Laken Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, on Saturday shared a public message for the first time since her daughter’s Feb. 22 murder, calling it an “avoidable tragedy” in a Facebook post.
Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, was killed while jogging on trails around the University of Georgia campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national who was living illegally in the United States, has been charged in her murder, which police described as a “crime of opportunity.”
“As I sat down to write this message, I really just have no words,” Phillips wrote on Facebook. “My family has faced the most devastating, unimaginable loss that anyone could ever be force [sic] to endure. I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for being with me and my family during this heartbreaking time. I encourage everyone to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I give Him all the glory for getting us through this.”
She added that “[i]t would be really easy to lose our faith in mankind because of this senseless and avoidable tragedy,” but said her family has received an overwhelming “amount of love, support and help” during what she described as a “horrific nightmare.”
LAKEN RILEY FUNERAL IN GEORGIA COMMEMORATES NURSING STUDENT ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
“I can’t begin to tell you all how much we appreciate all of the text, calls, flowers, meals, groceries, bows, pictures, personal gifts, memorials, gift cards and donations to Laken’s foundation,” she said. “We are beyond grateful for everyone who has stepped up to be here for us through this difficult time. The outpouring of love has been so enormous – that I felt this was the best way to thank you all in a timely manner. I hope that each and every one of you know how much we love you and appreciate all you have done.”
Phillips asked the public to “continue to pray” for her family as they “put one foot in front of the other moving forward.” She also changed her profile…
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