assume they just had a nonstandard meeting/class thing. I used to regularly track my roommate when she was running at the Greenway in Athens (though I personally consider this MUCH more dangerous). As others have said, tracking could have helped facilitate the search for her... if she was visible enough to find quickly I thought it would be odd that no foot traffic saw her (granted, some of these are dense trails), but if the police knew a general area from a map location this could help.

I am not saying this is wrong in any way, but I find it odd that LE would share death info with just this one news source that it was blunt force trauma.. I think if it had been publicly shared many others would be reporting it?

Laken is a beautiful young lady. Heartbroken for her friends and family.

This. I teach high school students and they all track each other, even ones that aren't close friends. It was eye-opening to me when a kid skipped class and another student pulled out her phone and said she'd track him and see where he was. He was in the gym. She barely knows him, but she could track him.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Laken Hope Riley was identified as the nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia campus, officials said

“Evidence at the scene indicated foul play,” Athens-Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson told The Post Friday morning.

Promising nursing student, 22, found dead on campus with ‘visible injuries’ after going for a run — as suspect is taken into custody

It was not immediately clear if the individuals were being held in connection with the suspicious death of Laken Hope Riley, who was officially identified just hours before.

nypost.com

*beautiful

 

[vls12345]

UGA police chief addresses ongoing investigation into woman’s death near Lake Herrick

The woman found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus on Thursday was not a current UGA student, said Jeff Clark, Chief of Police at the UGA Police Department at

www.redandblack.com

 

[vls12345]

Student found dead on UGA campus identified as 22-year-old Laken Riley

The student found dead near Lake Herrick on Thursday was identified as 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, university spokesperson Greg Trevor confirmed on Friday morning. Riley was a nursing student at

www.redandblack.com

 

[lightofmine99]

This. I teach high school students and they all track each other, even ones that aren't close friends. It was eye-opening to me when a kid skipped class and another student pulled out her phone and said she'd track him and see where he was. He was in the gym. She barely knows him, but she could track him.

I was in high school/college recently, and this concept is foreign to me. However I also didn't use Snapchat and my family only got Life 360 after I gradated HS. I do remember my friends whose families did use L360 constantly getting calls from angry/upset mothers asking why my friends were somewhere 20 miles from campus when they were sitting with me at the lunch table. I guess the app has improved since then because I've not dealt with similar issues a lot.

Snapchat does have a map where you can see where friends are but IIRC (based on what my friends with the app said) it wasn't super accurate.

 

[Inthedetails]

Authorities identified the nursing student found dead Thursday on the University of Georgia campus as Laken Hope Riley, a resident of Athens.
Riley was 22 years old, Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson said Friday morning.

The official cause of death is still pending and Wilson said Riley’s body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab in DeKalb County.

A UGA spokesman said in an email late Thursday that the woman “was an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia until the spring of 2023, and then she became a nursing student at the Augusta University nursing program in Athens.”

According to student records, Riley was from Woodstock, Georgia. She made the fall 2023 dean’s list at Augusta University, where she enrolled in the nursing program to take classes at its Athens site.

UGA says suspect arrested in death of nursing student

Authorities identified the nursing student found dead Thursday on the University of Georgia campus as Laken Hope Riley.

www.ajc.com

We lost a good person way too soon. So sorry to her family - and to all of us in society who would've benefited from her contributions and life. Sad, senseless loss.



jmo

 

[Nancy19XX]

Katherine Janness, Rachel Morin, the recent attack in Tacoma, WA on a trail... now this. It is getting dangerous out there for those of us that like to walk and run. MOO

 

[Chimera]

Augusta University student found dead at University of Georgia, officials say. Police suspect foul play

School and state authorities suspect foul play and are investigating after a woman’s body was found with “visible injuries” on the University of Georgia’s campus Thursday, university officials said.

news.yahoo.com

Police do not have a suspect in the case, Clark said. When he was asked whether there was danger to the public, the chief 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.”

Georgia cops questioning 'person of interest' in murder of student

The student's body was found on Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Police Chief Jeff Clark did not provide details on how the woman died, citing the ongoing investigation.

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.

He also acknowledged that police do not have a suspect in the case yet.
'When you have a suspect that's on the loose, there's always a danger. But there's no immediate danger at this time.'
RBM
It would seem a little precipitate to say that at this time; if they have no idea -- and no poi ?
Until the perp is apprehended, isn't every woman in danger at that campus ?

But again maybe LE know more than they're saying .
That would not be unusual.
Omo.

 

[lightofmine99]

Am I correct in assuming she was killed in broad daylight?

"But there’s no immediate danger at this time."

If they had no POI and zero inclination as to who did it, I don't think they would say this, but then again if they said "yes be very afraid" that might cause a mass panic which you also don't really want. MOO.

 

[Chimera]

Rest in gentle peace, Laken Hope Riley !
My utmost condolences to her loved ones.

 

[MissPie]

Augusta University student found dead at University of Georgia, officials say. Police suspect foul play

School and state authorities suspect foul play and are investigating after a woman’s body was found with “visible injuries” on the University of Georgia’s campus Thursday, university officials said.

news.yahoo.com

Police do not have a suspect in the case, Clark said. When he was asked whether there was danger to the public, the chief 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.”

Georgia cops questioning 'person of interest' in murder of student

The student's body was found on Thursday afternoon after her roommate reported her missing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Police Chief Jeff Clark did not provide details on how the woman died, citing the ongoing investigation.

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.

He also acknowledged that police do not have a suspect in the case yet.
'When you have a suspect that's on the loose, there's always a danger. But there's no immediate danger at this time.'
RBM
It would seem a little precipitate to say that at this time; if they have no idea -- and no poi ?
Until the perp is apprehended, isn't every woman in danger at that campus ?

But again maybe LE know more than they're saying .
That would not be unusual.
Omo.

I thought that was doublespeak. Makes it confusing for the local public to interpret. Reminds me of the the Moscow PD statement after the Idaho murders.

 

[Elliot_Alderson]

I swear, jogging has to be one of the most dangerous activities for women in America.

 

[Inthedetails]

Katherine Janness, Rachel Morin, the recent attack in Tacoma, WA on a trail... now this. It is getting dangerous out there for those of us that like to walk and run. MOO

Katrina in Queens, Vanessa in New Hampshire, Mollie in Iowa. And more.

Sadly, Murdered while Running is a real thing and, sadly, nothing new.

jmo