Laken Riley's heartbreaking letter to her future husband read in court by her weeping stepfather

Laken Riley's grieving family revealed the murdered student wrote a heartbreaking 'letter to my future husband' shortly before she was brutally killed while out on a run. 

Her stepfather John Phillips read the diary entry aloud at the sentencing of her killer, illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra, on Wednesday.

'Laken's life was abundantly and exceptionally full of promise,' he began. 'And she was a shining beacon in the life of everyone that knew her.' 

Phillips said while he 'could stand here and tell the world the things that made her such a wonderful person,' he instead chose to read one of her final diary entries, dated from December 2023, to 'say it best.' 

The entry opened: 'To my future husband - as silly as I feel writing this, my old small group leader once recommended it, so here I am. 

'I want you to know I'm thinking about you. I'm working every day to become the best wife I can be by working through my current relationships to best prepare me for ours and our kids one day. 

'I am focusing on God and what he defines as a faithful Christian wife so that I can best embody those characteristics. 

'I pray that you know that is with my full faith and trust in God, that I know this relationship has been handcrafted by him.' 

Phillips continued reading: 'I pray that we continue to glorify the Lord, prioritize him in every aspect of our lives, and raise our family, our future family, to be God-fearing Christians as well. 

'I pray God is the center of our relationship, as it is a gift from him. 

'I thank him for you before I even know you and can't wait to love you in the best way I know how for the rest of our lives. 

'No matter what challenges we face, I pray that our trust in God and love for one another overrules the obstacle. 'May our relationship last forever, your future wife. Laken.' 

Phillips' voice grew irate as he then turned his remarks to Ibarra, a gang member with the infamous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, who sat emotionless throughout the proceedings. 

'That, your honor, is just a glimpse of what was tragically and brutally taken from her and us that day,' he said. 

Laken was murdered by Ibarra on February 22 near the University of Georgia campus after she had gone for a morning run. 

Her roommates had reported her missing after becoming concerned that she had been out for longer than usual. 

She fought her attacker for an excruciating 18 minutes after 'refusing to become his rape victim,' prosecutors said at Ibarra's trial. 

Prosecutors called more than a dozen law enforcement officers for the trial, as well as Riley's roommates and a woman who lived in the same apartment as Ibarra. 

The trial also saw several harrowing pieces of evidence shown to the court, including the chilling 911 call Laken made moments before her death. 

Laken's mother broke down and sobbed as the call was played.  

In the muffled audio, a dispatch officer was heard repeatedly stating: 'Clark County 911. Hello, Clark County 911. Can anyone hear me?'

Riley never answered. Prosecutors claim a male voice can be faintly heard in the short call, which is disconnected after just one minute. 

In another piece of evidence played at the conclusion of the trial, the court was shown police bodycam footage showing the moment Laken's devastated family arrived at the scene of her murder and were told she was killed.

In the footage, Riley's parents Allyson and John and sister Lauren were seen breaking down and weeping after the news of Laken's slaying was broken to them.

'Oh my god, oh my god,' her mother could be heard screaming. She then lay on the ground with her head in her hands, while Laken's sister and father bawled on the side of the street. 

As the footage ended, which was played at the conclusion of the trial of Laken's killer Jose Ibarra, prosecutors summed it up: 'That it what they endured.' 

Ibarra was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.