Jose Ibarra, accused of killing Augusta University student Laken Riley during his morning run in February, will appear in court Monday for the second day of his trial.
Prosecutors say Ibarra, 26, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, attacked and killed nursing student Riley, 22, as she jogged on a path near Herrick Lake on the University of Georgia campus in Athens on a February morning. Announced. twenty two.
The suspect is charged with 10 counts: one count of malice murder, three counts of felony murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of aggravated assault with intent to commit rape, one count of aggravated assault, and one count of interfering with a 911 call. , one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of being a “peeping tom.” Ibarra has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“On February 22nd, Jose Ibarra donned a black hat, a hoodie-style jacket, and black kitchen-style disposable gloves and went looking for women on the University of Georgia campus,” prosecutor Sheila Ross said in her opening statement. Ta. Friday’s statement.
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During Jose Ybarra’s trial, Georgia prosecutors showed an image of Laken Riley jogging before the murder. (Fox News)
Ross said Ybarra then encountered Riley during her usual morning run and attacked her.
“When Laken Riley refused to become a rape victim, he repeatedly hit her over the head with a rock,” Ross said.
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Jose Ibarra, the defendant accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year, watches the trial through an interpreter on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court in Athens, Georgia. (Hyo-Seob Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
Ibarra and his brother also entered the country illegally from Venezuela and lived in an apartment less than a half-mile from the campus park where Riley ran.
Defense attorney Dustin Kirby argued in his opening statement that the evidence could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ybarra killed Riley. He said it would take “gymnastics” for prosecutors to argue that Mr. Ybarra killed Mr. Riley using what he called “circumstantial evidence.”
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Alison Phillips, the mother of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered earlier this year, speaks during the trial of Jose Ybarra in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Athens, Georgia. Riley’s stepfather, John Phillips, responds when he comforts her. . (Hyo-Seob Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
“We have waived a jury trial in this case. Despite the nature of this evidence, we have no hope that a verdict will be reached that will not only alleviate the suffering of this family, but will also be based on a fair and honest judgment.” “Because I had confidence in my evaluation of the evidence in this case,” he said.
“If that were to happen, and the presumption of innocence is respected, there should not be sufficient evidence to satisfy Mr. Ybarra that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the crimes with which he is charged.”
Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard during the trial of Jose Ybarra, who is accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, November 15, 2024. Prosecutor Sheila Ross speaks in front. Athens, Georgia. (Hyo-Seob Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
On Friday, the court heard from nine prosecution witnesses, including Riley’s roommate and several law enforcement officers from various agencies.
Evidence included cell phone screenshots of Riley’s roommate trying to find her using the Find My Friends app when she did not return from a run. Her AirPods I found on the ground when I went out looking for her along her regular running route. Video from body camera worn by police. Security camera footage. There was a man’s thumbprint on the bottom of Riley’s cell phone. And the sweatshirt Riley was wearing when she was attacked.
Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Zachary Davis collects garbage from a trash can while testifying on the witness stand during the trial of Jose Ybarra, who is accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year in Athens-Clarke County. Friday, November 15, 2024, in Superior Court in Athens, Georgia. (Hyo-Seob Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark previously described the murder as a “crime of opportunity” at a press conference in February.
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Superior Court Judge H. listens to the trial of Jose Ibarra, who is accused of killing a Georgia nursing student earlier this year, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Athens, Georgia.・Mr. Patrick Haggard. (Hyo-Seob Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)
Ybarra entered the U.S. illegally in September 2022 via El Paso, Texas, and was released on parole, ICE and DHS officials previously told Fox News.
Her brother, Diego Ibarra, who briefly worked in the UGA cafeteria before his arrest in February, is charged with green card fraud and is a member of the Tren gang, a Venezuelan gang known in the U.S., according to federal court documents. It is said that he had a relationship with “De Aragua”.
Laken Riley poses for a photo to post on Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Alison Phillips/Facebook)
On Friday afternoon, the defense summoned Diego Ibarra and his brother Argenis Ibarra to testify at Jose’s trial on Wednesday.
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ICE previously told Fox News Digital that Jose Ybarra was arrested by New York City police in August 2023, a year after entering the United States, and was charged with “acting with a child under 17 and impairing a motor vehicle license.” He admitted that he had been indicted. violation. “
FOX News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
