WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Laken Riley went for a run on the University of Georgia's campus, not knowing it would be her last moment. Now, the community raised nearly $30,000 for the Laken Hope Foundation in her honor with 5K run/walk in her honor on Saturday.
Her body was found in the woods near the campus intramural field in February. Details about what happened in the final stages of her life aren't very clear.
Cherokee Recreation and Park hosted the 5K run/walk named after Riley in Woodstock. It took place on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Hobgood Park and drew in 731 in-person and virtual participants, organizers said.
“It was a beautiful morning for the race, and we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, vendors and volunteers for making it all possible,” said Skyler Cox, race director.
Riley was a Woodstock native and graduated from River Ridge High School, where she ran cross-country.
According to organizers, Live Like Laken 5K raised tens of thousands for the Laken Hope Foundation, which supports existing organizations that promote safety awareness for women. The foundation also provides tuition assistance for nursing students and children's healthcare.
"Laken’s untimely death was avoidable and tragic. Our ultimate goal is to promote safety awareness and prepare women in the event they are ever in danger," organizers said in a release.
The foundation handed out runner safety products for everyone who participated and crossed the finish line.
There was an overall male winner, Nathanael Spivey, with a time of 18:18, and a female award winner, Isabella Kennison, with a time of 20:47.
Organizers added that the race is certified for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race.
What to know about the race
Those who would like to register for the race can do so here and on the day of the race.
Registration will start at 7 a.m. at Hobgood Park, just before the race starts time at 8 a.m.
Runners will get a packet filled with a chosen t-shirt, running bib and other goodies. There will also be a station to pick up packets before the race on the event day.
For runners who registered online early, their packets can be picked up on Thursday, Oct. 24, at Fleet Feet Canton on Riverstone Parkway from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Friday at the park from noon until 6 p.m.
People can also volunteer on race day. To register, click here.
More on the case
Riley had gone for a run, but when she didn't return, a concerned friend called the campus police. UGA Police discovered her body with "visible injuries" in the forested area by Lake Herrick. Police did not release many details of how she was killed. Still, warrants stated that he allegedly caused harm to her skull and "did conceal the death of another person and/or hinder discovery by dragging the victim to a secluded area."
It was the first murder on UGA's campus in 30 years.
The next day, police arrested Ibarra, who is a Venezuelan man who entered the U.S. illegally. In May, Ibarra was indicted on 10 charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping and interfering with a 911 call. Ibarra pleaded not guilty. The indictment also made new allegations about the death of the nursing student.
An allegation made in the indictment is that Ibarra went to an apartment on Feb. 22, the day of Riley's death, at UGA's University Village Housing "for the purpose of becoming a peeping tom in that he did peep through the window and spied upon and invaded the privacy of" a separate victim.
In the weeks and months following Riley's death, the case has become a flashpoint for the debate around immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border.
Ibarra was previously arrested and released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2022 before being sent to New York. He was arrested again in New York in 2023 for child endangerment when he allegedly had a child on his moped without a helmet.
Riley was a nursing student in the Augusta University College of Nursing program at Athens, and a former UGA student who was still involved with the campus. She was a member of UGA's Alpha Chi Omega sorority chapter.