Slain college student openly gay
At vigil, slain Mary Washington student recalled as a force of nature
Public Safety
By
Justin Jouvenal April 24 at 7:54 PM
@jjouvenal
Going between an event highlighting the bullying of gays and a political rally, Grace Rebecca Mann popped into the Fredericksburg, Va., home she shared with three other University of Mary Washington students, her father and friends said.
The stop on April 17 was supposed to be brief for the 20-year-old, who was one of the school's most prominent students and a leading voice for feminist and gay causes. But she would never leave. ... Two roommates would find her a short time later, unconscious and bound, according to a search warrant. A third roommate was later charged in her death, a killing that remains a mystery to her McLean family and the campus.
Hundreds turned out for a memorial service Friday, where she was remembered as a force of nature and a message from feminist icon Gloria Steinem was shared.
This week, in the Mann familys first interview, the students father, Judge Thomas P. Mann of Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, said authorities have not told the family of a motive in his daughters killing, but he said it cut short a life full of promise. The junior served in the Student Senate, was a board member of the group Feminists United, an appointee to the schools task force on sexual assault and a member of the gay men and lesbians club, among other activities. Friends said she was openly gay.