Murdered Georgia nursing student Laken Hope Riley’s roommate and best friend has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her days after her brutal slaying. The 22-year-old was found deadnear a lake on the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens last week with “visible injuries,” according to UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark. Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, was found after a friend reported that she went for a run and failed to return.
An illegal immigrant named Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested on February 23. He was charged with malice and felony murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, concealing the death of another and other charges.
‘You were supposed to stand next to me at my wedding’
Riley’s roommate, Connolly Huth, has now taken to Instagram to post snippets of the two of them enjoying life, dancing around, carefree. “Never in a million years did I think I would be writing something like this and I am still waiting to wake up from this terrible nightmare. Laken Riley, bestest friend, roommate, running partner, mixologist, singer, dancer, and student. 3 years ago, you walked into my life and I never thought you would be taken from me so soon. You never met a stranger and you exuded kindness and acceptance to anyone you met. You put everyone before yourself,” Huth wrote.
“You were supposed to cross the finish line with me for our first marathon, you were supposed to stand next to me at my wedding, you were supposed to save so many lives, you were supposed to be the aunt to my children. It was not supposed to be like this. I find peace in knowing how strong your faith was in God and how your actions reflected him in everything you did. You never once failed at putting a smile on my face. I know you are running, eating all the Havarti cheese + Halo Top cookies, and drinking all the Diet Coke that heaven has to offer,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}“You were supposed to cross the finish line with me for our first marathon, you were supposed to stand next to me at my wedding, you were supposed to save so many lives, you were supposed to be the aunt to my children. It was not supposed to be like this. I find peace in knowing how strong your faith was in God and how your actions reflected him in everything you did. You never once failed at putting a smile on my face. I know you are running, eating all the Havarti cheese + Halo Top cookies, and drinking all the Diet Coke that heaven has to offer,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}Huth went on to say that she will miss their runs “where we thought we were going to pass out, our lifting sessions at Planet Fitness, our breaking out into song literally anywhere, and our daily strolls to Circle K for a Diet Coke.”
“Our house will never be the same without you. Waking up to you on your iPad multitasking watching tv and doing homework at the kitchen table will always be my favorite sight to have woken up to. I’m not sure how I will continue this life without you by my side, but what I do know is I will run that 26.2 in your honor and let everyone know of the perfect, beautiful, hilarious, smart, kind, and driven human that Laken Riley was. I will forever be proud to have called you my bestest friend and roommate. I love you to the moon and back, and I can’t wait to see you when I get up there,” Huth said.
Meanwhile, aGoFundMe launched for Riley hasraised a whopping $81,432 USD in just a day, much more than the $35,000 goal that has been set.