Jose Ibarra, the suspect accused of murdering Augusta College scholar Laken Riley in February whereas she was on a morning run, will return to court docket Monday for the second day of his trial.
Prosecutors say Ibarra, a 26-year-old unlawful immigrant from Venezuela, attacked and killed Riley, a 22-year-old nursing scholar, whereas she was jogging alongside trails close to Lake Herrick on the College of Georgia campus in Athens the morning of Feb. 22.
The suspect is charged with 10 counts complete, together with one rely of malice homicide, three counts of felony homicide, one rely of kidnapping, one rely of aggravated assault with intent to rape, one rely of aggravated battery, one rely of hindering a 911 name, one rely of tampering with proof and one rely of being a “peeping Tom.” Ibarra pleaded not responsible to all counts.
“On Feb. 22, Jose Ibarra put on a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and some black kitchen-style disposable gloves, and he went hunting for females on the University of Georgia campus,” prosecutor Sheila Ross stated in her opening assertion Friday.
LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL: PROSECUTORS PLACE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT AT SCENE IN OPENING STATEMENTS
Georgia prosecutors confirmed a picture of Laken Riley jogging earlier than her homicide, in the course of the trial of defendant Jose Ibarra. (Fox Information)
Ross stated Ibarra then encountered Riley on her typical morning run and attacked her.
“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her head in with a rock repeatedly,” Ross stated.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN LAKEN RILEY MURDER ‘FAST-TRACKING’ TO LIFE IN PRISON: ATTORNEY
Jose Ibarra, accused of killing a Georgia nursing scholar earlier this yr, listens via an interpreter throughout his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court docket on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure by way of AP, Pool)
Ibarra and his brothers, additionally in the USA illegally from Venezuela, lived in an house constructing lower than a half mile from the on-campus park the place Riley was working.
The defendant’s legal professional, Dustin Kirby, argued in his opening assertion that proof wouldn’t show past an inexpensive doubt that Ibarra killed Riley. He stated it could take “gymnastics” for the prosecution to argue Ibarra killed Riley with what he described as “circumstantial evidence.”
Allyson Phillips, mom of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing scholar killed earlier this yr, reacts as John Phillips, Riley’s stepfather, comforts her throughout Jose Ibarra’s trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court docket on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure by way of AP, Pool)
“We waived a jury trial in this case, with the hope and trust that despite the nature of this evidence that you could come to a verdict that was not just a way of easing this family’s suffering, but it was based on an impartial and honest assessment of the evidence in this case,” he stated.
“If that happens and the presumption of innocence is respected, there should not be enough evidence to convince you beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Ibarra is guilty of the crimes charged.”
Prosecutor Sheila Ross speaks in entrance of Superior Court docket Decide H. Patrick Haggard in the course of the trial of Jose Ibarra, who’s accused of killing a Georgia nursing scholar earlier this yr, at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court docket on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure by way of AP, Pool)
On Friday, the court docket heard from 9 of the prosecution’s witnesses, together with Riley’s roommates and several other legislation enforcement officers with totally different companies.
Proof included screenshots of her roommates’ telephones after they used the Discover My Associates app to attempt to find Riley when she didn’t come again from her run; her AirPod they discovered on the bottom after they went out looking for her alongside her common working route; police-worn physique digital camera footage; safety digital camera footage; Riley’s cellphone, which had a male’s thumbprint on the underside; and the athletic clothes Riley was sporting when she was attacked.
Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Zachary Davis factors out the jacket he collected from a dumpster on {a photograph} as he testifies on the witness stand in the course of the trial of Jose Ibarra, accused of killing a Georgia nursing scholar earlier this yr, at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court docket on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure by way of AP, Pool)
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark beforehand described the homicide as a “crime of opportunity” throughout a February press convention.
Superior Court docket Decide H. Patrick Haggard listens in the course of the trial of Jose Ibarra, who’s accused of killing a Georgia nursing scholar earlier this yr, at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court docket on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure by way of AP, Pool)
Ibarra illegally crossed into the USA via El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and was launched into the U.S. by way of parole, ICE and DHS sources beforehand instructed Fox Information.
His older brother, Diego Ibarra, who labored briefly in a UGA cafeteria earlier than his arrest in February, is charged with inexperienced card fraud and had ties to a recognized Venezuelan gang within the U.S., referred to as Tren de Aragua, based on federal court docket paperwork.
Laken Riley poses for a photograph posted to Fb. Riley, a nursing scholar on the College of Georgia, was discovered useless close to a lake on campus on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Fb)
On Friday afternoon, the protection subpoenaed Diego Ibarra and their youthful brother, Argenis Ibarra, to testify throughout Jose’s trial on Wednesday.
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ICE beforehand confirmed to Fox Information Digital that Jose Ibarra had been arrested by the New York Police Division a yr after he entered the U.S. in August 2023 and was “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation.”
Fox Information’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
