Who was Laken Hope Riley? Woman Found Dead at UGA

Laken Hope Riley has been identified as the woman who was mysteriously found dead on the campus of the University of Georgia, UGA campus.

Laken Hope Riley was found dead in a wooded area at the UGA Intramural Fields in mysterious circumstances in the 2nd tragedy to strike the school in quick succession.

Her discovery follows the death of Wyatt Banks, a student with Brumbey Hall who also tragically passed.

In this article, we learn all about Laken Hope Riley UGA, as well as other details about what is happening on the University of Georgia campus.

Join us as we embark on this journey of discovery.

Who was Laken Hope Riley?

Laken Hope Riley was a woman whose body was found under mysterious circumstances on the campus of UGA.

On Thursday, February 22nd 2024, an alert went out that a body had been found on the UGA campus in a wooded area at the Intramural Fields.

The woman had been reported missing after failing to return home from a run this morning.

Authorities suspected foul play in the situation.

UGA police said they received a call just after 12 p.m. on Thursday from a person who was concerned about their friend who had not come back from a morning run at the intramural fields.

About 20 minutes later, police found the woman’s body in a forested area behind Lake Herrick with “visible injuries.”

Officers tried to give emergency aid, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

All classes at UGA has been canceled till Monday.

The woman has now been identified as Laken Hope Riley, although she’s not a UGA student.

So what do we know about her?

Linken Hope Riley was a student and a Tour Guide based in Athens, Georgia with Revolution Rail Co., a tour company operating out of North Creek, New York.

According to LinkedIn, Revolution Rail Co. offers railbiking tours, which is a fun excursion activity that allows riders to ride the railroad tracks under their own power and explore the outdoors in a truly unique way.

Laken Hope Riley of UGA was a guide with the company but was found dead on the campus of UGA with foul play suspected by authorities.

Per Facebook, Laken Riley was a former student of the University of Georgia but was currently at Augusta University where she was studying nursing.

UGA’s police department says it received a call from a person who was concerned about their friend around 12:07 p.m. Feb. 22.

The caller said their friend (Riley) had gone for a run near the Intramural Fields earlier in the day and had not returned as expected.

Officers responded to the area and immediately began searching.

At approximately 12:38 p.m., they found the individual in the forested area behind Lake Herrick.

The individual was not conscious and not breathing and had visible injuries. Emergency medical responders pronounced the individual dead at the scene.

“The victim was not a student of the University of Georgia, but the victim was a student of another school,” said UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark, during a press conference at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Whilst authorities did not confirm the identity of Laken Hope Riley in the presser, UGA confirmed to ABC News that the victim 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 – essentially confirming the info we reported hours earlier.

The Augusta University College of Nursing joined UGA in canceling classes for Friday.

Officials added that they are considering Riley’s death a crime and that they are still searching for a suspect.

“This is a tragic day and I want to offer my most sincerest condolences to the grieving family, friends and campus partners,” Clark said. “We are going to leave no rock unturned during this investigation.”

Her discovery comes just a day after a student, Wyatt Banks was found dead on the campus of UGA.

Wyatt Banks of Brumby Hall committed suicide Wednesday before Laken Hope Riley was found possibly murdered Thursday.

Laken Hope Riley UGA

The University of Georgia released a statement following the discovery of the body of Laken Riley.

“Special message regarding recent events,” the message was titled.

Earlier this afternoon, you received a timely warning from the University of Georgia Police Department regarding an individual whose body was found in a wooded area at the UGA Intramural Fields. The woman had been reported missing after failing to return home from a run at the Intramural Fields this morning.

We have been fully briefed on this terrible situation. Foul play is suspected, and we are already receiving support from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Athens-Clarke County Police Department to investigate this crime. We want to assure you that the safety and welfare of our campus community is our top concern.

If you think you have any information related to this incident, we urge you to contact the UGA Police Department immediately at 706-542-2200. In addition, all students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to download and use the UGA Safe app, which offers several important safety features, including emergency notification alerts and the ability to share location in real-time with the police, among others. We also recommend that you travel in groups when possible and be aware of your surroundings.

The past 24 hours have been a traumatic time for our University. Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one our students in Brumby Hall last night. And as we continue to mourn that tragic loss of life, today’s devastating news will uniquely test the resolve of our campus community, particularly our students.

We are announcing that classes on the Athens campus are cancelled after 5:30 p.m. this evening, February 22. They will remain cancelled tomorrow. We will resume classes on Monday, February 26.

Finally, let us remind you that resources are available to assist those who need help processing their feelings at this time. We encourage you to contact Student Care and Outreach (https://sco.uga.edu/, [email protected], 706-542-8479), and Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is available 24/7 and stands ready to assist as well (https://caps.uga.edu/, 706-542-2273).

Wyatt Banks UGA

A student of UGA, Wyatt Banks had been found dead on the school campus just about a day before Laken Hope Riley was found.

Following the suicide of Wyatt Banks, his colleagues started a GoFundme to raise money.

“Wyatt Banks was a freshman at UGA and a brother of The Kappa Sigma Beta Lambda Chapter. He passed away on Wednesday night, February 21st, 2024.

“We want to preserve his memory and beloved soul with a fundraiser to support his family in this hard time, as well as bring important attention to suicidal awareness. During his time here, Wyatt spread nothing but positivity and laughter, with an infectious smile and a laugh that anyone in the room could recognize.

“Along with his constant spread of positivity, Wyatt diligently excelled in academics, as a member of Morehead Honors College, and was always eager to help his friends in school whenever they needed it.

“If you were seeking someone to talk to, he was always there with open arms no matter what. If you were looking to go out and have a good time, you knew who to ask. For anything you needed, Wyatt was that guy. With all these redeeming qualities of Wyatt, you would think there would be no problems with him at all, and that’s the issue.

“Hiding many of his deepest emotions from his friends, family, and brothers, Wyatt was alone in his struggles and sadly resorted to the most desperate solution. Our goal for this fundraiser is to raise awareness towards mental health/suicide, hoping to prevent situations like this for anyone else struggling.

“No matter who you are, your life matters, and know that there are people who want to help. Our only desire is to spread the word that it is a necessity to reach out, find help, and talk to people when you are in a situation of need, no matter how big or small.

“Thank you for supporting our cause, please keep Wyatt and his family in your thoughts and prayers,” the Wyatt Banks Gofundme read.

University of Georgia

Laken Hope Riley has been reported as not a student of UGA but let’s learn more about the institution.

The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is one of the oldest public universities in the United States.

It is the flagship school of the University System of Georgia.

In addition to the main campuses in Athens with their approximately 470 buildings, the university has two smaller campuses located in Tifton and Griffin.

The university has two satellite campuses located in Atlanta and Lawrenceville. The total acreage of the university in 30 Georgia counties is 41,539 acres (168.10 km2).

The university is classified among “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity,” and as having “more selective” undergraduate admissions.

The flagship school of the University System of Georgia, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public universities in the United States.

The University of Georgia’s intercollegiate sports teams, commonly known by their Georgia Bulldogs name, compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

The University of Georgia has had more alumni as Rhodes Scholars since 1990 than nearly all other public universities in the country.

Alumni also include a United States Poet Laureate, Emmy Award winners, Grammy Award winners, and multiple Super Bowl champions.

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