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Jose Ibarra guilty of murdering Georgia student Laken Riley
Charlie Kirk Staff
11/20/2024
The man charged with the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was found guilty on Wednesday, bringing an end to a case that reignited debates over the Biden-Harris immigration policy ahead of the presidential election.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was convicted of several crimes, including three counts of felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, and “peeping Tom.” He is now set to serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Riley’s death drew significant national attention after officials revealed that Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, had entered the U.S. illegally in 2022. The incident became a focal point for calls to tighten border security, with former President Donald Trump and other Republican figures meeting with Riley’s family in March before a campaign rally to push for stricter immigration enforcement.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Ibarra killed Riley after she resisted his attempt to sexually assault her. They presented DNA evidence and other materials that they said connected Ibarra to the crime scene on the day of her murder.
In her closing statement on Wednesday, prosecutor Sheila Ross declared, “Riley herself has given you all the evidence you need alone to find this man guilty of every single count in this indictment.”
Ross highlighted Riley’s efforts to defend herself, stating, “It is a direct result of that fight that gives you all the physical evidence you need to convict.”
Prosecutors are pushing for a life sentence without parole for Ibarra. In February, Athens District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez announced that her office would not pursue the death penalty in this case, noting that they would “take into account collateral consequences to undocumented defendants.”
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