Prosecutors concluded their case Tuesday in the trial of Jose Ibarra, 26, accused of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, 22, on February 22. Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, leaving the verdict to Judge H. Patrick Haggard in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court.
Riley, a student at Augusta University’s nursing program, was killed on a wooded running trail on the University of Georgia campus. Prosecutors allege Ibarra, who illegally entered the U.S. in 2022, killed her during a struggle after she resisted his advances. Her smartwatch recorded her heart stopping at 9:28 a.m., shortly after she called her mother. Surveillance footage and DNA evidence link Ibarra to the crime scene, including blood on his jacket and his DNA under Riley’s fingernails.
The defense suggested Ibarra’s brother, Diego, could be a suspect. Diego, detained on federal immigration charges, initially took the stand but didn’t testify due to legal complications. Defense attorneys plan to present other witnesses, but hearsay concerns stalled proceedings.
Stephanie Slaton, a neighbor, testified Diego threatened her through a phone translation app, warning, “If you tell them, I will tell them you did it and then I will kill you, too.” She admitted to drinking that day and being upset over their intimate relationship.
Medical examiner Dr. Michelle DiMarco testified Riley suffered multiple cuts and a skull fracture, consistent with being struck by a rock. Prosecutors emphasized Ibarra’s DNA on rocks at the scene and surveillance footage of Riley’s final moments.
The defense questioned the strength of the evidence, citing a witness who saw a suspicious man taller and thinner than Ibarra near the trail. The trial resumes Wednesday as the defense continues its case.
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