A woman found dead in waters nearby Austin’s University of Texas has been identified as first-year student Haruka Weiser, according to a statement released on April 7 from the university’s president, Gregory L. Fenves.
Weiser was a “beloved member of our dance community” who studied Theatre and Dance, the statement reads. She was recruited to the college from Portland after performing at a high school dance festival in 2014.
“Trained in ballet, Haruka excelled in all her performance endeavors. She was also involved in Dance Action, a student-run organization for dancers,” he said. “Our community was made better by her decision to join the College of Fine Arts.”
She was reported missing on April 4 and a search was initiated. The next day, she was found, a victim of a “horrifying and incomprehensible crime,” the statement said.
In the statement, the president said the school is “working with University of Texas Police Department (UTPD) and other law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend a suspect quickly.
“Law enforcement is fully engaged to do everything to bring the perpetrator who committed this crime to justice,” he said.
