Carol Capps regularly runs in a wooded area on the University of Georgia campus where the body of a 22-year-old nursing student who went missing during her morning run was found there earlier this week.
Capps, 24, said the trails around Herrick Lake always seem safe and that getting away from traffic and into the woods provides mental clarity.
But that sense of calm was shattered Thursday when authorities discovered Laken Hope Riley's body and arrested Jose Antonio Ybarra, 26, of Athens, on suspicion of murder. The victim and suspect did not know each other, and University of Georgia Police Chief Jeff Clark called the killing a crime of opportunity.
“The scariest part is that it could have been me or my friend,” said Capps, a clerk at Athens Running Company. “I feel like my space has been taken away.”
Riley's death has once again put a spotlight on the dangers faced by female runners. Previously, the death of University of Iowa student Molly Tibbetts while jogging in 2018 sparked outrage from other women who shared their stories of harassment and stalking.
Crime statistics show that these types of attacks are rare, but they highlight the need for women to be extremely cautious when going out, even running on campus.
A survey conducted by sportswear company Adidas last year found that 92% of women feared for their safety, and half said they feared physical attack. More than a third of women said they had experienced physical or verbal harassment, such as sexist comments or being followed.
Running groups and women's forums offer tips for women to stay safe while exercising. Run during the day or with a friend. Avoid headphones. Carry pepper spray and a whistle. Make sure your phone is charged. Mix up your running routes. Let your friends know where you are and check in when you're done with errands.
But Carrie Rennison, a criminal justice professor at the University of Colorado who studies violence against women, believes that rather than telling women what to do and what not to do, she believes in teaching men not to assault women. I wish they would put more emphasis on it.
“I hope these women continue to run, hike, go to school, climb mountains, work, and live their lives on their own terms,” Rennison said in an email. She said, “There are days when we lose hope, but what is the alternative? Trying to exist quietly will not protect us.”
Capps, who has been running since she was 13, said she is aware of her surroundings. But she also doesn't think Riley could have done anything to prevent what appeared to be a random act of violence.
“What happened to her, I think it's inevitable,” she said.
Of course, Riley's death didn't just shock female runners. Nate Stein, 23, who just graduated from the University of Georgia and lives in downtown Athens, ran and walked in the area where her body was found, she said.
Now he plans to be even more cautious.
“It's like a park. Nothing bad should happen there,” he said.
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Associated Press writers Jeff Martin and Ben Finley contributed to this report.
