The roommate and best friend of murdered Georgia nursing student Laken Hope Riley have paid heartbreaking tributes to her in the days following her tragic killing. The 22-year-old man was found dead last week near a lake on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens with “visible injuries,” according to Georgia State Police Superintendent Jeff Clark. Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, was discovered after a friend reported she hadn’t returned from a run.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was arrested on February 23. He was charged with malice and felony murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, and concealing the death of another.
“You should stand next to me at my wedding.”
Riley’s roommate, Connolly Huth, has now posted clips on Instagram of the pair enjoying themselves and dancing carefree. “Never in a million years did I think I would write something like this, and I’m still waiting to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Laken Riley, best friend, roommate, runner Partner, bartender, singer, dancer and student. You came into my life three years ago and I never thought you would leave me so soon. You have never met a stranger and you have no respect for anyone you meet. Show kindness and acceptance to everyone. You put everyone before yourself,” Huss wrote.
“You should have crossed the finish line with me and run our first marathon, you should have stood next to me at my wedding, you should have saved a lot of lives, and you should have been an aunt to my children. Things shouldn’t be Like this. It brings me peace knowing how strong your faith is in God and how your actions reflect Him in everything you do. There is never a time when you don’t put a smile on my face. I Know you’re running, eating all the Havarti cheese + Halo Top crackers, and drinking all the Diet Coke heaven has to offer,” she added.
Huss went on to say that she will miss their runs, “where we thought we were going to pass out, our weight training sessions at Planet Fitness, our singing wherever we went, and our daily stroll to Circle K for a Diet Coke.”
“Our house will never be the same without you. Waking up to you multitasking on your iPad, watching TV, and doing homework on the dining room table will always be my favorite sight when I wake up. I don’t Don’t know how I will continue this life without you by my side, but all I know is that I will run 26.2 in your honor and let everyone know the perfect, beautiful, hilarious, smart, kind and driven human being that is. That’s who Ken Riley is. I will always be proud to call you my best friend and roommate. I love you to the moon and back and I can’t wait to meet you,” Hughes said.
Meanwhile, aGoFundMe launched for Riley raised a whopping $81,432 in just one day, far exceeding its $35,000 goal.