ATHENS, GA – A young woman’s life was tragically cut short on Thursday when she was discovered deceased in a wooded area on the University of Georgia Athens campus. The victim, who is a student at another school, had gone for a run and did not return, prompting a concerned friend to alert the authorities.
Jeffrey Clark, UGA Chief of Police, confirmed that the victim was a student at a different institution. The police have yet to disclose whether she was a high school or college student. The Chief expressed his deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and campus associates, acknowledging the tragic nature of the day.
The police were alerted to the situation shortly after noon on Thursday when they received a call from a concerned individual. The caller was worried about a friend who had gone for a run in the Intramural Fields that morning and had not returned as expected. Following the call, the authorities located the student in a wooded area behind Lake Herrick around 12:30 p.m. The student had visible injuries and was not breathing or conscious when found.
Despite the efforts of emergency personnel to administer lifesaving measures, the young woman was declared dead upon arrival. The University, in a press release, stated that foul play is suspected in the incident. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Athens-Clarke County Police Department are providing support in the investigation.
The public has been advised to avoid the intramural fields at UGA’s Athens campus while the investigation is ongoing. However, Chief Clark assured that there was no immediate danger on campus. In light of the incident, classes at the Athens campus were canceled for the remainder of Thursday and all of Friday.
The UGA Police Department is leading the investigation into the death, with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens Clarke-County Police Department. They are appealing to anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 706-542-2200.