KU student killed in hit-and-run while jogging was a ‘bright light,’ family says
University of Kansas student Elsa McGrain, who was killed last week in a hit-and-run wreck, is being remembered by her family and community as a kind and generous person.
“She packed so much into her life doing good for others and giving to everyone she met and touched. As her Mom, I was always worried she needed to protect her heart, but her heart was full by helping and connecting with others,” her mother Anna McGrain of Omaha said in a Facebook post Monday morning.
The 20-year-old student was studying to be a pediatric oncologist, and was set to graduate from KU in 2026. But she was killed Thursday evening in a hit-and-run crash while on a run in the 1700 block of E. 1500 Road, near the Lawrence Regional Airport.
A passerby called dispatchers at 3:35 a.m. Friday, saying they found a person near the road, according the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson George Diepenbrock.
When deputies responded, they determined the person, later identified as Elsa McGrain, had died.
Elsa McGrain, a ‘bright light’
Elsa McGrain, the middle child of three, was very active in her churches in both Omaha and Lawrence. She was also a member of the Chi Omega sorority at KU, according to her great-aunt Nancy Chartrand, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Kansas Police Department.
“Some people just kind of have that kind, general bright light about them, and that’s the person Elsa was. And I know she’ll be remembered by so many people,” Chartrand told The Star.
“Lots of young people sadly are also having to process this loss... which is really hard to watch,” she said.
Kansas Chi Omega sorority said in an Instagram post that Elsa McGrain was a beloved sister and active member who served on their executive board as house manager, adding she led with grace, compassion and a servant’s heart.
“Elsa was the kind of person everyone wanted to be: genuine, kind, and full of light. She noticed the quiet one in the room, checked in on you whether things were good or bad, and was the loyal friend we all strive to be,” the sorority said. “She had a gift for making everyone around her feel valued and loved.”
The St. Lawrence Center also mourned Elsa McGrain over the weekend.
“We, the KU Catholic Community, are heartbroken in the face of this devastating news, and we pledge our promise of prayer and support for Elsa’s family, for her sorority sisters and friends, and for all who mourn her passing,” they said in a Facebook post.
Chartrand said she has suffered personal losses before, but has never had it tied to a crime. The sheriff’s office responsiveness in this case has reinforced for her the significance of law enforcement’s relationship with victim’s families.
“That definitely reinforces to me the importance of how we care for our families when they’re going through situations like this,” she said.
Regarding the hit-and-run, Chartrand said she does not believe what happened was done with ill will.
“I don’t think anybody believes this was something intentional,” she said. “... I don’t believe anybody, no matter what the situation was, got into their car that day and said, ‘I don’t really care, and if I hit somebody I hit somebody’.”
Suspect arrested in hit-and-run
According to what her family has learned from Elsa McGrain’s roommates, Elsa McGrain left her home around 5 p.m. to go on the run, and mentioned she had meeting on campus later that evening. The next morning, her roommates realized she hadn’t come home.
“It’s my understanding they started looking and making calls, and of course, by that time we now know that law enforcement had been called to the scene and had located her by that point,” Chartrand said.
On Sunday evening, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced they had arrested William Ray Klingler, 36, of Lawrence for involuntary manslaughter for his alleged involvement.
Klinger was in custody as of Monday morning.
This story was originally published November 10, 2025 at 3:04 PM.
