Authorities believe the murderer of Laken Hope Riley, a 22 year-old nursing student at Augusta University is an illegal Venezuelan migrant.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was illegally in the country. Ibarra is being held in the Athens-Clarke County Jail without bail.
Police were able to use campus security camera footage, key community input and physical evidence to connect Ibarra to Riley’s brutal murder.
Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. through El Paso, TX in 2022. He was also arrested in New York in August for “acting in a manor to injure a child.” ICE said NYPD released Ibarra before they could issue a detainer to him.
Ibarra’s arrest affidavit said Ibarra used a weapon to cause bodily harm “by seriously disfiguring her skull,’” he concealed her death by “dragging her into a secluded area,” and believe he physically prevented her “with intent to cause physical harm” from making a 911 call while she was at the intramural field.
Ibarra has been charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, and kidnapping and concealing the death of another.
According to Sonny Wilson, coroner from Athens-Clarke County, Riley suffered blunt force trauma to her head, but the full autopsy report is expected in the next few weeks.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp posted on X; “Laken Riley’s tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has sparked national outrage… Joe Biden’s failed policies have turned every state into a border state, and I’m demanding information from him so we can protect our people when the federal government won’t!”
Athens District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez is going to bring in an outside top trial attorney, Shelia Ross to prosecutor this case.
By - FZ
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