Illegal immigrant indicted with new charges in Laken Riley killing

A grand jury in Clarke County, Ga., on Tuesday formally indicted Jose Ibarra, 26, for the murder of nursing student Laken Riley, 22. Authorities initially charged Ibarra with Riley’s murder when her body was found on a running trail around the University of Georgia campus in February.

What does the indictment say? The Venezuelan immigrant faces charges that include murder, aggravated assault with the intent to rape, evidence tampering, obstructing a 911 call, and a Peeping Tom charge. The ten-count indictment also includes previously laid charges, such as aggravated murder and kidnapping. Ibarra choked Riley and seriously disfigured her head by striking it with a rock, prosecutors allege. His public defense attorneys did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday from several media outlets.

What kind of evidence do they have to accuse Ibarra? The indictment alleges Ibarra attempted to conceal a jacket and gloves of evidentiary value. Chief of Police at UGA Jeffrey Clark previously described the evidence linking Ibarra to the crime as robust, including physical evidence and testimony from people in the community. Clark added that Ibarra did not know Riley and that the attack was a crime of opportunity.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift on Gov. Brian Kemp blaming White House immigration policies for Riley’s murder.