Share and Follow
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A Venezuelan national found guilty of the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is scheduled to appear in court this Friday. A judge will consider his request for a retrial.
Jose Ibarra, aged 28, was convicted in November 2024 for the murder and additional charges linked to Riley’s death, which took place nine months prior. Ibarra had entered the United States illegally in 2022 and was permitted to remain in the country while his immigration case was processed. The case has amplified tensions in the ongoing national debate surrounding immigration policies.
The tragic incident led to the swift enactment of the Laken Riley Act, the first piece of legislation signed by President Donald Trump after taking office last year. Named in Riley’s honor, the law mandates the detention of individuals living in the U.S. without authorization who are accused of theft and violent offenses.
According to the prosecution, Ibarra encountered Riley on February 22, 2024, while she was jogging on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. A struggle ensued during which Riley was killed. At the time, she was a nursing student affiliated with Augusta University, which operates a campus in Athens, approximately 70 miles (115 kilometers) east of Atlanta.