The woman found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus on Thursday was not a current UGA student, said Jeff Clark, Chief of Police at the UGA Police Department at a press conference. She was a student of another school.
Very limited information was shared publicly due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, said Greg Trevor, UGA spokesperson.
There is no current suspect. However, when there is a suspect on the loose, “there is always a danger, but there is no immediate danger at this time,” Clark said.
UGAPD is working alongside the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department to “work this case day and night,” Clark said.
“[Investigators] will look at every camera that we have … We’re not gonna leave any stone unturned,” Clark said.
The woman was found unresponsive, not breathing and with visible injuries in the forest area behind Lake Herrick by officials at 12:38 p.m. on Thursday, according to a UGA Alert email. UGAPD received a call at 12:07 p.m. from a concerned friend after she had gone to run at the intramural fields and had not returned as expected.
There has not been a homicide on campus in the past 20 years, Clarke said.
“I want to start off by saying that this is a tragic day,” Clark said. “And I want to offer my most sincerest condolences to the grieving family, friends and campus partners.”
UGA classes were canceled for the remainder of the day on Thursday, and the entirety of Friday, according to an email from UGA campus administration.
Lake Herrick and its surrounding trails, which are within the Oconee Forest Park, are a popular recreational space near UGA’s intramural fields. There is a dirt trail and a few wooden bridges surrounding the lake, which is a frequent route for joggers. For the majority of the trail, the lake is on one side and a steep, wooded hill is on the other.
Anyone with any information related to this investigation should immediately contact UGAPD at (706)542-2200.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with The Red & Black
