An international tragedy hit too close to home for many in the Murray community last week with the news that Murray native Erica Hagan was killed while working abroad.

Hagan, a 22-year-old Georgetown College graduate, arrived in Chile at the end of July. She was working as a teaching assistant in the English department of Colegio Bautista, a Baptist college in Temuco. She was scheduled to return home in December.

Hagan’s body was found in her Temuco apartment on Sept. 6.

Curt Thurman, a friend of Hagan’s from high school, said Erica meant a lot to him and still does. He described Hagan as goal-oriented, kind hearted and faith driven. Because Hagan left Murray to attend Georgetown College and Thurman attended Murray State, they had not spent much time together since high school. Thurman said the last time he saw Hagan was about a year ago.

“It wasn’t a long visit, had I known it was the last I would have made it a night to remember but sadly there’s never enough time to be with the ones you care about,” he said.

Thurman said that Hagan went to Chile because God called her there, and that everyone respected and admired her for choosing to go to South America.

“I love and respect her more for doing it; for answering God’s call, and understanding the desires that were placed in her by God as well,” Thurman said.

The Colegio Bautista is funding the entire cost of bringing Hagan’s body back to Murray.

Story by Kate Russell, Staff writer