Police say they found the deceased woman after someone voiced concern for a friend who had gone on a run earlier that morning.
A woman was found dead with “visible injuries” on the University of Georgia’s campus Thursday afternoon, and the school says foul play is suspected.
UGA Police said an individual called them just after noon and said they were concerned about a friend who had left for a run at the school’s intramural fields earlier that morning and hadn’t returned.
Officers began searching the area 13 minutes later to try to find the individual. At 12:38 p.m., they discovered the person in a “forested area” behind Lake Herrick. Police said the individual was unconscious, not breathing and had visible injuries.
The person, who the school later confirmed was a woman, didn’t respond to immediate medical aid from officers. Emergency responders determined she was deceased upon their arrival, police said.
UGA Police said it’s investigating the incident with the help of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
During a press conference later Thursday, University of Georgia Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said the victim wasn’t a student at the University of Georgia but was a student elsewhere. He said he wouldn’t share what school she attended at this point in the investigation.
Clark also said they currently have no suspect in the case. When asked if there was a threat to the community, he said, “When you have a suspect that’s on the loose, there’s always a danger, but there’s no immediate danger at this time.”
The police chief said he believes this is the first on-campus homicide the school has seen in at least the last 20 years.
The night prior, a UGA student died suddenly, the school said in a statement on its website, but Clark confirmed the two deaths have no connection.
“Our student body is grieving the sudden death of one [of] 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,” the school wrote.
Classes were canceled the rest of Thursday and Friday, and officials have asked the public to avoid the college’s intramural fields, which have now been blocked off, while they continue the investigation. They also asked anyone with information possibly related to the incident to come forward.