On February 22, 2024, Laken Riley was tragically murdered while jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, after being followed into a forest by José Ibarra.

Murder

Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, started her day with a morning jog. At approximately 8:55 a.m., she texted her mother: “Good morning, about to go for a run if you’re free to talk,” and then called her mom at 9:03 a.m. At 9:05 a.m., she was recorded running past a trail camera, listening to music. A few minutes later, between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m., she was attacked and killed. During the attack, her phone called 911 at 9:11 a.m., and data from the Garmin watch she was wearing showed her heart stopped at 9:28 a.m. Her mother, Allyson Philips, tried repeatedly to contact her through calls and texts, but received no response. Laken’s body was found in Oconee Forest Park near Lake Herrick after her roommates reported her missing at 12:05 p.m. A University of Georgia police officer found her body 65 feet off the trail at 12:38 p.m. Riley had sustained significant blunt force trauma to her head, including eight injuries to the left side of her skull and one injury just above her right temple. One of the injuries caused brain bleeding, which could have been fatal. There was also evidence of asphyxiation, but Dr. Michelle DiMarco, who performed the autopsy, could not determine how it occurred. The cause of death was ruled the “combined effects of blunt force head trauma and asphyxia,” according to DiMarco.

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was 26-year-old José Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan man who entered the United States illegally in September 2022, crossing the southern border near El Paso, Texas. After crossing the border, he was apprehended by federal authorities, who subsequently released him into the country. Ibarra initially stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in New York before flying to Georgia, where his brother lived. UGA police stated that he lived in an apartment complex about 1 mile from the wooded area where Riley’s body was found.

Ibarra had been arrested previously by both federal and state authorities in multiple jurisdictions. In September 2023, Ibarra was arrested in New York City and charged with “acting in a manner to injure a child under 17 and a motor vehicle license violation” for driving a scooter without a license with a child who was not wearing a helmet. In October 2023, Ibarra and his brother, who authorities reported to be a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and who temporarily worked at UGA, were arrested by Athens police on theft charges. Both were released after being found in possession of stolen merchandise from a local Walmart.

Ibarra also had a bench warrant issued for his arrest in December 2023 after failing to appear in court for a shoplifting case in Georgia. After Riley’s death, Ibarra was questioned by police after a jacket with Riley’s hair was found in a dumpster near his apartment. His roommate identified him as the man seen throwing away the jacket in surveillance footage from the dumpster. Police also noticed red knuckles and scratches on Ibarra’s arms during questioning. He was subsequently arrested on murder charges.

Criminal Proceedings

On May 8, 2024, a grand jury in Clarke County indicted Ibarra on ten charges: three counts of felony murder, malice murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping, aggravated assault with intent to rape, hindering a 911 call, concealing the death of another, and peeping Tom. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. In a court filing, his defense attorneys submitted a motion to move the trial to another county due to the media attention surrounding the case, but Judge H. Patrick Haggard denied the request. Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial and opted for a bench trial, which began on November 15, 2024.

Prosecutors presented evidence, including Ibarra’s DNA found under Riley’s fingernails and his fingerprint on Riley’s phone screen. According to Ashley Hinkle, a crime lab scientist at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the DNA found under Riley’s right fingernails had a one-in-10-billion probability of belonging to anyone other than Ibarra. The defense argued that the evidence against him was circumstantial. On November 20, 2024, Judge Haggard found Ibarra guilty of all charges and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Laken Riley Law

The Laken Riley Act was signed into law by President Trump on January 29, 2024. The law mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting law enforcement, and other crimes that cause death or injury. The law was passed by the House with a vote of 264 to 159. All Republicans supported the bill, along with 48 Democrats. The majority of Democrats opposed the bill, arguing that deporting people accused, but not yet convicted, of crimes could be harmful. However, supporters of the bill pointed out that individuals who are in the U.S. illegally are already violating U.S. law.

Allison Phillips

Allison Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother, briefly thanked President Trump before the signing of the Laken Riley Act. “We also want to thank President Trump for the promises he made to us. He said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken, and he hasn’t,” Phillips said. She continued, “There is no amount of change that will ever bring back our precious Laken. Our only hope moving forward is that her life saves lives.”

Works Cited

• Deliso, M. (2024, November 20). ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/laken-riley-case-murder-trial-texts/story?id=116009547#:~:text=Log%20In-,Timeline%3A%20Laken%20Riley%27s%20last%20moments%20retraced%20during%20trial%20on%20Georgia,was%20out%20on%20a%20run.&text=Ibarra%20was%20found%20guilty%20by,the%20University%20of%20Georgia%27s%20campus
• Chavez, N. (2024, November 21). Man sentenced to life in prison without parole in the killing of Laken Riley. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/20/us/jose-ibarra-laken-riley-murder-trial/index.html
• Deliso, M. (2024, November 20). Timeline: Laken Riley’s last moments retraced during trial on Georgia nursing student’s murder. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/laken-riley-case-murder-trial-texts/story?id=116009547#:~:text=Log%20In-,Timeline%3A%20Laken%20Riley’s%20last%20moments%20retraced%20during%20trial%20on%20Georgia,was%20out%20on%20a%20run.&text=Ibarra%20was%20found%20guilty%20by,the%20University%20of%20Georgia’s%20campus.