The University of Georgia (UGA) campus was the scene of a tragic incident on Thursday, where a 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University, identified as Laken Riley, was found dead.
The discovery was made in a wooded area behind Lake Herrick, a part of UGA's campus, around 12:30 p.m. The student had reportedly gone for a run that morning and never returned, prompting a friend to alert the authorities.
Georgia criminal defense attorney, Philip Holloway, expressed his belief that the incident could potentially be a criminal homicide. "I think it's going to be a short period of time before they find a suspect," Holloway told Fox News Digital. "It wouldn't surprise me if this is a criminal homicide."
As of Friday morning, the investigation into the student's death is ongoing, according to a UGA spokesperson. In light of the incident, classes at both UGA and the Augusta University College of Nursing campus in Athens were canceled on Friday.
Holloway, who is also the founder of the Holloway Law Group, speculated that authorities would likely establish a "geofence," a virtual perimeter, around the crime scene. This would allow them to track who entered and exited the Lake Herrick area by analyzing data from cellphone towers. However, it's worth noting that AT&T experienced a nationwide outage on Thursday, potentially affecting customers across the southeast.
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark, during a press conference on Thursday evening, stated that the last reported homicide on the UGA campus was two decades ago. He assured that there was no "immediate danger" on campus. However, Holloway suggested that there could be a connection between this incident and previous cases of assaults against women in the vicinity of UGA's intramural fields.
Lake Herrick, located between various university practice fields and Oconee Forest Park, is a popular spot on UGA's campus. It features a pedestrian trail and a recreational beach. Authorities have requested the public to steer clear of the area during the investigation.
Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel expressed his sorrow over the incident in a statement. "Police have said they suspect foul play. The receipt of this news this afternoon was shocking to all of us," he said. UGA also released a statement indicating that "foul play is suspected," although no suspects have been identified as of Friday.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz referred to the incident as a "murder" in a statement released on Thursday evening. "I join everyone here at the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government in deep sadness over today's murder in our city," Girtz said. "We promise to do everything possible to collaborate with UGA PD to bring this investigation to a rapid conclusion, and will continue to work overtime to prevent further tragedies."
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Athens Clarke-County Police Department are assisting UGA police in their investigation. They are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact 706-542-2200.
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