ATHENS — A crowd of about a hundred gathered here Saturday at Laken Riley’s sorority house to pay tribute to the 22-year-old nursing student who was killed while running on the University of Georgia’s campus one year ago.
Laken’s Miles, also known as the 22 for 22 Memorial, encouraged participants to run or walk 22 minutes without stopping. The event was organized by the Laken Hope Foundation and hosted by Alpha Chi Omega.
“We gather today to keep that hope alive and remember the bright light that she was,” said a sorority member before the campus run began around 9 a.m.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
With no set pace or route, the runners and walkers set off in all directions from the house after a brief introduction. Many trekked down South Lumpkin Street, some walkers cheering on runners they recognized as they passed.
Nevaeh Anderson, a UGA freshman, didn’t know Riley personally but walked to pay respect to Riley’s family and friends.
“That poor girl tried to do everything she could to save her own life,” said Anderson, adding that she and other students took time Saturday “to spread awareness” and “show support.”
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Riley was killed Feb. 22, 2024, during a morning run on a wooded trail near UGA’s intramural fields, the first homicide on the campus in more than two decades. An Athens judge in November sentenced Jose Ibarra to life in prison with no possibility of parole after finding Ibarra guilty of felony murder, intent to rape, hindering a 911 call and other charges.
Riley, a student at Augusta University’s nursing program in Athens, had previously attended UGA. She graduated in 2020 from River Ridge High School in Woodstock, where she was on the cross-country team.
Her violent death became a flashpoint in the national debate over U.S. border security. Ibarra, a Venezuelan, entered the U.S. illegally, according to authorities. Last month, President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act, which gives federal immigration agencies broad authority to detain migrants accused of a variety of crimes.
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Brianna Lieblang added white flowers to a pile of bouquets Saturday morning at Lake Herrick, near the running trails where Riley’s body was found.
“I just felt like I should,” Lieblang, a UGA senior, said. “She seemed like a good person.”
Lieblang said she had just finished a class with one of Riley’s friends when she heard of Riley’s death.
“It could have been me, could have been anyone just as easily,” Lieblang said. “It was just something that shouldn’t have happened.”
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Katie Overmyer, also a UGA student, occasionally goes on runs in Athens.
“When I heard the story, it really broke my heart,” Overmyer, a freshman, said. “She’s someone that reminds me so much of myself.”
Overmyer is a member of a different sorority, and she said it was special to see people from multiple Greek life organizations at Saturday’s event.
“It brought everyone together,” she said. “It’s really important that we don’t forget, ever, what happened to her.”
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution
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