Friends remember Karlie Hall; raise money for her family

Supporters raised thousands of dollars online Tuesday for the family of a slain Millersville University freshman as the campus mourned her death.

Karlie Hall, 18, of Chadds Ford, died in her dorm room Sunday morning after an altercation with her boyfriend, Gregorio Orrostieta, 19, who was charged Monday with homicide in Lancaster County.

An autopsy showed Hall died of strangulation and multiple traumatic injuries, the Lancaster County coroner said Monday, ruling her death a homicide.

Orrostieta is being held without bail at the Lancaster County Prison pending a preliminary hearing.

On Monday night, candles illuminated a crowd of about 300 students at Millersville, gathered in the freezing rain to remember Hall.

"It was quite beautiful," said Janet Kacskos, the school's director of communications.

Friends on Monday described how funny Hall was and how she was always smiling, and said she was the kind of person to brighten someone's day, said Aisling Burns, a senior who started a GoFundMe.com page for Hall's family.

In less than 24 hours, the page had raised $9,000. Called "Karlie's Angels," the page had drawn more than 300 donations as of Tuesday evening.

"Millersville is so small," Burns said. "We're sort of like a huge family, and so many people were upset and shocked about this." The school has about 7,500 undergraduates.

Any money raised beyond the $10,000 goal for the family will be split between LaMancha Animal Rescue, a shelter in Unionville where Hall volunteered, and a local women's shelter, Burns said.

Burns said that it was upsetting "to see one of our own gone," but that there was a strong sense of community on the campus Tuesday.

Students covered a large banner with notes and signatures for Hall. A black veil was placed over the face of a statue of the school's Marauder mascot, and the Student Senate president asked for the campus flag to be at half-staff all week, Burns said.

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