Laken Riley murder trial: Jose Ibarra found guilty of killing nursing student, sentenced to life in prison without parole
Riley was found dead after going on a run in February. The case became a flashpoint in the debate over immigration.
The man accused of killing Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, at the University of Georgia in February was found guilty of murder on Wednesday. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, the 26-year-old murder suspect, is a Venezuelan citizen who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in 2022. He was released by border officials while his immigration case was awaiting review, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ibarra’s status as an undocumented immigrant became a flashpoint in the heated debate over border security. President-elect Donald Trump and fellow Republicans have pointed to Riley’s murder as proof that President Biden hasn’t done enough to prevent potentially dangerous individuals from crossing the southern border.
Trump was pleased with the outcome of the trial, posting to his social media that he hoped the verdict would bring some "peace and closure" who fought for Riley's justice. "We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!" Trump said.
Ibarra waived his right to a trial by jury. Instead, Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard rendered a verdict and found Ibarra guilty on all 10 counts in the murder of Riley. Ibarra showed no emotion as the guilty verdicts were being relayed to him through a translator.
Allyson Phillips, Riley's mother, tearfully read a statement about all the future life moments that Ibarra took away from their family. "He took my best friend," Phillips said. "He ripped away every beautiful memory we will ever be able to make with her again."The prosecution played a clip of police body cam footage from Feb. 22 which shows the emotional moment Riley's family found out she had been killed.
How we got here
Riley, a nursing student at Georgia’s Augusta University was reported missing by her friends on Feb. 22 after she never returned from a morning run. A police search ensued, and her body was later found in the woods near a jogging trail on the UGA campus. Authorities determined Riley died from blunt force trauma.
Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23, the day after Riley was murdered, after a "robust" amount of evidence pointed to Ibarra.
Ibarra pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts against him, including malice murder, three counts of felony murder, kidnapping with bodily injury and aggravated assault with intent to rape.
Last week, prosecutor Sheila Ross said in her opening statement, "On Feb. 22, Jose Ibarra put on a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket and some black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and he went hunting for females on the University of Georgia campus.” Ross also pointed to forensic evidence, claiming that Ibarra’s DNA, and only his DNA, turned up under Riley’s fingernails after “she fought for her life.”
Defense attorney Dustin Kirby argued that the DNA is “circumstantial evidence” and would not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ibarra killed Riley.
Key revelations from the four-day trial
Responding officer's bodycam footage played in court: Last week, the bodycam footage from the UGA officer who discovered Riley's body in the woods, was played in court. Sgt. Kenneth Maxwell testified Friday about discovering Riley's partially nude remains and started to perform CPR, as the video showed. Crying could be heard in the courtroom.
Fingerprint found on Riley's phone: Stuart also testified that a fingerprint was found on Riley's phone, which was found at the crime scene under some leaves, as well as “reddish stains suspected to be blood.”
Visible scratches on Ibarra’s arms: University of Georgia police officers, Sgt. Joshua Epps and Cpl. Rafael Sayan, testified Monday to seeing scratches on Ibarra’s arms when they interviewed him on Feb. 23 outside his apartment, the day after Riley was found slain. Epps testified that they “looked like fingernail scratches” while Sayan, who questioned Ibarra in Spanish, testified that “he said that he had a scratch, but he didn’t exactly explain from where or how.”
Search of Ibarra’s apartment: Annie Moorman, a special agent and crime scene specialist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, testified Monday that she found a set of kitchen gloves similar to the ones police found in a bush at Ibarra’s apartment complex. Two tablets and seven cellphones were also seized. Moorman said no evidence of blood was found in the apartment.
Ibarra selfies show same clothing as suspect: FBI special agent Jamie Hipkiss testified Monday that selfie photos found on Ibarra’s cellphone taken the day of Riley’s killing show him wearing clothing that was “consistent with” that of the killing suspect who was seen on video footage throwing out a black hat and navy blue jacket into a dumpster. Prosecutors said investigators recovered the jacket, which had Jose Ibarra and Riley’s DNA.
Riley’s smartwatch data reveals her final moments: University of Georgia police officer and digital forensics expert Wesley Durkit extracted data from Riley’s Garmin running watch and cellphone. He testified Monday that her moving speed abruptly slowed down at 9:10 a.m. on Feb. 22. Durkit testified that her heart rate dropped to zero beats per minute at 9:28 a.m.
Riley’s final moments revealed: Footage from a campus safety camera shot on the morning of Riley’s death was played in court. UGA police Sgt. Sophie Raboud, a prosecution witness, described the footage captured on the video Tuesday, which showed a man wearing dark clothing and a hood lurking around an apartment complex, near the trail where Riley was killed, shortly before 7 a.m. The video later showed Riley running on the trail shortly after 9 a.m., about half an hour before she was killed.
Riley’s final text message: Raboud also recounted the final messages and calls Riley sent and received on Feb. 22, 2024. Those established the following timeline:
8:55 a.m.: Riley texted her mom the following: “Good morning,” Riley texted. “About to go for a run if you’re free to talk.”
9:03 a.m.: Riley called her mother, but she didn’t answer.
9:11 a.m.: Riley placed a 911 call. 911 called Riley back twice in the following minutes.
9:24 a.m. — 12:07 p.m.: Riley’s mom tried to call and text her daughter several times, with no answer.
12:38 p.m.: Police found Riley’s body in a wooded area near the trail.
Cause of Riley’s death: Dr. Michelle DiMarco, an associate medical examiner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), testified Tuesday that Riley died from a combination of blunt-force head trauma and asphyxia, and that the manner in which she died was a homicide. DiMarco also testified that there were no signs of sexual assault.
DNA evidence: Forensic DNA expert Ashley Hinkle, a GBI crime lab scientist, testified Tuesday that only two genetic profiles were found under Riley’s fingernails: her own and a match for Ibarra. Hinkle also testified that a portion of a discarded hooded jacket found near Ibarra’s apartment found DNA profiles belonging only to Ibarra and Riley.
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