The grieving parents of a college student who was allegedly choked to death by her roommate last week have paid tribute to her . Grace Mann , 20 , was described as a compassionate and principled young woman who wanted the world to be ' a safe place ' . Mann 's parents , local judge Thomas Mann and his wife Melissa , remembered their daughter in a brief interview a week after she was found dead in her rented home in Fredericksburg , Virginia . Scroll down for video . Grieving : Grace Mann 's parents , Melissa and Thomas Mann , are pictured above at a memorial for their daughter , who was recently found choked to death . Murdered : A University of Mary Washington student has been charged with abduction and murder in the death of his roommate , 20-year-old Grace Rebecca Mann of Falls Church ( pictured ) Her father , a judge in a Fairfax County juvenile and domestic court , said : 'She just wanted the world to be a beautiful place , a safe place and a kind place ' . According to local site Fredericksburg.com , Mann was found by her two female roommates with a plastic bag stuffed down her throat . Her third roommate , Steven Vander Briel , 30 , was reportedly home when the grisly discovery was made , but fled the house . He was hunted down by police and has been charged with first degree murder . Charged : Steven Vander Briel , 30 ( left ) , is accused of murdering Mann ( right ) then fleeing the home they shared . The Post reported that the two hardly knew each other , and that their relationship consisted only of Mann renting a room in the same house . The Manns , who drew attention to their daughter 's record as an outspoken feminist and keen campaigner at the University of Mary Washington , opened up in the wake of an on-campus memorial service in her honor . Students gathered in front of university buildings on a sunny Friday to recall Mann 's impact on her life . The event , covered by the WJLA local news channel , featured speeches from friends and university administrators , praising her short but significant life . One friend , Paige McKinsey , who was the president of a feminist society of which Mann was a member , said : 'She was a force of nature fueled by passion and determination . Grace Mann wasn ’ t going to change the world . She did change the world . ' Comfort : Students banded together and embraced Friday at a memorial event for Mann .
Grace Mann , 20 , was found dead in Fredericksburg , Virginia , last week . Local reports say she had a plastic bag stuffed down her throat . Roommate , a 30-year-old fellow student , has been charged with murder . Comment: