A man accused of killing Georgia nursing student Laken Riley while she was out for a run earlier this year was found guilty Wednesday and sentenced to life without parole in a case that reignited the national debate over immigration and crime.
Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old undocumented migrant from Venezuela, was convicted on a total of 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and tampering with evidence.
Athens-Clarke County Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard reached the verdict after hearing evidence and testimony from dozens of experts and law enforcement officers as well as both Ibarra and Riley’s roommates since last week. The defense and prosecution agreed to a bench trial, in which the judge alone decides the facts of the case and application of the law.
Riley, a student at Augusta University’s Athens campus, was found dead February 22 in a wooded area near the University of Georgia trail she often visited. She was struck in the head with a rock several times and asphyxiated, according to court documents.
Riley’s family cried and multiple gasps and sobs were heard in the courtroom when the first guilty decision was announced. Her mother and sister described the heartbreaking impact of Riley’s death when they delivered their victim impact statements before the judge handed down the sentencing.
“This monster took away our chances to see Laken graduate from nursing school. He took away our ability to meet our future son-in-law. He destroyed our chances of meeting our grandchildren. And he took my best friend,” Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, said Wednesday in court.
“He ripped away every beautiful memory we will ever be able to make with her again,” she added while sobbing.
Phillips described her daughter as “smart, hard-working, kind, thoughtful, and most importantly, she was a child of God.”
Riley’s roommate Connolly Huth told Judge Haggard she lost the joy of running and is afraid to resume it.
“I no longer run every day,” Huth said. “I cannot imagine running when I constantly am looking over my shoulder in public, wondering if I am next.”
As the sentence was read, Ibarra was mostly seen looking down. He had shown little emotion throughout the trial.
Prosecutors presented DNA evidence and defense raised alternate theory
Over four days of testimony, Georgia prosecutors presented an array of digital and physical evidence, including DNA, digital data and surveillance to connect Ibarra to Riley’s killing. Meanwhile, the defense focused on casting doubt on the state’s evidence and offered an alternate theory of the case, saying one of Ibarra’s brothers was responsible for the killing.
“Evidence that is subject to more than one interpretation is not proof beyond reasonable doubt,” defense attorney Kaitlyn Beck said in her closing arguments Wednesday.
“I would remind your honor that even if you think the alternative theories of the evidence are less likely, but they present any reasonable doubt, you would still be required to find Mr. Ibarra not guilty,” she added.
Prosecutors said genetic testing of Riley’s fingernail clippings showed a link to the genetic profile of Ibarra. Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab scientist Ashley Hinkle testified Tuesday that generally someone “either has to have some sort of scratching or contact with the inside of the nail” to get another person’s DNA under their fingernails.
In separate testimony, UGA police Sgt. Joshua Epps said he noticed what “looked like fingernail scratches” on Ibarra’s arms and left wrist when he met him the day after Riley’s killing. The defense questioned the quality of that DNA evidence and its analysis.
In addition, a blood-like stain on a navy blue jacket found in a dumpster contained the DNA of Riley and Ibarra, Hinkle testified. A witness also spoke about spotting a person wearing a navy blue jacket on the morning of Riley’s murder.
Surveillance video showed an unknown person wearing a black Adidas hat stuffing the jacket in the dumpster. Prosecutors said the next day, police spotted Ibarra’s brother wearing that hat, which led them to question Ibarra. Investigators also presented a series of selfies they say Ibarra took of himself with his own phone. In those photos, he appears to wear clothes that match those seen in the surveillance video.
Republican leaders react to guilty verdict
Several Republican leaders reacted to Wednesday’s verdict and sentencing, with many of them having previously highlighted the case to support their calls for tighter border security. Data reviewed by CNN suggests no significant connection between illegal immigration and violent crime.
President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement he hoped the guilty verdict can bring Riley’s family “some peace and closure” and said, “It is time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp called Riley’s death “senseless” and applauded the bravery shown by her family during the murder trial. He slammed current immigration policy, saying Ibarra should have not been allowed to enter the United States.
“Open border policies failed Laken Riley, and today’s verdict is a reminder that the safety of our communities must remain our number one priority. While our state has taken considerable actions to address the impact of the border crisis, I will not waver in supporting efforts that secure our border and keep this state and our nation safe,” Kemp said in a statement.
After Riley’s killing, Georgia officials signed into law immigration enforcement legislation. The law requires local and state law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of those older than 18 who have been arrested, those in detention or those who an “officer has probable cause to believe” have committed a crime.