Hunt On For College Student's Killer
$10,000 Reward Offered For Clues To Auburn University Freshman's Shooting, Car Torching
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This undated photo provided by The Auburn Plainsman, the Auburn University student newspaper, shows Lauren Burk, a freshman at Auburn who was found shot Tuesday night, March 4, 2008, along a highway several miles north of the campus in Auburn, Ala. Burk died later at East Alabama Medical Center. (AP Photo/The Auburn Plainsman)
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Flowers lay near the parking spot that Auburn Unviersity freshman Lauren Burk's car was found ablaze Monday night. Friends and family members held a prayer vigil on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 in Auburn, Ala. Burk was found near campus with a gun shot wound Monday night. (AP Photo/Todd J. Van Emst)
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Jay Seyfried, center, orange shirt, talks to friends and family about Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk during a prayer vigil on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 in Auburn, Ala. Burk was found near campus with a gun shot wound Monday night. Seyfried was friends with Burk in high school and college. (AP Photo/Todd J. Van Emst)
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Freshman Lauren A. Burk was found fatally shot on a highway just before her car was discovered in flames on campus Tuesday night, several miles away.
Burk, an 18-year-old from Marietta, Ga., was found wounded on Alabama Highway 147 around 9 p.m., and Auburn police said her Honda Civic was found engulfed in flames at the campus about 20 minutes later. She died later that night at a hospital.
Gov. Bob Riley's office is offering a $10,000 reward in the case, Stofer said.
"We have not named a suspect and are still investigating leads," Auburn police Capt. Tom Stofer said, adding that officials are remaining tightlipped because of the circumstances of Burk's death, reports the Journal Constitution.
Confusion and shock spread throughout campus quickly Wednesday morning, the Auburn Plainsman reported.
“I want to know what caused it, because obviously she was targeted,” Jeni Young, also a first-year student, told the newspaper.
About 80 students, mostly sorority sisters, gathered early Wednesday evening for a vigil in the parking lot where Burk's car was found. Some were crying and carrying flowers to leave on the spot where her car was discovered. They linked arms and formed a circle, leaning on each other, reports the Birmingham News.
Jay Seyfried, a friend of Burk's from high school, told CBS News affiliate WMAZ-TV in Macon, Ga. that he still can't believe that one of his closest friends is gone.
“She was just one of the biggest sweethearts. Friendly to everyone, outstanding and she loved to laugh,” he said.
An on-campus prayer vigil for Burk was being organized by her friends, and a memorial was being planned by her sorority, Delta Gamma.
"Delta Gammas across the country offer hope and friendship to Lauren's family and all who have been affected by this tragedy," the sorority's national office said in a statement.
An Auburn judicial affairs official told the Atlanta Journal Constitution the university is setting up a memorial service on campus on Monday.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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See all 121 CommentsPosted by DaVicar2 at 12:16 PM : Mar 06, 2008
I would say some smart remark but this isn''t the time or the place I think just repeating this dumb commet should be enough.
Gunwoner I agree with you.
NancyNaive, still silly after aaaallll these years!
Peace and Love
What ever happened to compassion and empathy? A precious life was lost and the focus should be directed on finding the person guilty of taking it.
1) white
2) pretty
3) female
would this be a national media story? I highly doubt it. When was the last time CNN broadcast a story about a murdered male/black/hispanic/unattractive female/etc? I am a 28 y/o white male. Sadly in this society, life is not valued equally from person to person.
http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/524621.html
Both are very, very tragic events regardless of who the person is. My heart goes out to all those involved. I dont want to take anything away from the evilness of the crimes.
However, a fact is a fact. And its sad to see how much coverage a murder story receives based on who the victim is. Think about....when''s the last time the media placed so much coverage on a victim who was not white, female, and attractive?? Really.... just think about it.
Oh by the way....Im white and female.
by the same news you are condoning. Like lindsay said, grow up, stop letting your foolish pride blind you from the real evil.
Here it is 2008 and people are still pulling the "racial card"??? Give me a break!!! Oh and the famous quote of the day %u201CPretty girls shouldn''t go to college%u201D....oh wait it gets better %u201Cbecause they are too much of a temptation for perverts"............WHO''S SIDE ARE YOU ON?????? Are you saying there is an excuse for bullies to victimize/kill other%u2019s because of their good looks??? My god you have got to be kidding me!!!!
Every race is publicized for something be it crime in the city, pretty white women in college being murdered, immigrants crossing the border, AIDS epidemic in Africa etc etc etc!!!! The media scrutinized each race differently so get over it!! Some races are notorious for different things!
It''s not just "Good looks and Pretty White Girls" that sell in the media, its unfortunately BAD NEWS! People really need to grow up and focus on the matter at hand, NOT the appearance of the innocent victims!!!!!!!
You don''t realize what you''re actually saying, clockwork. There isn''t enough time in the day to post all of the incessantly repeating crimes in the ghetto - and white people live in the ghetto too. Your racial approach to why this is newsworthy is reverse bigotry in that you have basically said that no one of black, asian, etc. ethnicity live in areas where crime like this actually *IS* newsworthy. This is untrue.
The fact is that nobody would be "shocked" to hear about crime in the ghetto. The news goes for shock value alone - that''s what garners ratings.
Open mouth - insert foot. By trying to paint the media as racist, you''ve only proven your own racial insensitivity.
Just in case you don''t get it - this is newsworthy because it''s a crime in a nice, desirable, affluent area. Not a crime in an area where senseless murder is nothing new.
Some people should really get a life!!!
I have been reading the comments for a few hours now and I have to say that the ignorance here is perplexing. I have an opinion as many of you do, but I also have a degree in journalism.
So here is your explanation of why this is in the news and everyone else is not (racially).
When you are a journalist or a news corporation you have the obligation to report news in an unbiased manner.
To finish I pose the question that if a black (because that is what the people arguing here are labeling as the other minority, by only suggesting that if a black girl was killed there would be no coverage) person, even if they aren''t attractive, who was attending this college and was murdered and then the authorities found their car burning in a school parking lot, would it go unnoticed?
I can tell you with full sincerity that it still qualifies as newsworthy and would have no problem making it to network or any other widespread media outlet.
We need GUN CONTROL.........
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