Months after the news about a missing 22-year-old college student in Georgia spread, media sources have disclosed the last text message Laken Riley sent to her mother.
Footage showing her last moments, captured just before she disappeared, has also been made public.
The nursing student texted at 8:55 a.m., just moments before she went jogging on the University of Georgia’s (UGA) campus.
But then there was no word from her again. This led to her worried mom sending a message that said, “Please call me. I’m really worried about you.”
On February 22, around 12:07 p.m., one of Riley’s friends contacted UGA Police Department because they were anxious for Riley who hadn’t come back from her morning run at IM Fields that day.
Officers quickly began their search at about 12:20 p.m.
They found Riley in the woods behind Lake Herrick shortly after.
She was unconscious and had visible injuries on her body. Officers provided medical help but emergency responders declared she was dead when they arrived.
After learning about Riley’s death, some of her family and friends shared online tributes in memory of her. A touching Instagram post came from the sister of the late student who attended UGA until Spring Semester 2023 before moving to Augusta University College of Nursing program in Athens.
“The best sister and my built in best friend since day one! This isn’t fair and I will never get it but I know you are with the man you loved most right now,” wrote Riley’s devastated sister, Lauren Phillips.
Magana also shared a tribute to Riley on Instagram with a collection of photos showing happy times they had together. In her long caption, she expressed how much Riley meant to her as she called her “best friend.”
