A memorial tree grows on the east side of Prather Hall with a grey stone marker next to it. Both are dedicated to dance freshman Haruka Weiser, who was killed walking to her dorm 10 years ago this April.
For the past few weeks, blooming bouquets and blue wristbands have been placed atop the marker, adorned with etchings of white flowers and words of remembrance.
“Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories,” the marker reads.
After Weiser’s death, a series of safety efforts began. A group of parents and community members advocating for public safety at UT called SafeHorns developed. The University installed blue emergency phones, improved lighting and cleared vegetation across campus, following a state audit. Weiser’s family also started the “Walk With Me” safety campaign, which encourages students to walk with each other to stay safe.
In an April 2016 statement, her family wrote that although Weiser loved being a dancer, she never wanted the spotlight in everyday life.
“Perhaps the last thing she would want is to be the poster child for any cause,” her family wrote. “And yet, as we struggle to understand why she was killed, if her death can somehow make it safer for a young woman to walk home, if it will prevent another assault or murder, then at least we could find some meaning behind an otherwise senseless and tragic death.”
The Austin Police Department arrested Meechaiel Criner, who was later convicted for the capital murder of Weiser and sentenced to life in prison in 2018, according to court records.
“She was someone’s 18-year-old child from Portland, Oregon,” APD lieutenant Ray Tynes said. “She was a long way from home.”
At the time, Tynes was a homicide detective overseeing the crime scenes. Tynes said it was a significant case that stayed with him. Even now, Tynes remembers recovering Weiser’s laptop: a MacBook with a “Portland” sticker on it.
“She put that sticker on that laptop because she was proud of where she came from, and (it) ended up in the hands of somebody who killed her,” Tynes said.
Most students majoring in theatre and dance who lived in the area of Prather Hall would take the route Weiser did to return to their dorm, said Emma Huff, who was a freshman with Weiser and also lived in Prather Hall.
Huff said she began to feel safer on campus when blue emergency phones were installed throughout the University property. These were installed because of Texas Department of Public Safety recommendations after Weiser’s death, said Jay Swann, interim executive director of campus safety.
“Safety is one of the most basic needs that we all share as humans,” Swann said. “We need to create as safe a space as possible so that people are free to focus on their education and learning.”
SafeHorns president Joell McNew, whose son was also in the College of Fine Arts at the time of Weiser’s death, worked with other parents and students like Huff to form SafeHorns. She said the message of the “Walk With Me” campaign started by Weiser’s family is still true today.
“We are safer together when we walk together,” McNew said. “‘Walk With Me’ to be safer. ‘Walk With Me’ for the love that she had, for the passion she had.”
In the weeks after her death, Weiser’s family published an obituary for her in The Oregonian, describing her spirit and their deep love for her as a daughter and sister.
“In our hearts you will remain forever,” states the obituary. “And when we are together again, may it be a joyful reunion, an eternity of bliss and a never-ending dance of love.”
