VALDOSTA —
Valdosta State University plans to say farewell to freshman Jasmine Benjamin with a vigil set for what would have been her 18th birthday.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported Wednesday that Benjamin’s parents of Lawrenceville learned of the 17-year-old VSU freshman’s Nov. 18 death through a Facebook post. The family has hired a private investigator to help solve the death which Valdosta authorities are treating as a homicide investigation. The investigator would not discuss the case with The Times Wednesday.
As for Saturday evening’s vigil, coordinator Will C. Jimerson said the ceremony will start at 6 p.m. on campus in front of Georgia Hall, the dormitory building where Benjamin lived.
Dec. 1 would have been Benjamin’s 18th birthday.
VSU President Dr. William McKinney and Amber Worthy, VSU’s Student Government Association vice president, will address vigil attendees before a moment of silence and musical selection, said Jimerson.
“A few of Jasmine’s friends will speak about her personality and her character,” said Jimerson. “We will also have a special balloon send off in honor of her birthday and life. Vigil attendees will also have an opportunity to write a special note to Jasmine or her family, which we will collect and send to her parents and siblings.”
Jimerson said the twitter hashtag, “#RememberJas,” has been overwhelmed by support from groups and individuals both inside and outside of the VSU community. He said the vigil will be the result of a collaborative effort between the university’s Department of Housing & Residence Life, Student Government Association, the Dean of Students Office and the Office of the President.
“The vigil is coordinated by the Resident Assistants of Georgia Hall, where Jasmine had lived since August,” said Jimerson. “We felt that it was our obligation to honor and remember Jasmine in our residence hall. It was the only option.”
All vigil proceeds will be given to Benjamin’s family to aid in the cost of funeral arrangements, said Jimerson. He and other organizers are working on an online option for donations and they are encouraging attendees to donate everything from money and flowers to prayers and encouragement.
“We are not only asking for the support of the Valdosta State University students and faculty, but also the Valdosta/Lowndes community,” said Jimerson. “Our Valdosta State community will come together regardless of whether we personally knew Jasmine or not. Come show support and donate in any way in honor of our beloved Blazer, Jasmine Benjamin. ”
Benjamin’s funeral has been scheduled for today, according to reports, while three law-enforcement agencies continue investigating the cause of her death.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, classmates were unable to revive Benjamin when they found her unresponsive in a study room on Georgia Hall’s fifth floor. Witnesses reported seeing Benjamin on the same study hall couch the previous night.
At the time of her death, authorities admitted having difficulties reaching Benjamin’s mother as next of kin.
Valdosta Police Cmdr. Brian Childress said no additional details have been released, as authorities are still investigating the perplexing circumstances surrounding Benjamin’s death. While the Valdosta Police Department has been proceeding with the investigation as if it were a possible murder, Childress has stated that authorities won’t make a declaration without a full autopsy.
“The investigation is being treated as a homicide and investigators and agents with all three agencies are still interviewing individuals, collecting evidence, and ensuring evidence is being analyzed,” according to a university statement. “Since the investigation is active and ongoing, no additional information is being released at this time.”
The case is being investigated by authorities from the VSU Police, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Valdosta Police Department.
Anyone who may have information in this case should call the Valdosta State University Police Department, (229) 333-7816; or the Valdosta Police Department Crime Tip Line, (229) 293-3091. Callers may remain anonymous if they wish.
To find out more about Jasmine’s vigil and how you can show your support, contact Will Jimerson via e-mail at wcjimerson@valdosta.edu.
Local News
Vigil scheduled for VSU student
Investigation continues into death
- Local News
-
-
Brooks County's Parrish in Rivals Top 100
Brooks County rising senior Malkolm Parrish is ranked the 73rd best high school football prospect in the nation, according to the release of the Rivals.com Top 100.
-
Woman fights to live after cancer
To be whole again, the desire that sometimes overwhelms chair-bound Mandy Painter, fuels the Realtor each day through walking lessons during physical therapy and it's also what could see her through a cutting-edge program in Boston, where world-class neurologists can reawaken her cerebellum and see the mother of three to her feet again.
-
North Ashley Street closed following accident
A Sport Utility Vehicle traveling north on North Ashley Street drove into a telephone pole Monday morning, resulting in the closure of the road.
-
Gornto extension half complete
The Gornto Road extension project is more than half-way complete, and could be finished ahead of the one-year deadline contractors were given when the project was approved Oct. 11 by the Valdosta City Council.
-
Nashville honors history, musical tradition
There were more than a few Nashville residents and guests from out of town fiddlin’ around Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of the Georgia Humanities Council and Smithsonian New Harmonies exhibit, celebrating roots music from the state and across the Deep South.
-
Locals, out-of-towners come out for food, fun at Peach Festival
The Morven Peach Festival drew a smaller crowd than usual in its 26th year, but planners weren't complaining.
-
Coliform found in drinking water
The cause of a water quality issue is still under investigation by the City of Valdosta Utilities Department after a water sample taken from a line in the area near the intersection of St. Augustine Road and West Hill Avenue tested positive for coliform bacteria.
-
The Big One: Preparing for mid-America earthquake
It’s a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people are homeless. The Memphis airport — the country’s biggest air terminal for packages — goes off-line. Major oil and gas pipelines across Tennessee rupture, causing shortages in the Northeast. In Missouri, another 15,000 people are hurt or dead. Cities and towns throughout the central U.S. lose power and water for months. Losses stack up to hundreds of billions of dollars.
-
Preparing South Georgia for a disaster
A pair of specialized urban rescuers shed some of their protective gear for a moment and exchange relieved smiles because, on the roads across the swamps of residential rubble, a caravan of Lowndes citizens returns to a county that, according to Lowndes officials, was able to repair its wounds in the aftermath of a Category 5 storm due to a dynamic package of disaster plans.
-
Valdosta police honor Moody security force
Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress awarded a set of challenge coins Friday to 12 members of Moody Air Force Base’s security forces. The coin ceremony served as a thank-you from the Valdosta Police Department for the base’s operational support in handling bomb threats and helping in community matters.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Brooks County's Parrish in Rivals Top 100
