The 22-year-old nursing student’s death fueled an emotional and politically charged debate over immigration and crime after authorities said the suspect was a man who entered the U.S. illegally.
During the recent election cycle, the murder of 22-year-old college student Laken Riley drew national attention, fueling an emotional and politically charged debate over immigration and crime after authorities said the suspect was an undocumented immigrant.
Now, the trial for the suspect, 26-year-old José Antonio Ibarra, has begun in Athens, Ga.
He faces multiple charges, including felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, hindering an emergency telephone call, tampering with evidence and being a Peeping Tom.
Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, meaning Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard will be the one to decide Ibarra’s fate. Prosecutors have chosen not to seek the death penalty. Instead, court filings show they intend to seek a sentence of life in prison without parole.
During opening statements Friday, prosecutor Sheila Ross accusing Ibarra of killing Riley when she “refused to be his rape victim.” Ross said Ibarra’s DNA was left under the student’s fingernails and his thumbprint was found on Riley’s phone screen. Meanwhile, defense attorney Dustin Kirby described the evidence against Ibarra as circumstantial.
What happened
Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University. She transferred there from the University of Georgia, which does not offer a nursing program.
