The nursing student found dead Thursday on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus has been identified as police search for a suspect in the case.
UGA said the young person was identified as 22-year-old Laken Hope Riley, who attended Augusta University, Fox 5 reported on Friday.
News Nation’s Brian Entin said officials are still looking for a suspect as of early Friday. He also noted the young woman had previously graduated from UGA and was pursuing her nursing studies at Augusta University:
Search for suspect continues after 22-year-old Laken Riley was killed on the University of Georgia campus.
She graduated from UGA and was studying nursing at Augusta University. pic.twitter.com/Q6t9MjN84o— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) February 23, 2024
UGA’s police department received a report from Riley’s friend just after noon on Thursday that she had turned up missing after going for a jog near the school’s intramural fields, the Fox article said.
Once officers launched a search for the young woman, they eventually found a body in a forested area near Lake Herrick at around 12:38 p.m.
The outlet continued:
UGA police enlisted the assistance of the Athens-Clarke County police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) in their ongoing investigation. On Thursday evening, they held a press conference, disclosing that the victim was a nursing student at Augusta University. Authorities reassured the public that efforts were underway to locate the perpetrator, emphasizing that there was no “immediate threat” to the community. The cause of Riley’s death was not disclosed.
The young woman’s body had “visible injuries,” so authorities suspected foul play in her death, Atlanta News First reported Friday.
“The chief of the University of Georgia Police Department told reporters last night that they did not have a suspect but that they were planning to leave no stone unturned as they investigate this case,” the outlet said.
Some students in the area are worried about their safety, according to 11 Alive.
“I run a lot, and so, like, we’ve just been talking about, like, going and seeing the park here and going for a little run or just walking by,” one young woman explained.
Laken Hope Riley (22) went for a run yesterday morning on the University of Georgia campus. Her roommate called the police when she did not return. Laken was found deceased near the woods in Athens, Georgia. Classes canceled today. Foul play suspected. pic.twitter.com/G4LNBeAbw1
— Rose (@901Lulu) February 23, 2024
“But now, after hearing all this, I don’t feel safe anywhere,” she added.
In an update Friday, the Fox article said law enforcement authorities had set up a mobile command post outside an apartment complex near the lake.
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