Fear still lingers on UGA campus one year after Laken Riley murder

Those call stations — as well as perimeter fencing, cameras, license plate readers and safety ambassadors — are pieces of the $9 million investment UGA has made over the past year to increase campus security. And while they have given some students a sense of safety, they are also a highly visible reminder of the tragedy still felt on campus.

“I’ll always think about what happened,” said graduate student Ace Chivas during a late afternoon walk by Lake Herrick, less than a mile from where Riley was killed. “There’s still fear in me.”

Riley, 22, was going for a run on the back trails of the intramural fields when she was attacked by Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan who authorities say entered the country illegally. It was the first killing on campus in about three decades.

Her violent death became a flashpoint for the national immigration debate, leading to a bill passed in her name that was the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Donald Trump since taking office last month.

Credit: Nathan Posner for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Nathan Posner for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Back in Athens, where Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University, the incident raised concerns about safety on UGA’s 760-acre campus, specifically the park and the unpaved trails that wind through its woods. The Laken Hope Foundation, whose mission statement includes helping organizations that promote safety awareness for women, encouraged people to run or walk nonstop for 22 minutes Saturday in her honor.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

A safe space no more

In past years, grad student Molly Martin would run or bike at the intramural fields nearly every day. Now she carries a knife and won’t come alone. Some of her friends won’t come at all.

“(One friend) hasn’t stepped foot in here again,” said Martin during a recent walk with two friends. “I definitely only come back here in groups and when the sun is out.”

To her right was a sign for Lake Herrick. It has become a makeshift memorial featuring a black pair of running shoes, flowers and a cross-country T-shirt from Riley’s alma mater, River Ridge High School in Cherokee County. A student nurse badge hangs from the signpost above a medal from the Athens 2017 half marathon.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

‘It’s worth it’

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

“The challenge is to put it where you’re going to need it which means it’s away from everybody else. By default, that means it’s also going to cost more, but it’s worth it,” said Silk, whose previous employment includes the U.S. State Department as a special agent in Afghanistan.

In the wake of the murder, critics said the university had not done enough to enhance campus security, with some going as far as to call Riley’s death “100% preventable.” UGA denied the claims, pointing to the $16 million it spent on safety and security enhancements during the eight years preceding Riley’s killing. It announced an additional $7.3 million in security investment days after her death, and another $1.7 million in late January.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

That money has funded the call stations, 3,000 feet of security fencing and 675 new and upgraded light fixtures. UGA said some of the funds went to its police department, leading to a 21% increase in police personnel including 12 safety ambassadors who escort students across campus during the night. Another thousand feet of fencing will be installed on the Health Sciences Campus and the funding is also bolstering the 911 communications center.

“I’ve never worked anywhere where (safety) was such an area of focus,” said Silk.

Staying vigilant

Ibarra would have been able to access the fields from his apartment complex, possibly walking from the building to the trails below. That route is no longer accessible after UGA erected a black 8-foot fence behind the building. UGA alumni David Lee, 69, saw it himself. After parking his car and attempting to walk down to the wooded area, Lee encountered the fence and had to park elsewhere. Lee said some now have a morbid fascination with the park.

“I’ve walked these trails many times through the years and it’s a real shock to know something so bad happened out here,” said Lee.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

The security measures have received mixed reviews. Carson Rutledge, a junior who frequently visits the quiet area, isn’t sure how practical the call stations are. “I doubt they’ve ever been used,” said Rutledge while reading in a hammock he set up between two trees. “But if it helps even one person it’s worth it.” UGA said the only time the boxes have been used — apart from as a platform for security cameras — was in October when someone called in a medical emergency. The caller ultimately declined transportation to the hospital.

Running through the woods, Kelley Lockwood, 46, said what really makes her feel safe is having her dog by her side. Tom Robinson, 76, said he’s noticed more women running the trail with dogs since the Riley murder. “The bigger the better,” he said, while adding that the prominence and eye-catching design of the call stations could serve as a deterrent for would-be attackers.

“I like that (UGA) is doing something. Even if it’s too late for her,” Robinson said.

Martin, the grad student, and her friend, Jillian Broadhurst, think more students are slowly starting to return to the intramural fields, partly due to the weather improving and partly due to the passing of time. But the women remain vigilant as fears since Riley’s murder still linger.

“I don’t think that feeling in the back of your mind is ever going to go away,” Broadhurst said.

Staff writer Fletcher Page contributed to this article.