The suspect accused of killing 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley was arraigned on murder charges Friday in connection with the slaying on the University of Georgia campus.
An Athens-Clarke County judge entered a plea of not guilty for Jose Ibarra, 26, following his indictment earlier this month on malice murder and felony murder and other offenses. The judge said the trial in the case will likely be scheduled for the fall.
Jose Ibarra appears in court for his arraignment in Athens, Georgia, May 31, 2024.
ABC News
Ibarra did not speak and wore headphones during the arraignment. His attorney asked for 90 days to review the preliminary discovery. The state said they are awaiting cellphone reports and other scientific reports but will be ready for trial in the fall.
Riley’s family also sat in the courtroom for the arraignment.
Riley, a student at Augusta University, was found dead in a wooded area on the Athens campus on Feb. 22 after she didn’t return from a run. The indictment alleges that Ibarra killed her by “inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and by asphyxiating her” and seriously disfigured her head by striking her “multiple times” with a rock.
Laken Riley is seen in an undated photo.
Augusta University
Additional charges in the 10-count indictment include aggravated battery, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, obstructing or hindering a person making an emergency telephone call and tampering with evidence. The latter charge alleged that he “knowingly concealed” evidence — a jacket and gloves — involving the offense of malice murder.
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He was also charged with a peeping tom offense. The indictment alleges that on the same day as Riley’s murder, he spied through the window of a different person who lived in an apartment on campus.
Ibarra was denied bond following his arrest on Feb. 23 and is being held at the Clarke County Jail.
Police have said they do not believe Ibarra — a migrant from Venezuela — knew Riley and that this was a “crime of opportunity.” Her death has become a rallying cry for immigration reform from many conservatives.
The murder suspect in the Laken Riley case, a University of Georgia student who was killed on campus earlier this year, has entered a not guilty plea in court. The suspect, whose name has not been released to the public, was arrested shortly after Riley’s body was discovered in a wooded area near the university’s campus.
Riley, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Georgia, was reported missing by her friends and family after she failed to return home from a night out with friends. Her body was found several days later, and an autopsy revealed that she had been strangled to death.
The suspect in the case was quickly identified and arrested by police, and has been charged with murder in connection with Riley’s death. During a recent court appearance, the suspect entered a not guilty plea, indicating that they intend to fight the charges against them.
The case has sent shockwaves through the University of Georgia community, as Riley was a well-liked and respected student on campus. Friends and classmates have expressed their shock and sadness at her untimely death, and many have called for justice to be served in her case.
As the legal proceedings continue, investigators are working diligently to gather evidence and build a strong case against the suspect. The not guilty plea indicates that the suspect plans to contest the charges, and the case is expected to go to trial in the coming months.
In the meantime, the University of Georgia community continues to mourn the loss of Laken Riley and support her family and loved ones during this difficult time. The campus has come together to remember Riley and honor her memory, and efforts are being made to ensure that justice is served in her case.
The not guilty plea entered by the murder suspect in the Laken Riley case is just the beginning of what is sure to be a long and complex legal process. As the case unfolds, the University of Georgia community will be watching closely, hoping for a resolution that brings closure and justice for Laken Riley and her loved ones.
