The illegal immigrant charged with murdering Laken Riley was “hunting” for women when he encountered the 22-year-old during her morning jog and bashed her skull in when she fought off his attempted sexual assault, according to special prosecutor Sheila Ross.
Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan migrant who entered the United States illegally in 2022, appeared in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court for the second day of his trial Monday. After he allegedly attempted to sexually assault the nursing student, he bashed her head in and asphyxiated her.
"When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly," Ross said Friday during opening statements on the first day of the trial. "That is what this case is all about."
While on the “hunt,” the defendant encountered Riley on Feb. 22 during her jog around the University of Georgia campus. Ibarra is also facing a peeping tom charge after he allegedly peered into an apartment at a university housing building on the same day of Riley’s murder.
Riley’s murder has received nationwide attention and prompted calls for the Biden administration to end its lax policies on illegal immigration. Earlier this year, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement released a report outlining the border policies under the Biden-Harris administration. The lawmakers behind the report argued that these policies are to blame for the young woman’s death.
Last week, Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, opting for a bench trial instead. The decision to forego a jury trial means that Athens-Clarke County Superior Judge H. Patrick Haggard will hear testimonies from both sides and decide the suspect’s fate.
Ross promised at the beginning of the trial to present evidence that "will point to one person, Jose Ibarra, as the killer of Laken Riley."
Here are five key takeaways from the Laken Riley murder trial.
