ATHENS, Ga. — “Angel mom” Jacqueline Medina, whose daughter Lizbeth Medina was allegedly murdered by a Mexican unlawful immigrant in December 2023, on Wednesday joined a refrain of voices responding to the responsible verdict and sentencing for Laken Riley assassin Jose Ibarra, a refrain that included President-elect Donald Trump and his allies.
Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom Decide H. Patrick Haggard discovered Ibarra, 26, responsible of 10 counts in reference to Riley’s Feb. 22 homicide. These expenses included one depend of malice homicide, three counts of felony homicide, one depend of kidnapping, one depend of aggravated assault with intent to rape, one depend of aggravated battery, one depend of hindering a 911 name, one depend of tampering with proof and one depend of being a “peeping Tom.”
Haggard sentenced Ibarra to life in jail with out the potential for parole after listening to sufferer impression statements from Riley’s family and friends on Wednesday afternoon.
“I am deeply moved to see that Laken Riley’s family has received some measure of justice,” Medina informed Fox Information Digital of the decision in a press release. “While no verdict or sentencing can ever erase the pain of losing someone so young and full of promise, we hope this brings them a small sense of closure in their ongoing grief.”
LAKEN RILEY MURDER: JUDGE SENTENCES COLLEGE STUDENT KILLER AFTER FAMILY ADDRESSES ‘MONSTER’ IN COURT
Laken Riley, a nursing scholar on the College of Georgia, was discovered lifeless close to a lake on campus on Feb. 22, 2024. (Allyson Phillips/Fb)
Medina mentioned Riley and her daughter “had so much in common – they both dreamed of becoming nurses, were vibrant and full of potential, and were both victims of senseless violence.”
“[T]hey both dreamed of becoming nurses, were vibrant and full of potential, and were both victims of senseless violence.”
“Their stories remind us of the devastating consequences these acts of cruelty leave behind,” Medina mentioned. “At the same time, I cannot help but reflect on our own fight for justice. Our case is being held behind closed chambers, and we are left in the dark about critical developments. Just yesterday, we learned about the motion for an insanity plea, which has now delayed the court process by an additional two months. Our trial, originally set for December 2, 2024 – nearly a year after Lizbeth’s murder – has been pushed back even further.”
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Medina feels she has been left in the dead of night all through the authorized course of, and the current delay has compounded her household’s “frustration and heartbreak.”
Jacqueline Medina got here residence to search out her daughter, Lizbeth Medina, lifeless within the bathtub of their residence after she had not seen or heard from the 16-year-old that afternoon. (Instagram)
“Our families deserve transparency, and this case should receive the same priority and urgency as Laken Riley’s and Jocelyn Nungury’s grieving families[.] We all share the same pain and the same goal: to see justice served for our loved ones,” Medina mentioned. “Just as Laken’s family has received a step toward closure, we too long for justice for Lizbeth. Through all of this, we are united in our sorrow, our resilience, and our support for one another as we navigate these difficult times together.”
Laken Riley (Laken Riley/Fb)
Politicians additionally reacted to the decision in statements to Fox Information Digital on Wednesday.
“I am happy with the verdict but it is really too little, too late,” Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s choose to guide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beneath his administration, mentioned in a press release. “The life of Laken was tragically taken by a monster that should never have been here. This is on Biden, Harris and Mayorkas.”
LAKEN RILEY’S ALLEGED KILLER JOSE IBARRA FLEW FROM ‘GROUND ZERO’ OF MIGRANT CRISIS TO GEORGIA
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital.
Jose Ibarra seems at his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom on Nov. 19, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
Brandon Judd, a Border Patrol agent and president of the Nationwide Border Patrol Council, mentioned he’s “happy the family got closure, but closure will not bring Laken back.”
“Laken’s murder falls directly on the shoulders of President Biden. He put politics over the safety of U.S. citizens, and Laken paid for his lust for power with her life. While the verdict is welcome, Laken should be alive today,” Judd mentioned.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN LAKEN RILEY MURDER ‘FAST-TRACKING’ TO LIFE IN PRISON: ATTORNEY
Phil Holloway, a Georgia-based prison protection lawyer and former assistant district lawyer, mentioned, “Laken Riley died at the hands of a monster.”
Jose Ibarra listens by an interpreter throughout his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
“Joe Biden and the open-borders industrial complex, including leftist sanctuary city policies, led her right into his hands. Her blood is on Joe Biden’s hands. He should have been impeached over this. It’s not too late for that either,” Holloway mentioned. “This should send the message loud and clear to sanctuary cities around the nation that we will not sacrifice another Laken Riley at the [altar] of wokeism.”
“Laken’s murderer will never breathe free air again. He will die in a Georgia prison.”
Holloway added that Ibarra was sentenced to the “absolute maximum possible prison term,” including that the “evidence was overwhelming, and this conviction will not be overturned on appeal.”
Of their sufferer impression statements learn within the courtroom on Wednesday, Riley’s household remembered her as a loving younger lady who was devoted to her religion and her future profession as a nurse.
“Your honor, on February 22nd of 2024, our family and friends were given a life sentence without a chance of parole. Jose Ibarra took no pity on my scared, panicked and struggling child,” Riley’s mom, Allyson Philips, mentioned Wednesday. “There is no end to the pain, suffering and loss that we have experienced or will continue to endure on that horrific day. My precious daughter was attacked, beaten and shown no mercy. She fought for her life and dignity and to save herself from being brutally raped. This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.”
From left, Connolly Huth, roommate of Laken Riley, Lauren Phillips, sister of Laken Riley, and Sofia Magana, roommate of Laken Riley, react as Superior Courtroom Decide H. Patrick Haggard declares the decision within the trial of Jose Ibarra at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
Philips described her daughter as “smart, hardworking, kind, thoughtful, and most importantly, a child of God.” She “had a personal relationship with Jesus, and she loved being the hands and feet of his hands and feet in this world,” Philips mentioned.
“She shared her love for our Lord with others through her mission trips, working with elderly at the nursing homes and through her nursing career,” Philips mentioned. “Laken was an amazing friend, sister, niece, daughter and granddaughter. Anyone who knew her knew about her loving heart. Laken’s life was not the only life taken on that day that Jose Ibarra attacked her. The life of her family and friends was taken, too. None of us will ever be the same.”
Laken Riley (Laken Riley/Fb)
In a gut-wrenching journal entry that Riley wrote in December 2023, in line with her stepfather, John Philips, the 22-year-old wrote, “To my future husband, I want you to know that I’m thinking about you and working every day to become the best wife I can be … and focusing on God and what he defines as a faithful Christian wife, so that I can best embody those characteristics.”
Prosecutors mentioned Ibarra, a 26-year-old unlawful immigrant from Venezuela, attacked and killed Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta College nursing scholar, whereas she was jogging alongside trails close to Lake Herrick on the College of Georgia campus in Athens on the morning of Feb. 22.
LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL: PROSECUTORS PLACE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT AT SCENE IN OPENING STATEMENTS
John Phillips, stepfather of Laken Riley, reacts as Superior Courtroom Decide H. Patrick Haggard declares the decision within the trial of Jose Ibarra at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
“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 mentioned in her opening assertion on Nov. 15. Riley’s sister teared up upon listening to Ross’ first statements.
LAKEN RILEY MURDER TRIAL: PROSECUTORS PLACE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT AT SCENE IN OPENING STATEMENTS
Ross mentioned Ibarra noticed Riley working alongside the frequented trials on UGA’s campus simply after 9 a.m. on Feb. 22, attacked her, dragged her 64 toes right into a wooded space and repeatedly beat her head with a rock, killing her.
“When Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her head in with a rock repeatedly,” Ross mentioned on Nov. 15.
Jose Ibarra listens by an interpreter throughout his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
Riley tried to name 911 at 9:11 a.m., however the name was disconnected. Prosecutors additionally mentioned Ibarra’s fingerprint was on the underside of Riley’s cellphone, the place one would possibly finish a cellphone name.
“It is no coincidence that his thumbprint is on her phone,” Ross mentioned Wednesday.
WATCH: AUTHORITIES WAKE JOSE IBARRA DAY AFTER LAKEN RILEY’S MURDER:
Ibarra and his brothers, additionally in the US illegally from Venezuela, lived in an house constructing lower than a half mile from the on-campus park the place Riley was working.
The defendants’ lawyer, Dustin Kirby, argued in his opening assertion that proof wouldn’t show past an inexpensive doubt that Ibarra killed Riley. He mentioned it will take “gymnastics” for the prosecution to argue Ibarra killed Riley with what he described as “circumstantial evidence.”
Allyson Phillips, left, mom of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing scholar killed this yr, reacts as John Phillips, stepfather of Laken Riley, comforts her throughout Jose Ibarra’s trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 15, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
“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,” Kirby mentioned on Nov. 15.
A hat allegedly belonging to Jose Ibarra is offered as proof throughout his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 19, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
The Athens-Clarke County courtroom heard from 29 of the prosecution’s witnesses over three days, with Ross highlighting proof starting from Ibarra’s DNA on key items of proof to safety digicam footage and cellphone information putting him on the location of the crime on the time Riley was killed.
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Prosecutor Sheila Ross speaks whereas holding an proof bag through the trial of Jose Ibarra at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 19, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
Witnesses testified that DNA matching Ibarra’s was present in Riley’s fingernails and on a jacket with Riley’s hair recovered from a dumpster close to his house complicated.
Ibarra’s protection attorneys argued that proof towards the Venezuelan nationwide is circumstantial, and so they have pointed fingers towards Jose’s brothers, Diego and Argenis Ibarra, who share similarities with Jose of their DNA make-up. Diego was additionally seen sporting the identical black Adidas-style hat that prosecutors say Jose was sporting on Feb. 22 when police questioned Diego on Feb. 23. DNA matching Riley’s was discovered on that very same hat.
Athens-Clarke County police officer Zachary Davis factors out the jacket he collected from a dumpster in {a photograph} as he testifies through the trial of Jose Ibarra at Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 15, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
“The facts and the evidence in this case should leave you with some reasonable doubt,” Kaitlyn Beck mentioned in her closing argument on Wednesday, including later that “while the evidence in this case is voluminous, it is circumstantial.”
A lot of the protection’s arguments prompt Diego could have had one thing to do with Riley’s homicide. Beck mentioned in her closing assertion that “it’s more than possible that one brother’s DNA would get on another brother’s clothes.”
Watch: Laken Riley, Jose Ibarra seen on path digicam footage day of homicide
“I agree with the state, but Laken Riley was physically fit. She was fast. She could have outrun [Jose]. But there’s another suspect in this case who was taller, who was more physically fit, who was wearing sneakers on the day of the murder. And that is Diego Ibarra,” Beck mentioned.
Prosecutors, nevertheless, famous that safety digicam footage from a eating corridor on UGA’s campus, the place Diego labored, confirmed Diego arriving and leaving work on Feb. 22.
Argenis and Diego have been subpoenaed to testify as witnesses for the protection, however the courtroom in the end determined to not enable their testimony as a result of they’re presently concerned in their very own prison instances. Jose’s protection lawyer, John Donnelly, talked about that Diego’s protection lawyer suggested that he mustn’t testify throughout Jose’s trial whereas he’s presently charged with inexperienced card fraud.
Superior Courtroom Decide H. Patrick Haggard listens throughout Jose Ibarra’s trial in Athens-Clarke County Superior Courtroom, Nov. 15, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Structure through AP/Pool)
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark beforehand described the homicide as a “crime of opportunity” throughout a February press convention.
Ibarra illegally crossed into the US by El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and was launched into the U.S. through parole, ICE and DHS sources beforehand informed 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 identified Venezuelan gang within the U.S. referred to as Tren de Aragua, in line with federal courtroom paperwork.
Laken Riley (Allyson Phillips/Fb)
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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.
