The Temple News staff was saddened to hear about the death of our fellow student Jenna Burleigh on Saturday. We began reporting about Burleigh’s disappearance on Friday, and as a staff, we hoped Burleigh would be found safe, as did many in the Temple community.
As details emerged suggesting that Burleigh had been murdered, we tried to do our best to cover this story ethically and with compassion for Burleigh and those who knew her. And we hope we did.
We were touched by the Temple community’s response to Burleigh’s tragic death. When Burleigh’s sister asked for help finding her on social media, the post was shared 22,000 times — many times by Temple students and faculty. Already, Temple students have planned three separate vigils for Burleigh this week. We hope this outreach provides some comfort for Burleigh’s loved ones.
As we’ve learned more about Burleigh from the social media posts of her friends and reporting from other publications, it has become clear that she fit right in here at Temple. Her activism on social justice issues and her passion for equality — especially regarding the rights of women and LGBTQ people — clearly align with the values of the Temple community.
Even though Burleigh only spent about a week at Temple, we will certainly feel the absence of one of our fellow Owls.
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