Trial begins for man charged with murder of Laken Riley

State Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard on Friday opened the trial of Jose Ibarra, 26, who is accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, 22, in February. Lawyers for the undocumented migrant on Tuesday requested a trial by a judge after Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, one day before the scheduled jury selection. Haggard granted the request, and proceedings began Friday morning in Clarke County. Ibarra’s lawyers previously attempted to block cell phone, DNA, and fingerprint evidence from the trial but Haggard denied the motion.

The case has drawn national attention as politicians have pointed to the tragedy as evidence of weak border security and an example of its effects. Ibarra, who is from Venezuela, reportedly entered the United States illegally in 2022 at the southern border. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp blamed the Biden administration’s border policies for Riley’s murder.

What happened in the case? The University of Georgia campus police on Feb. 22 found Riley’s body on a campus running trail after she was reported missing. She was a student at the Augusta University College of Nursing’s Athens campus. Authorities on Feb. 23 identified Ibarra as a suspect and arrested him. Ibarra did not know Riley and police believe the attack was a crime of opportunity, said UGA Chief of Police Jeffrey Clark. He said the evidence against the suspect includes testimony from people in the community, campus security camera footage, and other physical evidence.

What charges does the suspect face? A grand jury in May indicted Ibarra on ten criminal charges including aggravated murder and kidnapping. Prosecutors claim he struck Riley on the head with a rock multiple times and asphyxiated her. She is thought to have been on a jog when she was murdered. The charges against Ibarra also include aggravated assault with the intent to rape, evidence tampering, and a Peeping Tom charge. Ibarra has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Dig deeper:Read Lauren Dunn’s report in Schooled on Christians offering comfort after four students were murdered at the University of Idaho.