The man charged in the February killing of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus is due to enter pleas to 10 counts during an arraignment hearing in Athens on May 31.
Jose Ibarra, 26, remains in the Clarke County jail without bond. He is charged with three counts of felony murder and single counts of malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, aggravated battery, hindering a 911 call, tampering with evidence and spying.
Riley’s body was discovered shortly before 1 p.m. on Feb. 22 in a wooded area near the university’s intramural fields, where she had gone for a run that morning. Ibarra was arrested the next day.
The stunning news rocked two communities: Athens, where Riley had lived for several years while attending UGA and Augusta University’s nursing school, and Woodstock, where she graduated from River Ridge High School.
It was the first suspected homicide on the grounds of Georgia’s flagship university in more than two decades.
Ibarra, who authorities say entered the United States illegally from Venezuela, is accused of attempting to rape Riley, bashing her in the head with a rock and trying to asphyxiate her. He also allegedly thwarted her attempt to call police and hid a jacket and gloves to avoid apprehension.
The spying charge relates to an alleged incident at a campus apartment about 8 a.m. on Feb. 22, when a female university student and staff member reported a suspicious man peering through her window.
Riley’s death became a new flashpoint in the national debate over illegal immigration. Ibarra and two of his brothers entered the United States unlawfully in 2022 and 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has said. They were all taken into custody in Athens on Feb. 23.
Diego Ibarra, 28, was charged with possessing a fake green card. He has pleaded not guilty and is in federal custody awaiting trial. Argenis Ibarra, 24, is being held at an ICE facility pending investigation of his immigration case. Only Jose Ibarra is charged in Riley’s death.
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