Laken Riley’s killer sentenced, going away for life

CV NEWS FEED // Laken Riley’s killer, Jose Ibarra, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard. Ibarra murdered Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, while she was out for her morning run in February. 

The case has fueled a national immigration debate during the 2024 presidential election season.

After four days of testimony, Haggard found Ibarra guilty of seven counts, including malice murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping with intent to rape, aggravated battery, evidence tampering, being a “peeping Tom,” hindering a 911 call, and kidnapping with bodily injury. Ibarra was also convicted of an additional three counts of felony murder. 

According to Georgia news source Alive, the death penalty was not on the table for Ibarra, as he waved his right to a trial by jury:

Under Georgia law, a death penalty sentence cannot be given by the court unless “the jury verdict includes a finding of at least one statutory aggravating circumstance and a recommendation that such sentence be imposed.” (O.C.G.A. § 17-10-31) However in this case there was no jury, and O.C.G.A. § 17-10-31 stipulates that “this Code section shall not affect a sentence when the case is tried without a jury or when the judge accepts a plea of guilty.” 

During the trial, prosecutor Shiela Ross presented graphic evidence that indicated Ibarra was a predator. According to surveillance footage and a 911 call, Ibarra had attempted to break into another female graduate student’s apartment the morning of Riley’s murder. 

According to the Associated Press, Ross highlighted Ibarra’s motives:

Surveillance video shows a man wearing clothes that appear to match those seen in a selfie Ibarra snapped on his phone earlier that morning, lingering outside the apartment of a female graduate student. That student told police someone tried to get in the front door while she was in the shower and peered through her window.

“Ibarra was ‘out prowling and hunting females’ and when he couldn’t get in the apartment, he turned to the running trails looking for a victim,” stated Ross.

The prosecutor also noted Riley died after a prolonged struggle and “because she would not let him rape her.”

The Associated Press also noted Ross’ arguments and evidence in the case:

Ross said Ibarra’s DNA was found under Riley’s fingernails and her DNA and Ibarra’s were found on a jacket that police found in a trash bin in his apartment complex. A man seen in security footage throwing that jacket away was identified as Ibarra by his brother and another roommate.

Throughout the trial, Ibarra’s defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck attempted to create reasonable doubt of Ibarra’s guilt by suggesting the DNA tests and evidence were “circumstantial.” 

“The evidence that Jose Ibarra killed Laken Riley is circumstantial,” Beck said. “The evidence that anyone had any intent, or certainly committed any sexual assault, is speculative.”

Ross countered the defense team, stating “Laken Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need.”

Riley’s family and friends packed the courtroom before Haggard read out the verdict. Allyson Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother, asked for justice for her daughter. 

“This sick, twisted, and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life, we are asking that the same be done to him,” Phillips said.

Immediately after Ibarra’s sentence was handed down, President-elect Donald Trump took to X (formerly Twitter) to write about the verdict.

“JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY!” he wrote. “The Illegal who killed our beloved Laken Riley was just found GUILTY on all counts for his horrific crimes.”

“Although the pain and heartbreak will last forever,” Trump continued,

hopefully this can help bring some peace and closure to her wonderful family who fought for Justice, and to ensure that other families don’t have to go through what they have. We love you, Laken, and our hearts will always be with you. It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kempf also released a statement on X regarding the ruling.

“Though we are glad that justice has been delivered on behalf of Laken Riley, we continue to mourn her loss with her family and friends and know that she should still be with us today,” wrote Kempf:

The information revealed in this trial was heartbreaking, and we applaud the bravery of Laken’s loved ones for reliving that horrible day to ensure her killer faced the consequences of his senseless actions. We will not let ourselves forget Laken or stop working to ensure her memory lives on.

Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, entered the United States illegally via the Texas border in El Paso back in 2022. 

Before Riley’s murder, Ibarra was apprehended by border security but was subsequently released due to President Joe Biden’s and Vice-President Kamala Harris’ catch-and-release policy for illegal immigrants. 

Ibarra was released into New York while his immigration case was pending.

“This criminal should never have been allowed to enter our country, and he certainly should not have been allowed to stay after shamelessly breaking our laws,” said Kempf. “Open border policies failed Laken Riley, and today’s verdict is a reminder that the safety of our communities must remain our number one priority.”

“While our state has taken considerable actions to address the impact of the border crisis, I will not waver in supporting efforts that secure our border and keep this state and our nation safe,”  Kempf reiterated.

The tragedy has sparked national outrage over the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration policies and even led Kempf to write a letter to Biden shortly after Riley’s murder. 

“As I have stated many times in the past, your actions and those of your administration have resulted in every state in the country experiencing the disastrous impacts of an unsecured U.S. southern border,” wrote Kempf:

While the dangers of this crisis have never been theoretical, this week our state witnessed a devastating tragedy. Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University and beloved member of the University of Georgia (UGA) community, was found dead near UGA’s East Campus intramural fields on Thursday.

Kempf continued to outline the impact of the case for Biden:

 After her death had been ruled a homicide, state and local law enforcement coordinated on identifying, locating, and arresting the suspected murderer. This coordinated effort resulted in the arrest of Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, on multiple charges including malice murder. It has since been revealed by the United States Department of Justice that the investigation into Laken Riley’s murder also resulted in the arrest of his older brother, Diego Ibarra, on charges of possessing a fraudulent U.S. permanent resident card. Furthermore, despite having been arrested on multiple occasions since September 2023 on charges ranging from driving under the influence to shoplifting, your Department of Justice has confirmed that Diego Ibarra has been released back into the community while his asylum claims are being processed.

Kempf ultimately reiterated a need for safer immigration policies to make sure that such a tragedy would not happen again:

These tragedies are not unique to Georgia. While we will continue to support Texas with National Guard resources as we have since 2019, federal action to secure the border is the only way to wholistically address this ongoing crisis and ensure Laken Riley’s horrible fate is not replicated across the country.