A man on trial for the murder of Laken Riley was out “hunting for females” on the University of Georgia campus when he came across the 22-year-old on her morning jog and killed her, a court heard on Friday.
Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, is charged with murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, battery and tampering with evidence in the death of the nursing student in February.
His trial finally got underway in a courtroom in Georgia on Friday morning, where a judge will now decide his fate after the suspect waived his right to a jury trial in the 11th hour.
But when the nursing student “refused to be a rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock repeatedly,”
Special prosecutor Sheila Ross told the court that Ibarra had been “hunting” for women on the day of the murder but when he came across Riley she “fought” back against her attacker.
“The evidence will show that Laken fought,” she said. “She fought for her life, she fought for her dignity. And in that fight she caused this defendant to leave forensic evidence behind.”
Riley’s body was found on February 22 near running trails after a friend told police she had not returned from her morning run.
Ibarra was arrested the next day and charged with her murder.
For the last nine months, Ibarra has been held in the Athens-Clarke County Jail without bond while awaiting trial.
Police have said the murder appears to have been a random attack, with no connection between the suspect and victim prior to that day.
Prosecutors allege that Ibarra struck the 22-year-old Augusta University College of Nursing student in the head, asphyxiated her and intended to sexually assault her.
Affidavits have accused Ibarra of “disfiguring her skull” in support of the aggravated battery charge. The filing also alleged that Ibarra used an object to harm her and dragged her body to a “secluded area.”
On the day of Riley’s killing, Ibarra allegedly also peered into the window of an apartment in a university housing building.
Defense attorneys tried unsuccessfully to have the trial moved out of Athens, to have the peeping Tom charge handled separately and to exclude some evidence and expert testimony.
Earlier this week, Ibarra then waived his right to a jury trial and instead opted for a bench trial, which means his case is being heard and decided by Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard.
If convicted, Ibarra could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors have said they won’t pursue the death penalty.
Riley’s murder added fuel to the national debate over immigration as federal authorities said Ibarra, who is Venezuelan, illegally entered the US in 2022 and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case.
Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, blamed Democratic President Joe Biden’s border policies for her death. As he spoke about border security during his State of the Union address just weeks after the killing, Biden mentioned Riley by name.
