ATHENS — Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student killed on the University of Georgia campus in February, put up a “fierce” fight for her life when she was attacked while out for her usual morning jog, prosecutors said in opening arguments of a murder trial here Friday morning.
Riley scratched and clawed her killer, said the state’s special prosecutor, Sheila Ross, adding evidence would show that the DNA under her fingernails belonged to defendant Jose Ibarra.
“Laken fought. She fought for her life,” Ross said. “She fought for her dignity. In that fight, she caused this defendant to leave forensic evidence behind. She also marked her killer for the entire world to see.”
Ibarra, 26, is charged with felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, hindering a 911 call and tampering with evidence. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges, as well as to an allegation that he peeped into a female UGA student’s window the same morning.
Ibarra, a Venezuelan who authorities say entered the country illegally in 2022, waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead to have Superior Court Judge H. Patrick Haggard listen to the evidence and render a verdict.
Riley’s roommates took the witness stand to testify that they became concerned about her when she hadn’t returned home from her run, didn’t answer phone calls and an app continued to show that she was on the trails near the university’s intramural fields. Her family members were also worried because they couldn’t reach the normally punctual Riley.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
When roommate Sofia Magana went to the trail and found what she suspected was an AirPod that belonged to Riley, their panic increased. The roommates called University of Georgia police.
Police met the roommates at a parking deck close to the trail. Sgt. Kenneth Maxwell and another officer began their search around 12:20 p.m. ”At that point, we still didn’t know what we were dealing with,” the officer testified.
About 13 minutes later, Maxwell, wearing a body camera, spotted Riley about 65 feet off the trial. “University, I found her!” he relayed back to the station.
“Ma’am, ma’am!” he yelled as he checked on Riley, who was partially covered with leaves and vegetation.
“She’s down. She’s not breathing. Starting CPR now,” he told the station. “I’m not getting a pulse. She’s stiff.”
Maxwell and another officer worked frantically to resuscitate Riley, alternating performing CPR until EMS arrived.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
During Maxwell’s testimony and the playing of bodycam footage, Ibarra alternated between looking down and watching the video as it played. Riley’s mother, Allyson Phillips, left the courtroom before the video was played. Other members of Riley’s family, including her father, Jason Riley and stepdad, John Phillips, remained.
In his nine-minute opening statement, defense attorney Dustin Kirby challenged the credibility and reliability of the state’s evidence.
“The evidence in this case is very good that Laken Riley was murdered,” Kirby said. “The evidence that Jose Ibarra killed Laken Riley is circumstantial. The evidence that anyone had any intent or committed sexual assault is speculation.”
Testimony is continuing.
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