ATHENS — The trial date for a man accused of killing nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus has been scheduled tentatively for November.
Jose Ibarra, 26, is accused of three counts of felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, hindering a 911 call, tampering with evidence and spying. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in May.
Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard scheduled Ibarra’s trial to begin Nov. 18, with jury selection set to begin Nov. 13.
Riley’s family members, including mother Allyson Phillips and stepfather John Phillips, were in the courtroom on Friday.
Credit: WSBTV Videos
Ibarra remains held without bond at the Athens-Clarke County jail. The district attorney’s office filed paperwork in court in May indicating it will seek a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Riley’s body was discovered by police on Feb. 22 in a wooded area near the university’s intramural fields. She had gone for a jog that morning.
It was the first homicide on the grounds of Georgia’s flagship university in more than two decades.
Credit: Nell Carroll
Credit: Nell Carroll
Ibarra was arrested the next day.
Investigators say Ibarra, who entered the United States illegally from Venezuela, attempted to rape Riley, bashed her head with a rock and tried to asphyxiate her. He also allegedly thwarted her attempt to call police.
Police also say Ibarra allegedly peered through the apartment window of a female student earlier on the day Riley was killed.
Riley’s death became a flashpoint in the national debate over illegal immigration. Ibarra and two of his brothers entered the United States unlawfully in 2022 and 2023, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They were all taken into custody in Athens on Feb. 23.
Diego Ibarra, 28, of Venezuela, pleaded guilty last month to possessing a fraudulent green card. Diego Ibarra’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October. Argenis Ibarra, 24, remains in federal custody after being indicted on two counts of possession of a fraudulent document. Only Jose Ibarra is charged in Riley’s death.
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