Police were questioning dignitaries in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, just 24 hours after a nursing student was found dead after failing to return home from a morning jog, University of Georgia officials said.
“The University of Georgia Police Department has identified a person of interest who is being questioned,” UGA’s Office of Marketing and Communications told FOX News Digital. “We would like to emphasize that this remains an active ongoing investigation and we will provide updates as the situation develops.”
A concerned friend called police for Laken Riley around noon Thursday. The 22-year-old former University of Georgia student, who attended Augusta University in neighboring Athens, had one drink that morning to run around UGA’s intramural field and never returned.
Georgia nursing student found dead on Uga campus, identified as Laken Riley.
Laken Riley poses for a photo to post on Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Laken Riley/Facebook)
Within minutes, campus police found her body near Herrick Lake. She had “visible injuries to her,” and authorities began investigating her for her murder.
University Police led the investigation with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
Laken Riley poses for a photo to post on Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Alison Phillips/Facebook)
FOX 5 ATLANTA A video was shared showing a heavy police presence as state investigators searched trash cans and bags of trash at a gas station across from an off-campus apartment complex around 1 p.m. Friday. .
WATCH: Georgia State Police establish mobile command center after UGA student death
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Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Gertz expressed condolences in a statement Thursday night, calling the death a “murder.”
On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Athens-Clarke County Police conducted a traffic stop at the UGA Intramural Field after the body of a woman with visibly injured bodies was found in the woods around Herrick Lake in Athens, Georgia. conducted an investigation. (Joshua L. Jones/USA Today Network)
“I stand with everyone here at Athens-Clarke County Unified Government in our deep sorrow for the murders that occurred in our city today,” Gertz said. “We are committed to working with UGA PD to quickly bring this investigation to a close and will continue to work overtime to prevent further tragedies.”
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