A video appearing to show a person of interest in the “brutal murder” of an 18-year-old first-year student at the University of Texas at Austin was released on Thursday morning, according to My San Antonio.
The video was taken on Sunday night and shows a man, possibly a 6 ft. tall black male, pushing a red or pink bicycle while wearing a backpack.
On Tuesday morning, the body of Haruka Weiser was found by police, who have come up with a timeline of events surrounding her disappearance. Authorities say that the dance major was last seen on April 3 at around 9:30 p.m. leaving the drama building.
“She had communicated with one of her friends so we were pretty confident that we knew the direction she had traveled and the way she had traveled back to her dormitory,” said Troy Gay, assistant chief at the Austin Police Department, according to My San Antonio. “She never made it to her dormitory that night.”
By 11:30 the next morning, Weiser’s roommates had called and reported her missing. After conducting a search, her body was found in a creek on Tuesday.
“The unthinkable brutality against Haruka is an attack on our entire family,” said university President Gregory Fenves at a press conference Thursday. “Law enforcement is fully engaged to do everything to bring the perpetrator who committed this crime to justice.”
Weiser’s parents also released a statement.
“Haruka, our beloved daughter, sister, and friend was taken from us too soon,” it read. “The pain from our sudden and tragic loss is unfathomable…words cannot express the outpouring of love we have received.”
Julane Stites, a department head at Weiser’s high school, described Weiser as a “dancer in her soul,” according to KOIN 6 News. “She was intelligent, spirited and stunningly beautiful and worked hard every day to realize her dreams,” Stites said. “She was loved and respected throughout the arts and dance community.”
According to The Daily Texan, the number of police vehicles, extra authorities, and van shuttles has increased on campus since Weiser’s body was discovered.