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Georgia v Jose Ibarra

Jose Ibarra was accused of killing Laken Riley while she was out for a run in the morning of February 22, 2024, on the trails at Oconee Forest Park, in Athens, Georgia.  Laken Riley was a nursing student at Augusta University in Athens.  A search for her began after she had not returned a text from her mother earlier that day.  Jose Ibarra was identified as a suspect by his roommate and a jacket from a dumpster near his apartment with Laken Riley's hair on it subsequently was discovered.  It was considered a crime of opportunity.  At the time of Riley's murder, Ibarra was an undocumented citizen of Venezuela, and had been involved in the court systems in New York as well as Georgia prior to this incident. â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

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Case Details

Case #: SU-24-CR-0323

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Victim(s):

  1. ​Laken Riley

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Charge(s): ​

  1. felony murder, three different counts 

  2. malice murder

  3. false imprisonment 

  4. aggravated assault with intent to rape

  5. kidnapping

  6. hindering a 911 call,

  7. concealing the death of another

  8. peeping Tom

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Where:

  • Clarke County

  • Athens, Georgia

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When:

  • Event Date: 2/22/2024

  • Arrest Date: 2/23/2024

  • Trial dates:  11/15/2024 - 11/20/2024

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​​​Verdict: November 20, 2024

  1. Guilty of all charges

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Sentence: November 20, 2024

  1. -Life in prison without possibility of parole

 

​Notes:

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This case was the impetus for the passage of the "Laken Riley" act, a bill mandating detention of undocumented individuals who are convicted of burglary/theft and gives states the ability to sue the federal government for failing to enforce existing immigration laws.  The Laken Riley Act passed both houses of the Legislature and was signed into law by President Trump January 29, 2025. 

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