Laken Riley’s Accused Killer Pleads Not Guilty
Laken Riley‘s accused killer, 26-year-old Jose Ibarra, pleaded not guilty today during his arraignment in Athens, Georgia.
Ibarra, the Venezuelan immigrant who was in the country illegally, is accused of fatally attacking the Augusta University nursing student while she was on a run near Lake Herrick the morning of February 22. He lived in an apartment building near the campus park in the area where Riley was running.
The 10-count indictment against Ibarra accuses him of striking Riley multiple times in the head with a rock and strangling her in what appeared to be a random attack in a wooded area nearby. Investigators called it a “crime of opportunity.”
Ibarra was arrested the next day after Riley’s body was found. He has been held without bond in the Athens-Clarke County Jail ever since.
Ibarra has requested a speedy trial. Judge H. Patrick Haggard said during today’s hearing that he’s hoping for a trial in the fall.
10-Count Indictment Against Ibarra
Laken Riley’s accused killer was indicted in May on the following charges:
- Felony murder
- Malice murder
- Aggravated battery
- Two counts of kidnapping with bodily injury
- Two counts of aggravated assault with intent to rape
- Obstructing or hindering a person making an emergency phone call
- Tampering with evidence
- Peeping Tom
Ibarra was accused of going to an apartment at University Village Housing Building “S”, where he reportedly “peeped through” a window and watched a university staff member, the same day Riley was killed.
Ibarra Had Been in the U.S. Illegally
Immigration officials confirmed that Ibarra had been in the United States illegally since 2022. He was arrested in New York City in 2023 and charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17. He also received a motor vehicle license violation. He was released from custody before a detainer could be issued. He was also cited for shoplifting in Athens, prior to Riley’s death.
Since Laken Riley’s death, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill into law, now known as The Laken Riley Act, that requires jailers in the state to check every inmates’ immigration status.
“The Laken Riley Act” is a key piece in our fight to restore the rule of law and criminal illegal aliens off our streets,” said the bill’s sponsor, Representative Mile Collins.
